The world looks brighter from behind a smile.

We weren't supposed to get along. Kevin was a disruptive student who showed up to class every day with nothing but a bad attitude.  Literally nothing else.  No pencil, no book, no paper.  I suppose, to be fair, that I could say that he brought his iPod to class too, and he would listen to it loudly enough that I could tell which song was playing at any given time.  I was frustrated with him on a daily basis.  He seemed like a nice enough kid, but he simply refused to give me anything but dirty looks and back talk.  Because I knew that Kevin had a difficult home life (and because this is my mission with all kids), I decided early on to tread gently with him and to do everything I possibly could to try to reach him.  However, I can only make accomodations, not excuses.  Kevin was the first and only kid I have ever had to kick out of my room and give a detention. He took it personally.  He decided, instead of looking at his own a...

I'm not an ice cream fanatic like many people I know.  In fact, I'm not even a big sweets person in general.  Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that I am a bit too sugary to begin with.  However, I squealed with delight (literally, no joke, and it freaked Tom out a little bit...) when I remembered that we had gotten ice cream and cones at the grocery store.  I enjoyed a nice little sugar cone with coffee ice cream after dinner, and it was wonderful.  I am now a happy girl with a sticky mustache. I don't know her, but isn't she precious? :) Thank you, ice cream cone, you made my day.

"Man, I should be working on my paper, but I just keep finding so many better things to do," said Tom. I glanced to my left to see what he had busied himself with this time.  Hmm, just cruising around on the computer, I thought.  Then, I did a double take. "Kittens?!" I said. Yes, Tom was watching a video about kittens.  He was already chuckling to himself, but when he realized he had been caught, he kicked into high gear.  My 26-year-old husband was reduced to giggling giddily like a schoolgirl.  About kittens.  Within thirty seconds, there were tears rolling down his cheeks.  "I can't help it!  It's... just... so... funny." There's nothing better than seeing the people you love experience extreme happiness, even if that happiness is derived from kitten videos. Thank you, kittens, you made my day. 

I am finishing up my grading of all the term papers I was able to get before break.  Little Joanna, bless her heart, edited and made revisions to her paper.  It is not identical to her rough draft.  She included everything that she was supposed to, cited information correctly, and submitted a flawless works cited.  Thank goodness for gems like her! If you've never graded an English paper (or large stack of English papers), you probably won't understand the beauty of this.  If you have, I'm sure you're nodding your head, and you may even sigh and shed a tear for me for this gift I have received. Thank you, Joanna, you made my day.  

Wow... 100 days in a row.  All of these blogs are clearly not created equal, with some turning out much better than others (usually a function of how tired I am and how much time I have) , but I'm proud of myself for stringing 100 of them together.  265 to go! I had decided earlier today to celebrate day 100 by writing about a really special lady in my life, but I don't have the time or energy to give that post what it deserves, so we'll save that for another day.  Instead, I'd like to focus on two celebrations of life I got to take part in today for two other special ladies. I got to go to a baby shower for my friend Annieka today, and it was lovely.  I've known both Annieka and her husband Mark since we were little, and they hold a special place in my heart.  They are expecting their first little one in June, and I couldn't be more pleased for them.  They are a beautiful couple and wonderful friends, and I am certain that they will be e...

It's always nice when I'm home to visit some of the restaurants where they serve the objects of my late night snacking desires to get my fix.  I swear that I've been close before to jumping in my car and driving the eight hours home just so I could be at the Hunt Club when they opened.  They serve deep fried pickles, buttery ham and cheese sandwiches, and, of course, deer's ears.  Don't worry, these are made of potato, not deer.  Here's my haiku salute to a hometown favorite. Crunchy potato A meatless Friday delight Mmmm that liquid cheese Thank you, Hunt Club, you made my day.

My dad recently rigged up a whole complex hilbilly system on my parents' computer in order to (finally!) make the internet much more hare and much less tortoise.  It is now possible to check e-mail, waste time on facebook, and replay music videos obsessively (today's favorite is "On My Way" by Stephen Speaks) without pulling any hair out or threatening to throw the computer out the window.  Amazing.  The only problem is that I have some assignments due tomorrow for my student teaching class, and I can't access the internet from my laptop.  All of the files I needed to upload were on my laptop.  Enter USB port.  Through the magic of this little guy, I was able to get everything where it needed to be when I needed it, and I'm almost totally done.  Now if there was just a magic little key that could help with procrastination and keep me from watching Real Housewives instead of finishing my work entirely... Thank you, USB po...

