"snowmageddon"

philadelphia never really gets snow, but in less than 24 hours we've gotten about 15 inches!!! it's SO beautiful. granted, my drive home last night was slightly treacherous, but i still think it looks awesome.

sam & i shoveled some this morning so the driveway is pretty clear. i might convince someone to take a walk with me tonight. but for now, my photos are all from inside:

my head & heart are full

i'm a blogging fiend lately. my only explanation is that melissa's gone so i don't have anyone to talk to at all hours :) there are lots of random things going through my head right now...

number one: it's bizarre how melissa's life and my life coordinate so closely sometimes. she got the call that her grandpa died on monday night. i got the call that my grandmom died on wednesday night. this same kind of thing happened while i was in japan... not related to death, but once she emailed me about something big in her life. i responded and less than a week later i was falling apart and emailed her about basically the same thing. WEIRD! i miss meliss a lot & i will be really glad when she's home.

number two: i'll be in yorktown, VA. for valentines day. awesome~ j. brought up v-day a couple weeks ago and said "because i know you, i'm guessing it doesn't have to be a big deal". [i was SO happy to hear him say that!!] this valentines day is gonna be a sad one, filled with grieving and remembering my grandmom. however, i'm so glad i get to spend it with j. [AND my extended family!] in a setting that i absolutely adore.

number three: yesterday i had my students write about their grandmothers. it was such a sweet tribute and turned out to be really therapeutic on my first full day of grieving. they all remembered special details about their abuelas and listened attentively when i shared about mine.

bad news

last week J. gave me a cutie little plant[!!!]. it's a primrose, like this: i tried my hardest to give it plenty of love & affection. i showed it off to everyone in my house. i took a picture of it on my phone and made it the background. i was careful not to over-water it [b/c that tends to be my problem with plants...]

but i think it might be dead. yesterday i noticed some of the leaves had turned yellow and one of the flowers was crinkling!!!

i quickly watered it and put it near my window. the problem is that my room gets very little direct light. i'm seriously hoping it resurrects today. i just noticed that it's finally sunny outside!

if it dies i might be heart-broken.

what does "natsukashii" really mean?

i just peeled a clementine and kept the peel in one giant piece! i used to be amazed when my japanese students did that at lunch time. [who knew it wasn't such a tricky task?!]

a few minutes later i stumbled upon a Tokyo travel video. this one is all about sakura/cherry blossoms. there are tons of gorgeous photos & it makes me miss japan so very much.

on a related note-- i do writing journals with my students. they each have a little notebook and they can write to me as often as they want. each time i respond to their writing and ask questions to prompt the next entry. some write twice a week and some have never written at all; i left it up to them to decide how much they want to improve their writing... anyway, one of my students does a great job asking ME questions. lately we've been talking about my experience in japan. she asked what i miss about living there. basically the answer depends on the day. today i miss the following:
cherry blossoms & hanami!
my lovely friends
adventures with new friends who take us to stay with their grandparents on a tiny island~!
the view from my beach
little baby students!!
festivals!

[p.s. natsukashii is an "expression that conveys a complicated and favorite Japanese emotion, the bittersweet nostalgia for something lovely and loved, now past". read more here. and here.]

growing up

lately i've started to feel more and more like an adult. sure, it probably has to do with the fact that i'm in love... but there are practical reasons, too.

yesterday i met with a financial adviser for the first time ever. he explained all sorts of things [IRA vs. Roth IRA; fixed annuity; etc] and gave me advice about how to begin preparing for the future. it seems incredibly CRAZY to start investing at age 25 but after seeing the numbers i realize it's incredibly SMART to start investing at age 25.

tonight we'll have GED orientation at my site. i've been assigned the role of body guard/bouncer. i have to stand outside the classroom and tell people i'm sorry but there's just no more space. eek* class officially starts next tuesday.

melissa's grandpa died last night and my own family is dealing with the possibly-very-soon death of my grandmom. this must be part of becoming an adult...

last week my friend lauren said "kell, you're growing up!" i laughed but then realized it's totally true. bizarre. [this photo epitomizes my inner-child self so i thought it fit this post!]

teachers dating teachers

[a few weeks ago my friend becca asked me if it was cool to be dating a teacher. she's an elementary ed. major while her husband is big into polical science, and he just doesn't really get the whole being a teacher thing. of course, i immediately answered YES, it's awesome! i was intrigued by the question and have been pondering it ever since...

top 5 reasons it's awesome to date a teacher:
1. J. does a hilarious imitation of his teenage boys [think very high pitched! seriously so funny!!]
2. high schoolers do/say hilarious things & i love their quotes
3. we can sympathize with the torture of grading!
4. long christmas breaks & summers off to do fun stuff together [in theory, at least]
5. the first time i met J. i got to watch him in action in the classroom. now when he tells me stories i can totally imagine him there, with the kids, doin his thang. awesome~

1 random thought & 2 adorable quotes

every time i start to get sick, my throat hurts. that's my go-to sign that i need to start downing lemon tea with honey & taking vitamin c/zinc every morning with my breakfast. then i just hope and pray that i don't get any more symptoms. so far it's been working great for my no-insurance self.

last night i watched my friend julie's adorable children. they said SO many hilarious things. evidence 1: the three year old...
"my body's telling me to ask a lot of questions!"

evidence 2: the seven year old, after i told him i was coming on sunday & bringing my boyfriend... "oh no! i don't know him! i'm gonna be shy!"