mother teresa in distress!

my husband has told me that i have a "mother teresa" complex :) yes, it is true i want to help those in need. and yes, sometimes i should help myself first, and volunteer at my house before i go volunteering at the school. but, maybe i do it to avoid the house! oh well, i went down to the school two weeks ago friday to help out. to make a painful story short, i thought i broke the laminating machine. when i asked the woman who works in the front office whether they (meaning the repairman or tech) would be able to repair it, she only said curtly, "well, i hope so.." i felt as big as an ant! my only weak attempt at a reply was, "that will teach me to volunteer, huh?" THAT IS IT! my good will hunting days are OVER!!!! no thank you, i will just be selfish from now on. this mother teresa is officially hanging up her habit.

ADIOS la caridad!

rewriting history

i took my first mid-term exam in my revolutionary history course. it was a blue book exam. who know, the ones that all you bring to class is a blue book. and, by the way, draw two squares and a big X in the middle on the first two pages...just to try and stop any cheaters! well, i wrote out my little outline and began to write. i thought i had a pretty solid first half, then i got to the second part. well, let me think...hum? i think the nobles left france at one point? didn't they? at least they should have left during the reign of terror when every one's head was getting chopped off? you would think??? and then what happened? o.k., well, they definitely sent king louis xvi to the guillotine. and then what happened? oh, yes, i think they adopted several constitutions during the interim--oh no-let me erase that.

do you get the picture? i was LOST!!!! i will get my grade on tuesday. i'm debating whether i will post it or not. what i am glad for is the fact that dr. duke only gave us essay exams and that definitely prepared me for this class. my western civilization class with dr. duke was only these types of exams. he did not believe in multiple choice. professor hart's writing about history assignments were also good practice for these types of writing exams. overall, i think i have a firm footing thanks to del mar (which by the way, i still miss tremendously!).

a quick post

i am currently getting about six hours of sleep (YAWN)! as much as i try to get organize, i never do. i have to finish reading about 100 pages on napoleon, and begin writing an eight page paper that is due next tuesday. if it were in MLA format, i wouldn't be so worried. but, it is suppose to be written in chicago-style-i-don't-know-what-format and thus, i'm WORRIED!

it is going to be 12:00 a.m. and i will have to be up by 6:00 a.m. so, good night and sleep tight!

u.t.p.a

I'm a big girl!!!!

I started taking classes at the university of texas pan-american this week. as i walk on campus, i feel like i have started on a new journey. i am transitioning into upper level courses, and i am very excited. this is definitely a new chapter, therefore, let me begin:

my classes: philosophy, english literature, revolutionary europe.

philosophy is a freshman course, but a required core class. it is proving to be tricky. if a is b and b is c then all a's are c. all mammals have hair, seals have hair, thus seals are mammals, etc. also, the professor introduced inductive and deductive reasoning; and some circle things that are confusing.

english literature: an absolute awesome class. our first lecture was today. we are starting in the Romantic period. i am finding that my american literature class i took in the fall of 2005 is helping me out a great deal. in mrs. roper's class we studied american romanticism (characteristics, ideas, etc.) and i guess it derives from english romanticism. excellent, excellent experience.


revolutionary europe: also a favorite class. i will write my next post about this class on my next post. we have a lengthy writing assignment (20 pages!) that i need to start working on right about now. ;)

sweet silent solace

aahh!

i had forgotten how sweet silence can be for a weary stay-at-home mom. my daughters started school this morning, and i am again alone. all i can hear is the humming of my refrigerator, AND I LOVE IT!!!


however, i must not allow myself to be fooled. this solitary life will not last. i must go pay for my parking permit for utpa, get an i.d., and renew the inspection sticker on my car.

so, until next time.

peace...........:)

Del Mar Dream Redux

i need to revisit my "dream." or perhaps give it a make-over. i have finished the first part of my race. but, an associate's degree is only a third of my dream. i know that becoming a college professor is no small feat! but, i am learning to be patient. :)


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i am still reading Villette.

more quotes:

Each mind was being reared in slavery; but, to prevent reflection from dwelling on this fact, every pretext of physical recreation was seized and made the most of. There, as elsewhere, the CHURCH strove to bring up her children robust in body, feeble in soul, fat, ruddy, hale, joyous, ignorant, unthinking, unquestioning. 'Eat, drink, and live!' she says. 'Look after your bodies; leave your souls to me."

this charlotte bronte girl was very, very astute! she is criticizing the Catholic church. but, honestly, i think any organized religion/church is capable of having this type of power over its followers. i always think of Job and how he questioned God during his time of trial. i don't think that a God who will not answer your questions or can't be questioned is not worth serving. God answered Job.

and:

"If her [speaking of Miss Fanshawe] beauty or her brains will not serve her so far, she merits the sharp lesson of experience."

she could have easily added "her youth," but then again, i guess if she wasn't young, she would be old and experienced, like the rest of us (or at least me).

disorientation

i attended a mandatory transfer orientation at utpa yesterday. i felt like it was mostly a waste of time. the fact that i am not a traditional student makes me stick out like a sore thumb. seriously, i don't need to hear about ROTC or dorms! but, oh well, what can i do, but play by their rules? i walked up and down the campus, and became more agitated by the minute. i was starving and didn't stay to register for classes. i did manage to register here at home. the historiography class and the descriptive linguistics class i wanted were closed! so, i signed up for american literature and revolutionary europe. i'm looking forward to them.

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i finished reading Jane Eyre! what a wonderful book. i think i will be a lifetime fan of Charlotte Bronte. so much so that i have started reading Villette. And again, I am hooked. reading the book is my reward for doing my hated housework. :)

some of my favorite quotes thus far:

To myself alone could I look.

AND

I say again, madame was a very great and a very capable woman. That school offered for her powers too limited a sphere; she ought to have swayed a nation: she should have been the leader of a turbulent legislative assembly. Nobody could have brow-beaten her, none irritated her nerves, exhausted her patience, or over-reached her astuteness. In here own single person, she could have comprised the duties of a first minister and a superintendent of police. Wise, firm, faithless; secret, crafty passionless; watchful and inscrutable; acute and insensate--withal perfectly decorous--what more could be desired?

this woman sounds like my Abuela Nico!! ;)

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