When I was little, I looooved to play Clue.  The only problem was that you need at least three people in order to play the game, and Manda and I could never find a third.  We could occasionally convince my dad to play, but usually we only had each other to fight and make up with on a daily basis. I also really enjoyed doing logic puzzles.  The problem in that case was that the puzzle books we had around were a bit too advanced for little me.  I'd have to wait until no one was looking and do a quick flip to the back to find enough answers to get me rolling in order to complete all the little squares.  This was only temporarily satisfying. The beauty of computers is that I have access to a million games, and I can play by myself (so I don't have to beg anyone else to put up with my trash talking and inevitable winning).  I've tried and liked all kinds of different games, and there's one in particular that I really enjoy, Inspector Parker....

Victor: noun 1. a person who has overcome or defeated an adversary; conqueror. 2. a winner in any struggle or contest. 3. a smart, funny, faithful companion who happens to be a black Cocker Spaniel belonging to my parents   Origin: Michigan fight song, "Hail to the Victors" Related words: General Ferri (noun) Maize and Blue Matzwa (noun) Molly Stasik (noun) Ivy George (noun) Sample sentence: Victor, would you like a treat? Thank you, Victor Zywiec Mierzwa, you made my day.

It started with some hockey games, in between hits of the puck the phone would ring in the press box and the fans would say, "Hey (opposing goalie's name), it's your mom- she says you suck." I started teasing Tom with this whenever his phone would ring. He'd roll his eyes and act annoyed, but a smile it would bring. So I tried it on my family too and much to my delight this is the sequence of events that happened here tonight. Ring ring ring Me: Hello? Grandma: Hi, Jess.  Is your mom around? Me: Yes, yes, would you like to talk to her? Grandma: Well, I suppose I would. Me: Mom, it's for you.  It's your mom.  She says you stink. Grandma: No, no.  I say she sucks. We all know that my mom doesn't really suck and that Grandma doesn't think so either.  The buy in to this joke really made all the difference :).  Thank you, cheap yet satisfying laughter, you made my day.

One common thread I have begun to notice throughout these past 94 days is music (clearly family/friends, food, and my job are others).  Even though I can't sing a tune to save my life, and even though I never practiced piano enough to win Miss America with my talent, music plays an important role in my life.  I love the ability that music has to make me really feel .  I can use some songs to cheer me up and others when I need to let out a good cry.  Music has helped me feel like an empowered, strong woman.  It has also helped me feel like a silly little kid again.  My tastes have varied drastically over the years, and I can appreciate a great variety of different styles and flavors at this point in my life.  One thing that has remained constant for as long as I can remember is my love of hymns. Many of the songs I remember from my childhood were learned from Mr. Glazer (I may be spelling that wrong)-- a ma...

2 (goals) + 3 (Krupnik) + 1 tournament MVP + 1 automatic bid to the NCAA tournament + 1 "I am incredulous!" (Dad referencing an uncalled penalty) +  1 CCHA Championship + 2 (Mierzwas + Matzwas + Ferris) = Thank you, Michigan hockey, you made my day.

Let's get some practice writing test questions. Sex on the beach is: a. a drink composed of peach schnapps, vodka, cranberry juice and orange juice b. a fond memory Grandma shared with us of a special time with Grandpa c. the reason(s) why there may be mispellings and grammatical mistakes in today's blog Answer?  D!  All of the above. Thanks, Sex on the Beach, you made my day.

Today we dealt with our grief the best way we know how.  Together. We came together to tell stories, to celebrate, to grieve, to talk, and to share.  We took turns crying and comforting, contemplating and laughing, aching and mending.  We made inappropriate jokes and honored appropriately with a toast.  We watched the beautiful slide show that my sister made and talked about where and when and why and how with each picture.  We ate, we prayed, we drank, and we loved.  To say my family is close knit would be an understatement.  We are experiencing great loss, but we will get through this together.  Before my grandpa left for heaven, he divided his strength among us in order to keep this unit strong.  I know that he enjoyed watching us today as we filled a room (and a bar) with love.  We have two more days together to celebrate his life, and then we will go back to our lives to spend them honoring Grandpa and each othe...

