Author Archives: Meeshell J

Living my life in the tropics.

An Ideal Day

Describe your most ideal day from begining to end.

Coffee.

Second cup of coffee.

Seated in my reading chair with the bay windows ajar, summer, spring, early fall only.

Slight breeze.

First cup, scrolling through social media.

Second cup, book in hand

Third cup, a skip through morning shows, stop only if mildly entertaining.

Time to get ready for what may come, if anything.

Move to cream colored sofa.

Watch Law & Order SVU marathon or The Closer

Lunch. Homemade. No processed food please.

A bit of reading or writing perhaps.

Looking, searching, internet.

More TV

What shall I eat for dinner?

Move back to reading chair in front of bay window. Feet up on ottaman.

Dinner, pan seared chicken breast with sliced avocado and boiled sweet potatoes.

Family talk via phone.

Change. Ready for bed.

Cream colored sofa.

More TV, a movie perhaps, binge a show, or maybe read again.

Goodnight.

Almond Pancakes, Stop with the box!

It is of no shock that processed foods are not good for you, and the article published today by CNN only reconfirms this information. So, I am sharing a super easy recipe for almond flour pancakes which I make quite often. They are simple to make and I am pretty sure your family members will end up perfering these almond pancakes to the boxed kind.

I am also sharing this recipe because I know there are healthy pancake recipes out there that require bananas, like the one I published in an earlier post, and I know there are plenty of banana haters out there.

This recipe is dedicated to those who hate bananas, like my son.

Ingredients

  • 1 ⅓ cup of blanched almond flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ cup almond milk
  • 1 tbs of honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Dash of salt
  • Avocado spray/oil for pan

Mix all ingredients is a medium bowl.  If you see that the batter is too dry, add a little more almond milk until proper consistency.  

Serving for 2.  Makes 4 nice size pancakes.  

Yellow Card Method

Getting students to be their best at all times is a challenge.  We create and establish classroom norms, but as we know, self control is something that is still in development and students need help with self regulation.  

A large majority of my students, in my area of teaching, either play futbol, aka soccer, or they are Champions League fanatics.  There is always talk about which team is best, Real Madrid, Barcelona or  Manchester United. One day it occurred to me to capitalize on this futbol fanaticism.  

I have no fancy name for this discipline technique, I simply call it the  “Yellow” card method.  

When a student is not behaving at their best they get a yellow card.  This yellow card is actually a second warning.  The first warning is simply a verbal warning and a reminder of behavior expectations, perhaps a seat change if necessary.   After a warning and the yellow card, if the student still continues to struggle with self regulation  then comes the dreaded “red” card.   Once a red card is given, that means a note home is sent and a discipline slip is given.    

I used yellow and red construction paper.  I cut them up into card size and plastified them. 

 This is a simple but effective technique. 

Drop a note if you try or a variation of it.

Learn Something New

I tell my students that you never stop learning. Learning continues through college and well into adulthood. I give them examples from my own experience in the field of teaching, always learning something to stay current and up to date on teaching trends. Eyerolls are what I get as a response from my middle schoolers. Go figure.

Recently, the English department asked the social studies to team up with them for a cross curricular unit for World Read Aloud Day, February 1st. The book chosen was Brother’s Keeper by Julie Lee. The book is set during the Korean War, when the North invad the South. When I heard it was set during the Korean War, my immediate thought was I did not recall learning about the Korean War or if I had, I remember nothing of it. I immediately searched online to get the gist of information on the war and started reading. As stated in a previous post, I loved Brother’s Keeper.

The discovery of another genre to add to my reading genres is a recent learning. I am a non fiction reader and tend to shun fiction writing. My immediate reaction to hearing that this book was historical fiction was “Oh I am going to have force myself to read this one.” Obviously I was focused in the fiction part. But, to my surprise my feeling quickly changed when the historical aspect was introduced in the book.

Learning about the Korean War is my most valuable new learning. I compare this war to the middle child, the forgotten one, as it is a war that has not had enough attention brought to it within schooling systems. The Korean War or The Forgotten War is of significance, and I highly recommend reading Brother’s Keeper not just because of the story but more improtantly for the learning or the re-learning of Korean War. It was a significant event in history and the effects can still be seen today but rarely is it spoken of.

