My summer days were filled with…
…Going to the zoo with my little niece. She really likes birds like eagles and owls.
…Going to the medieval faire with friends. This is their son.
This is was called an “ox” but I actually think it’s a steer. I’m not positive though.
…Eating ice cream. (This is a daughter of a friend. She is adorable and has the most striking blue eyes)
…and many more things I might add in the next few days!
I hope everyone out there had a wonderful summer!
So my last post warned you of the long delay in posting, but now I am back (for the 5 people including members of my family who actually read this…) I started teaching again today and things are going well.
I have had a scrapbooking kit ready for awhile, but have delayed posting it because I wanted to make sure I would be around in case any problems arose. Here goes, the first-ever Lynn Adams original kit: The Tomorrow Paper Pack, consisting of 10 lovely coordinating papers, 2400×2400 px (my computer just couldn’t handle 3600×3600). One note: you may have to change the printing dimensions to 12in x 12in if you intend to print at that size. I was all excited about actually getting everything together that I forgot to change that, but I believe it is possible and not too hard with most editing programs).
You can download it here.
Please let me know if you have any problems accessing/downloading it. Have fun and please send me any layouts you use them for, if you want. I’d love to see your work!
-Lynn
I just wanted to write a quick note to let everyone know I still am alive! I had planned on writing more and sharing some pictures with you, but our internet speed is very slow today. I have been at JIM club, and will be there a few more weeks. I may not be able to write anything until nearer to the end of summer. But I will be back with a bang at some point. I am currently working on (and have almost finished) my very first scrapbooking kit. I have tons of other papers and elements made that I just need to organize to make into kits. I am also working on a tutorial for selective coloring as promised.
For now, I’ll share with you the photo of my cat who was my best friend and confidante from the time I was 6 until I was out of college. He had the loudest purr and actually liked it if we picked him up. He was soft, fluffy, and affectionate. I know that cats get a bad rap for being aloof, but my kitty never was. He was so sweet and he is still missed today. His name was Bozo, and I named him when I was 6 (don’t ask me why I came up with that name or why my parents let me name him that! He didn’t mind though.)
I really hate confrontations. Of all kinds. It is what made me hate substitute teaching—I really hate disciplining. As a college professor, my life is so much better. I rarely have to discipline and I can actually treat the students as adults (because they are) and responsible (because they are supposed to be).
Let me tell you a bit about the courses I teach. They consist of 6 5-week courses, which begin at the very basics, maybe about 6th or 7th grade level. They end at an algebra 2 (maybe 10th grade) level. There is a final exam at the end of each 5 weeks, which students must pass with at least a 70% to go on to the next course. But if they fail, they can retake that 5 week course in the very next 5 week session. So, I teach a sequence of say 2, 3, 4 in one semester. If someone fails 2 with me, they can retake with another professor in the following 5 weeks, while I go on to 3 with the rest of the students. This is actually a really nice system for the students, although many don’t realize it at the time. They think we are going faster or something because the course is only 5 weeks. However, the reason we go fast is not because it’s only 5 weeks, we go fast because it’s 4 years of math packed into 30 weeks. But it’s really math they should have learned in high school. (I told a friend of mine who is a middle school math teacher this the other day, and she said, well how many people really have to take these courses? I told her MANY—they are by far the most offered math courses at my university, and it was a similar situation at the university I worked at prior to this. She was shocked and sad. The worse fact is that the pass rate for some of the courses in the sequence is only about 50%)
My point is, I really hate the last day of class. They have 2 attempts at the final exam in the last week of class. It is on a computer, partially for ease of grading so they can know right away if they passed or not. Some people just don’t accept that they failed. They see their score before I do, usually, but many of them plead with me to pass them, even though there’s nothing I can do. I don’t think that they think about the ramifications….if you get a 36% on this exam, what makes you think the next 5 weeks would be any easier in the next course? Math builds upon itself so much that you can’t just skip ahead. So I always have to assertively tell a few people that they failed. I try to just say, well you got a 42%, and you needed a 70% to pass (or at least a 60, in which case I look for partial credit). They almost always just stand there and look at me sadly when I’m done saying this. It’s really awkward (for both of us, I’m sure). I silently plead for them to just accept this and leave. If they don’t, I usually just end up rambling, telling them that it’s easy to sign up for the course again, and they will probably do better the next time, blah blah blah. It takes time but eventually most of them do leave. Surprisingly, I’ve only had one student get really angry about it.
So the last day of class, which should be spent with me saying things like “Have a great summer!” is spent telling a few forlorn people that they have to take this class they loathed all over again. Wish me luck, tomorrow is one of those days :-/
I was absent this past weekend because I was with my husband on the shores of Lake Chautauqua at a camp called the Boys’ J.I.M. Club. (J.I.M. stands for “Jesus is Mine”). If I ever needed to show proof that my husband is devoted to God, his commitment to this camp would be one piece of evidence.