This show is funny, courageous, moving, heartwarming, and heartbreaking all at the same time.  Betty is going to get her braces off soon, and the show is going to end.  I bet that even once the braces come off, she'll still be beautiful on the inside.  She doesn't have to be "ugly" to radiate beauty from the inside out.  When the show goes off the air, this message will linger.   Thank you, Ugly/Pretty Betty, you made my day.

This blog is a positivity only zone, so here’s what I have to say about today. My grandpa got to meet God today. How cool is that? My grandpa is part of a three way tie with my dad and my husband for the greatest man I have ever known. If there was a build-a-grandpa workshop, I could not have built him better myself. He was equal parts honesty, sincerity, and hilarity; kind as can be and tough as nails; sassy and sweet. He was a devoted husband and father and grandfather and sports fan (go blue!) and Catholic church goer and beer drinker and… He was a big flirt, never having met a waitress or salesgirl he didn’t like, but I have never seen a man so devoted to his wife. Even after 55 years of marriage, he still referred to Grandma as his young bride, and he’d ask at any chance he got, “Isn’t my Katie a beauty?” He and my Grandma would bicker about limburger cheese or the details of a story or a number of other things, and these arguments would end with “Christ, Kate!” and “Jesus, G...

Not every student will get an "A" or be totally and completely aware, Which is why it can be so exciting to be met with more than a blank stare. What I really want the most some days is just for them to listen. And to see that they're completing their work instead of having assignments missin'.  Sometimes I smile as light bulbs go on, and students make connections. While other times I jump for joy when they simply follow my directions. Today I worked on commas with my students as part of a revision lesson for their research papers.  I showed them how commas can save lives (think "Let's eat Grandma!" vs. "Let's eat, Grandma!), discussed examples of comma usage possible in popular song lyrics (they liked the Ke$ha example in my PP the best), and started them on the path to "comma sense" (like common sense... get it?).  I spent a lot of time crafting the lesson, and I was worried that all of my cheesy jokes and efforts to m...

I have really earned my sleep today.  I am confident that I will fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.  I am also confident that I have given as much of myself as I can to as many people as I can today.  I can't wait to go to bed in my freshly washed sheets.  Clean sheets are a reward, a pleasure, and a luxury that I do not take for granted.  I will greatly appreciate them... if I ever find my way to my bed tonight :). Thank you, freshly washed sheets, you made my day. P.S. Beyond the whole clean business, I sure am glad that I let Tom talk me into splurging for a higher thread count when we purchased our bedding!  It is worth every extra penny.

I didn't always used to be this way. I used to be completely laid back and fancy free (that phrase just does not get used enough anymore).  I would procrastinate as much as possible, and, except for the few panicked hours before something was due or needed to be done, I was in a constant state of relaxation.  I could spend an entire day watching a marathon on tv guilt free and just use the few minutes of commercials here and there to get things done.  Then I grew up. Now I make lists.  Ok, I don't just make lists.  I enjoy making lists.  Sometimes I even need to make lists in order to fall asleep at night.  I constantly have everything I need to do, which is quite a bit these days, racing through my head.  Making a list helps to empty this out and to set productivity into motion.  I make a weekly grocery list that is even crazier and more organized than my dad.  I make lists at school about things I need to do at home a...

My comfy lounge pants shouldn't get all the glory.  They are only half of the total relaxation comfort outift picture (my own version of the fleecedo- the sweatcedo?).  The other half?  My twelve year old inside out sweatshirt.  Anyone who has known me and lived with me in the past twelve years could easily identify it in a lineup.  It's a Western High School Track sweatshirt, maroon and gray on the inside and fuzzy and white on the outside.  I don't remember exactly why I started wearing it the wrong way, but once it went inside out the first time, I've never looked back.  It traveled with me to years of track meets.  It laid with me under many "quiet trees" (the areas we designated for focus and peace before races).  It was waiting for me on the infield to congratulate me every time I qualified for an important race, and it comforted me every time my coach forced me to run the 400m.  Somehow, magica...