Yo Hablo Spanish

I could have been trilingual.  Today I would say I am somewhat bilingual.  I can speak Spanish with high fluency but it is  grammatically incorrect.  English is my native language. When I was a baby,  I was exposed to three languages, English, Spanish and Ukrainian.  As my speaking skills started to develop, my phrases and sentences were a mix of the languages.  This frightened my mother and she ordered everyone to speak only English to me.  As a result, I lost what Spanish and Ukrainian I spoke or understood.  Even after many years of schooling and with a trip abroad to learn Spanish, I did not pick up Spanish.  This I  do not accredit to bad education but rather to a stigma that was and is associated with Spanish speakers and the language Spanish.  It wasn’t until I met my husband did I learn to speak Spanish or even had the interest in learning it.  He is bilingual and I learned to speak Spanish from him and from being exposed to his culture and family.  Ukrainian is the language I wish I could speak today.  I know I would probably not use the Ukrainian language as much as Spanish, but I think being trilingual would be useful and interesting.  

The ability to speak more than one language is of importance these days as the world is getting smaller.  Technology connects people from all over the world. Being able to speak more than your own native language will be, if not already, quite beneficial.   When traveling through Europe you encounter citizens who are multilingual.  Not only do they speak their home country’s language but they speak two or even three other languages from neighboring countries.  In contrast, on this side of the world, the Americas, there are only four major languages: French and English in North America , Spanish in Central and South America, and Portuguese in Brazil. Yet most Americans, North, Central and South, barely speak two languages and have very little interest in learning to speak languages from “across the pond.” In the North, we look at those who speak Spanish with disdain and find little value in learning the language or any other language for that matter.  While we are busy looking at “those Spanish speaking people” with disdain, I wonder how we Americans look to others: Europeans, Asians, and Africans.  Are we being  looked at with the same look of disdain for only speaking English and thinking English is the only valuable language?

Wow!  I am sure glad I learned to speak Spanish.

Throwing Shade

“We all got crowns” from Taylor Swift’s song You Need to Calm Down resonates with me. 

While I do agree with the idea that all women have crowns, unfortunatley we have NOT figured this out as the song goes on to say.  Women pull each other down. We criticize and judge each other from anything to everything, the way we dress, too fat, too skinny, doesn’t act her age, cradle robber, slut, bad mom, terrible wife, can’t cook and so on.  Why do we do this? 

Where is the perfect model we are supposed to be following?  Some may instinctively answer God, but I am leaving religion out of this because when we are calling women fat, ugly and a bad mom, religion is not around . So, besides God, is there a universal standard we women should all be adhering to?  If  such a model or standard exist, can it please be shared universally? 

About a year ago I decided to no longer partake in putting another woman down, rather I decided to repsond to such situations by saying something positive or simply not responding. The not responding really confuses people. I believe women need to stand up for and support one another rather than spend time and energy knocking each other down.  Whether you agree or disagree with what she is doing or saying, we should support.  Why?  Because we are all trying to do our best with what we have learned from generations before and from ourselves at present.  Are we perfect? No.  Are we doing our best, yes.  No perfect model has been presented as of yet, and until one is put forth for all to follow, “We all got Crowns!”  So, wear yours proudly, and help keep all other crowns shiny too. 

Personal Space, Respect It!

WOW!   I had to look to other blogs for inspiration on this one.  This could turn into a TMI kinda thing. 

Well, I am definitely not the touchy feely kind of person.  I show loads of affection to my family within my household and that includes my dog Kiev, but other than that NADA.  I keep people at a distance.  Maybe it is a city thing, or I’ve watched too many Law and Order Special Victims Unit shows (Go Stabler!), or perhaps that’s just the way I am.   I live in a place where it is customary to greet each other with a kiss on the cheek, both family and friends and perhaps new acquaintances.  I thought with the pandemic this little pesky tradition would have gotten cut out.  But no, the custom carries on although I do think there have been some adjustments depending on the people.  This is a custom of which I do not adhere to and  I am selective as to who I greet in this manner.  Usually, I walk into a home or place and say hello in general to people while other family members do the customary cheek kiss. I am aware that new people meeting me may find me rude, but if they are important enough to matter they will eventually understand, otherwise it does not matter.  As for my family outside my four walls,  they  understand cheek kisses are not my style.

As for work, I have a couple of co-workers that are huggers.  Sometimes they run up to me and hug me.  Omgoodness! Overwhelming.  Personal space invasion!   Not sure what to do with that, but they know me by saying,  “I know you are not a hugger, but I am going to hug you anyway.”  OK.  I guess.  I do appreciate it and I wonder if they think by doing it will convert me into a hugger or perhaps they secretly despise me and this is their form of revenge. Should I ask?   

So in general I would say, I am a keep your distance kinda person!  It’s just simply the way I am. 

Air kisses accepted. Well, maybe. 