Let me begin by talking about other types of “church camps” you may be thinking of. I attended “church camp” when I was young. All of the ones I went to were fun, to varying degrees (except that one where my parents drove 10 hours to pick me up, but that’s a story for a different time). Often they would talk of God in there as well, although I don’t remember any specifics, really. When I was in college, I worked at what I found to be an amazing camp, called Springhill, which was very Christ-centered and also energy-packed. Its primary focus was evangelism. If you live in Michigan or Indiana (they have 2 campuses…I worked in Michigan) and have children, I really encourage you to check it out.
J.I.M club is something else entirely. It’s tiny–only about 4 buildings total, and a max of maybe 35 campers at a time. It’s on one little strip of land on the lake and yes, it only has boys. All campers attend for free, but they must be recommended by an alumnus (sp?) or someone closely associated with the camp. They must already have a heart for Jesus before coming. The primary goal is to prepare boys to become Christian leaders through teaching them public speaking and other methods of delivery of the Gospel like magic and ventriloquism. Jay began going there when he was 8, and has come back every summer since (which makes it about 20 years…) He of course became a counselor sometime in high school, and now he is one of the senior staff who actually is a “counselor to the counselors”, so to speak. Jay devotes 8 weeks of his summer to volunteering at this camp, and has been for years.
I say all this because it is through this camp that I really learned what an amazing man my husband is. He doesn’t even question whether he wants to spend all 8 weeks there, he just assumes that he will. Many other counselors stay for only 2 or 4 weeks, if that (not to belittle them or their efforts…many of them have jobs that just don’t allow for them to take that much time off…Jay is lucky he is still in school!). I see him with these people he’s known for so long, and each summer it’s like going to a summer-long reunion.
Sometimes I think that I don’t want children (what if they grow up to be like [insert awful teenage role model like Lindsay Lohan etc here]? what if they don’t love me?…), but then I see these boys and remember there is hope after all. And of course there is, because Jesus Christ has given it to us. I get such inspiration and hope for the world when I see a place like this…not full of hate or anger, but full of love which was first shown to us by God.
Take care, everyone, and I hope that everyone can find a place for themselves that’s as meaningful as this camp is to my husband (and now me).
Here he is doing some “patriotic” magic:
I was going to post a bit about my in-laws’ dairy farm today, because cow pictures are just so cute and I wanted to share a few. So I started writing, but then I decided that I’d better write about my own side of the family a bit first! (Hopefully they don’t mind pictures shared of them—they are probably the only 2 readers aside from Jay, so I guess it doesn’t matter much 
Of course you’ve already seen the stars of my family—my niece, nephew, and now little cousin. (Check here for cute pictures)
However, the proud grandparents deserve recognition as well, for raising such wonderful daughters (and especially their youngest…haha). My mom was a NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) nurse, and I’m not sure how she dealt with such sick babies and sadness all the time. She really loved it though. My dad is a mechanical engineer who has actually designed several machines. He really loves his work as well. Here are my parents in the rainforests of Zimbabwe. What’s that you say? There are no rainforests in Zimbabwe? Oh, then I guess this is the Cleveland Botanical Gardens:
And here is another one…shhh, don’t tell them that I was actually trying to get a shot of the waterfall instead…
And finally,
This is my dad next to the “Organ Pipe Cactus” because he enjoys organ music and can even play a bit.
That’s it for now…take care!
(Oh by the way, don’t despair, Jay…I will devote a post to you sometime soon!)
I don’t have anything interesting to talk about today. I’ve been home alone, which means I sit around being bored all day, thinking about how I should clean or work out or do something productive, when instead I sit around and find what tv I can watch at Hulu (check it out, it’s completely free and legal!). I also scheme about making money from any of the various crafts I’ve tried. I haven’t come up with anything yet. Sometimes I play games at Neopets, but then I stop for awhile and when I get back to it, I’m annoyed that the interest on my Neopoints in the Neobank doesn’t accrue automatically (I’d probably be a neo-millionaire by now!)
Then I realize that it’s dinner time and I haven’t done anything all day…but then I remember that I did teach 2 classes this morning and then I don’t feel so bad.
So, I will be very narcissistic and share some favorite photos of mine. If I ever get inspired to write up a photo-editing tutorial, the first one I write will be about selective coloring, or cutouts. Here are some examples…
A Japanese maple leaf:
Bleeding hearts in Quebec:
A butterfly on the shore of Lake Chautauqua:
And of course my favorite kitty Calvin:
Take care.