Characters: Mrs. Ferri, high school teacher                   J, custodian and handyman extraordinaire Setting: After school around 4 pm.  The school is nearly deserted.  As Mrs. Ferri walks down the hall, she hears the faint sounds of music playing off in the distance.  The music grows louder and louder as she approaches the school exit.  As she turns the corner to the Senior hallway, she spots the boombox and the custodian at the same time.  J: It's the hooooooooooooooonky tonk women.  Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues! YEAH.  It's the-- J the Custodian spots Mrs. Ferri out of the corner of his eye. T:  Oh.  Oops- well, I guess you caught me! Mrs. F.: I suppose I did.  It's a nice way to catch you, though.  Good times. T: Good times. Mrs. Ferri and J share a chuckle and a twinkle in the eyes...

How to become a kid again in three simple steps. Become a teacher.  Spend your break time conversing with students about whether or not Twilight is good reading (it's not, sorry) and explaining how everything they're learning is important (it is) and discussing how Shaun White's private halfpipe is the sweetest thing to ever exist (it might be).    Start taking a lunchbox to work.  Swing it while you walk, embrace it, love it. Pack applesauce in your lunch every day.  An applesauce a day keeps the old age away.  In the initial lunch packing stages of this semester, I always made sure that I had some kind of little sweet treat included to enjoy at the end of lunch.  Over the past few weeks, little applesauce cups have also become a part of the daily routine, and I enjoy this just as much.  I love how it tastes.  I love the little perfectly portioned cup.  I love that eating it makes me feel good and ...

Today I made a choice to be happy.  You might say I had sunshine on a cloudy (and rainy) day.  This came in the form of a bright yellow sweater.  After all, I think sunshine is a state of mind (and the fact that my classroom doesn't have windows allows me some wiggle room with the ol' imagination).    I knew that it was supposed to be rainy today, and I knew that it would be a long day of running around, especially because Tom is traveling again.  I selected my outfit carefully this morning and found one of the brightest things I had to put on. It turns out that the world not only looks brighter from behind a smile, but it's also pretty bright from behind a vibrant yellow sweater.  Instead of just matching my clothes to my disposition, it seems as if I can actually use them to help create a sunny disposition.  Whatever works, right? Thank you, bright yellow sweater, you made my day.

It's been a while since I wrote a really awful poem.  It's about that time... Something that you may not know or might not even think to guessy is that I've grown into Tidy Jess and out of Messy Jessi. In the past you'd find my clothes all wadded up and strewn about the floor. But now I wash and fold and fluff and place them neatly in the drawer. When the alarm goes off, and I fumble for the light, there's nothing more to stumble over. Oh, clean laundry's a delight! My glass is always full, and now my dresser is too. Perhaps it's finally time to tackle that big ol' pile of shoes. OR When my clothes are nice and clean, they make me feel brand new :). Thank you, clean laundry, you made my day.

Dear Girl Scout Cookies, I might as well come right out and say it... I'm addicted to you.  I'm not sure that I can pinpoint just one reason for this obsession.  Perhaps absence really does make the heart grow fonder, and I adore you because I can only experience you once a year for a very short time.  Maybe I love the fact that I am supporting little girls.  It might just be that you have found a way to combine peanut butter and chocolate into some sort of circular perfection or that you come in another delicious flavor that I can poke my finger through and nibble at like when I was a kid.  I can't explain what you do to me, but- oh!- you do it well. In reality, I have every reason to hate you.  I'm a Girl Scout reject, after all.  Remember?  Amanda and I both saw our Girl Scout careers come crashing down one fateful day at the Parma Girl Scout Picnic/Bingo.  Manda was a Brownie, I was a Daisy, and my mom was an extremely busy lady....