A Book Review, An Investigation, The Unsolicited

I recently got a new book.  Usually I get my book recommendations from various papers and magazines I subscribe to and with GoodReads, but this new book, I got off my TikTok feed.  Because it was talking about books, I stopped and watched.  I am only in chapter one and I am already writing a recommendation  for it.  How could I?  Well because I can tell it will help thousands answer that pesky question Why?  Why don’t other countries get involved?  Why does the US always have to get involved?  Why can’t those other nations help?   The title of the book is Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall.  I recommend it, it’s an easy read, and it will have you looking at maps.  Most importantly it will help to answer the questions and comments people make about why?  Chapter one alone will help people to understand the situation of Ukraine immensely.  I do not recommend this book for those who know their history and geography as you may find the information to what you would think is common knowledge; and perhaps it would be if we would teach world history in our schools rather than a lopsided view of US history.  This book should be used as a text in history.

The Cold War.  Now this is a subject that if you have time and are somewhat interested in history you could look into.  I suggest you start with the Forgotten War also known as the Korean War.  Your investigation will take you from Asia, to Europe, and into Latin America.  I will venture to say that many know of and are taught about the Europe, Russia, Cuba Cold War missile crisis.  But I am not sure how aware people are of how the Cold War reached into Latin America and the effects it has on the US today.  I do believe many have heard of the dictators that came into power in Latin America and how the US aided the country in stopping the dictator takeover, but the story that gets told over the media outlets and that we hear are not the whole story and are lopsided too.   This investigation, if done, may help to answer the comments and questions as to why are “they” the immigrants coming to the US or at least shed some light into the matter.  

If anything, by reading and investigating you will be able to explain to the askers of why.  

Money & Time

“If I had more money” and “If I had more time.” I say these two are the two biggest lies I tell myself.  

Money.  

There are times when I do wish I had more money.  “If I had more money at this moment I would not have this problem or I could make the problem go away.”  While yes, having a bit more money at that moment might help me solve that particular problem, other money issues will soon arise after and they too would require more money to solve.  The issue then is not having more money, but what is being done with the available funds at hand I would say is the issue.  I am a reflector so I am well aware of this but I still do things which I should not, like buy a five dollar coffee.

Time. 

I used to say if I had more time, I could do whatever.  But it wasn’t until I got cancer did I really understand the concept of time.   The truth is I and YOU have the time if I make the time.  If there is something I really want to do, then there is definitely time. Upon being diagnosed with cancer and praying that I would be a survivor, I vowed to neve take time for granted again.  I remember hearing people say “this weekend we can” or “next month that.”  I remember thinking to myself, how do you even know you will be around then.  I do not take my time for granted.  This, my friends, is no easy task.  It requires me to say no to engagements and activities that would be considered rude to say no to or would cause the occasional whisper.  “She’s not going?”  “ She left?”  I do not mean to be rude. I just choose to use my time wisely for I know it is not indefinite; it can and will eventually run out.  

The money one is still a lie I tell myself occasionally, but not the one of time. I have been cancer free for 2 years.

Kitchen & School

“Ok boys and girls we are going to have a test after this.”  “Pay attention.”   I turned to the chalkboard and proceeded to teach my six dolls how to spell words.  Playing school was one of the things I did quite frequently.  I had good students, like Lisa, my dolly who always paid attention, but sometimes Ian the teddy bear  would misbehave and be sent to the principal’s office.  I had a large chalkboard, the one with two sides.  Saturday afternoons were my favorite time to play school.  

“Hi, welcome, may I take your order?”  With a quick flip of my chalkboard my room had transformed into a restaurant.  “And how would you like your eggs cooked?”   Playing kitchen was my second favorite activity.  One Christmas my parents gave me a kitchen that actually could use real water to wash my Holly Hobbie dishes and tea cups.  My mom would buy me the books with the carbon papers where I could take the orders.  My customers would always paid in cash and would get the right amount of change back because the digital cash register helped me figure out the change.  I did it all,  I cooked, waited and took payments.  I was definitely understaffed and sure if I got tips.   

These two activities, I cannot say if they were the dream jobs that I had thought about as a child but they were the two activities that I played the most in my room.  Today, these same two activities are the ones I most engage in. I currently work in the field of education. I teach middle schoolers and I have been teaching for over twenty years now,  a very gratifying while frustrating job.  I also enjoy cooking.  When I moved into my house, the first thing I did was remodel the kitchen to make it my dream kitchen.  I love to try new recipes and whip up desserts on any given day.  According to my kids “In this house, we eat very gourmet food.”   

Today’s question was a good one.  It brought back happy memories and realizations.