This weekend, we drove to Columbus and attended the Origins Game Fair. We stayed with some friends and had a lot of fun. Because pictures always make a story more interesting, here goes:
Jay and I are both teachers, so we were actually able to get in for free. This of course meant that we could spend the money we would have spent on the entrance fee on even more games! We played several games from RnR Games. I didn’t enjoy the game “You must be an idiot!”, mainly because it made me actually feel like one…but I did like the idea of the game and I could see how it would be fun. Our friend enjoyed it so much he bought a copy.
“Horse Fair” was my favorite. It’s a very simple game mostly based on luck, and it includes cute little plastic horses—what could be better?
We attended a few seminars and learned about the history of a few lines of games from Mayfair Games. The president of the company talked at each seminar and really sold us on his company. He didn’t come right out and say it, but I decided that the rail-building games are his favorite. We really enjoy the rail games ourselves too. In fact, we decided to buy the China Rails and Nippon Rails games.
We also learned about the Settlers of Catan games. We had played the original game many times before, however, they sold us on their new expansion set, “Traders and Barbarians”, which doesn’t reach stores until Thursday. We needed to buy our own copy of the original game as well.
If you haven’t played The Settlers of Catan, and you enjoy games, I really encourage you to check it out. It is relatively easy, and fun. It’s the type of game that almost everyone can agree on. Even children around 10 can play it–and have a decent chance of winning. And if you like it, check out other Mayfair games as well.
Also attending the conference were the adorable Pikachu, Piplup, and Turtwig (I think). (I had to look the second 2 up). They were very obliging and let us take photos with them.
Me and Piplup…
Jay (with his eyes closed…oops) and Turtwig (I think)…
And the well-loved Pikachu.
Of course we had to take some pictures with our friends as well.
This is Lucas, Megan, me and Jay in front of a well-detailed miniature walled city. You might recognize Lucas and Megan from an earlier scrapbooked wedding page I posted.
We also met my friend Lindsay for lunch. Things didn’t go as well as we planned. We parked right across from a Chipotle, so I figured that would be a great place to meet her for lunch. However, for some reason, unknown to us, the Chipotle seemed to be closed all day. Instead we went to Ted’s Montana Grill:
Lindsay was the only one brave enough to try the bison burger.
Finally, we convinced Lindsay to attend the game fair, in the hopes of finding a good game for her to use in the classroom. We also found Pikachu.
Back at home, we gathered all our loot:
Now Jay has left for the Boys’ JIM Club, and it’s time for me to party! Ok, not really. Actually, it means I will probably sit at my computer until my tummy tells me it’s time to eat something, and then scrounge around the kitchen, finally deciding to eat some leftovers. It does mean that I will hopefully be able to keep working on my scrapbooking kits that I am planning on putting together and making available for download someday when I get organized. Have a blessed Sabbath, everyone.
I really like the idea of sharing what works for us, so I’ve decided to join in. Thanks to Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer for coming up with the “works-for-me” idea and hosting.
These shoes are the best footwear I have ever found. My mom raised me to believe that comfort was of the utmost importance in dressing oneself. Sometimes I follow this advice, sometimes I don’t. But as a teacher who is often on her feet several hours a day, I needed something that could be both professional and comfortable. A friend of mine, who is also a teacher, was wearing these shoes with a skirt at the time. I fell in love…and I fell in love even more deeply when I tried them on and they were so comfortable. Now, they happen to be called “Biker” shoes, but don’t let that scare you away. I’ve worn them with jeans, professional pants, and casual skirts. I have a toffee pair and a black pair, and I wear them almost every day to work. They’ve held up very well. There are other styles too, using patterned print or other materials. Check ‘em out! Biker’s- Step up
I just found out that a former high school classmate of mine is a real-life rock star. Now, I knew that he was in a band of some sort, but you know how people say they are in bands but really just mess around in a garage somewhere? That’s how I thought it was. But I googled his band (”White Williams”–it seems to be just him in the “band” though) and actually found some references in Rolling Stone online and other reputable music sources. I’m not into the music scene at all though, so I had no idea what the reviewers were saying. I imagined some horrible, loud, heavy metal “music” from the descriptions (and from knowing Joe). It turns out that the songs are actually somewhat poppy and definitely unique. Catchy as well. So, below is his video. It’s not bad at all. You can also listen to some of his songs on his myspace page : White Williams.
I am very glad for his success…he was one of those people who really walked to their own beat. We were in a somewhat snobby public school, and he was one of the few people who really transcended all the high school cliques. I think everybody liked him. I was definitely a nerd, (and he definitely wasn’t…although I think he really is smart) but he was always nice to me. I hope he goes far.
That makes about 2 semi-famous people that I know…the other being BJ from “The Amazing Race” (one of the “hippies”).