"I've been in Canada, opening up for Miles Davis.  Kilometers Davis." "I like dark comedies.  That's why I like the Wayans brothers." "I went to my high school reunion not too long ago and, uh, it was very weird because I was homeschooled.  Just me there by a bowl of punch listening to Kool and the Gang.  Why I rented a limousine, I have no idea." "Sometimes I do something, and I'll think to myself that is so Raven.  And then other times I'll do something, and I'll be like that is so not Raven. " "If you read my blog you'll know I'm a pilates freak, and by pilates I mean waffles." Ahhh... Mitch Hedberg is smiling up there somewhere. http://involution.com/mitch-quotes/ Thank you, Zach Galifianakis, you made my day.

I don't know "Gentle T."  He doesn't know me.  My CT had him in class when he was a freshman, and she pointed him out to me in the hallway a few weeks ago.  He was hard to miss at 6'2" and probably at least a solid 200.  "He's one of the nicest boys I've ever met," she said.  I experienced this today. I was walking into the library behind my kids when I felt someone rush up behind me.  Gentle T popped up and jumped ahead of me to open the door.  I smiled from the inside out and thanked him, and he acknowledged me with a slight nod of the head and a soft smile back.  Perhaps this is a small gesture in the grand scheme of things, but it is important just the same.  These little gestures are becoming endangered species as we move more and more toward communicating with each other only in texts or in messages of forty characters or less.  Sometimes we just forgo interaction altogether.  I'm th...

Oh Pottery Barn Catalog, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways. I love that you always seem to arrive on slow mail days to brighten the trip to the mailbox. I love that you're like a favorite book or photo album.  My husband and I obsess over you for at least a week after you arrive, sometimes more.  I love the dreams you encourage me to dream.  Someday I will have that house (you know, the one with the lofty ceilings and the beachy bathroom and the excellent natural light) that is terribly cute right down to the adorable mudroom.  Who wouldn't want an adorable mudroom?  Little baskets and bits of cuteness in the most unexpected places?  Please.  And the holiday decorations? Ahhhhh.  How about that bedding?  Perfection. I love that you have started to send me Pottery Barn Kids as well.  Even though I don't have any of those yet, I am a planner.  It is nice to know what their rooms will look like when they begi...

* Name changed as part of my Student Protection Program :) Today Scott turned in his notes for his research paper.  Completed.  On time. I felt like this: I don't expect you to understand how miraculous this is.  I could tell you that he doesn't always turn things in when he should or that he has trouble completing his work.  I could tell you that he sits in the back, listens to an iPod whenever possible, and generally seems to be too cool for school.  I could tell you that he struggles, even when I spend a lot of my time helping him, and I have no idea if I'm getting through or not.  You still might not get it. That's ok.  I got it.  I realized the moment we had today while it was happening.  As I paged through Scott's beautifully completed notes, notes that I know he must have worked so hard on, I got the feeling that he has finally decided to want for himself the things that I have wanted for him all along.  I s...

On the way home today, I drove by the same houses I've driven past a hundred times.  For some reason, I really noticed them today, and I was quite pleased by what I found.  On one house, I saw a big fat yellow ribbon tied around a big fat tree. I love this simple gesture and what it stands for. I remember when this practice was much more commonplace during Desert Storm, and my parents drove all over our small town taking pictures of the ribbons posted everywhere.  My cousin was overseas, and my second grade class spent a day writing letters to him.  He was so touched by his packet of letters that he found me a music box and sent it back to me.  It looked like a couple little kittens crawling out of a box and played "Memories" from-you guessed it - Cats .  I'm not a huge fan of cats, but I love Cats , and I cherished that music box as much as he cherished our letters. This yellow ribbon business also l...

When I was in high school, I always dreamed of having a spectacular light green one shoulder formal dress.  I didn't ever find it. However, I had more fabulous dresses than I can count.  There was off the shoulder light blue tulle.  I had sparkly white criss crossy straps and strapless white with hologram triangles.  There was a hiccup in the line of gorgeousness with a little pink halter snakeskin looking number, but I got back on track quickly.  The black and gold macrame spaghetti strap gown (much prettier than it sounds, I promise) and deep purple velvet were dazzling enough to make me forget all about the elusive one shoulder dress.  I took the plunge in backless black and silver and jumped back out in shiny red. The most wonderful gown I've ever had was, of course, my wedding gown.  Much like the groom, I could have found it in a room of millions (in real life it was hundreds-- of gowns, not grooms), and I would have still known it was...