I'm An Artist!

Being a teacher, you learn something new everyday.  And I learned something kind of amazing recently.  I'm an artist.

As everyone knows, one cannot possibly read Lord of the Flies without a white board, some markers and an imagination.  

And as I drew the climax scene on my white board, I realized two things:

1. I might be the best artist in building. 

2. There is no finer way to engage a student in learning than to allow them to make fun of your art work.

And so, I give you: Lord of the Flies, Whiteboard Edition

What?  You don't remember sharks in Lord of the Flies?  Well, yes, I added them to see which students were paying attention.  And to entertain myself.  Hey - drawing stick figures over and over all day gets repetitive, ok?

Jo & Tom Getting Married - Vol. 2

September 22, 2012 was a gorgeous, sunny, blue sky kind of day.  Which was great for me, because I had been promising exactly that to every new person I had met for days. 

The ceremony started at 1pm, so the house started bustling with activity just after sunrise.  And if you know me, you know that if I'm not allowed to sleep late, I better be drinking champagne and rocking out in my pajamas at 9am. 

Joanna Claire was the most calm and amicable bride I have seen on her wedding morning.  If she was nervous, she didn't show it. 

I had taken this opportunity to have a wedding hat designed for me, and it was kind of amazing.  

After I got back to America, I wanted to wear the hat all day everyday, but soon realized that it is truly exhausting being that glamorous.  

I was joined by some other fancied up wedding guests.

The ceremony took place in an old church, the same church where Jo's parents had been married. (ahhhhhhhhhh...) It was a classic, timeless ceremony.  

Turns out, Tom was a handsome stud and Jo was a vision to behold. 

Next up, the reception on Lusty Beg Island. It was like a setting from a dream.  Peaceful, beautiful, historical.  However, Lusty Beg, as much as I love waiting in line for your ferry, I would consider some new strategies.  Have you thought about row boats?

My favorite distinction between American and Irish weddings is the length of the wedding and the party culture.  Dinner and cocktails were at 5pm, followed by our second dinner of fish + chips at 10:30pm.  

We got to dance, and eat, and drink, and dance some more.  I met people that I now call my friends.  

Genius, really. 

Saying goodbye to Jo gets harder each time.  And this time, it was impossible.  I am tearing up a bit right now just thinking about it.  

I'm not going to lie, I lost it once Jo walked away from me. But in that moment I was rescued by two incredible ladies, Cat and Claire, who held me as I cried.  They reminded me that oceans are only as big as you allow them to be.  

Tom and Jo, I wish you a life of laughter and adventure.  Of unexpected surprises and mountains to climb together.  A marriage that lets you both grow and question.  That reminds you everyday of how special you both are to all of us.  

Thank you for inviting me to witness your love.  I look forward to our lives together. 

XOXO, Emmie

Jo & Tom Getting Married - Vol. 1

When I arrived on the Thursday afternoon bus, it had been almost ten years since I had stepped foot in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland.  This place holds some of my fondest memories, and I was struck by how the city felt the same after so many years. 

Jo's family made me an honorable 4th Noble daughter for the weekend, and I absolutely loved it.  I got to stay in the lodge house with the family.  I got to drink tea with the family.  I even got to run around like a chicken with its head cut off with the family.  

The days before any wedding are hectic.  We needed to ferry over to the wedding venue, pick up the dresses, coordinate wedding guests, etc.  And like all brides, Jo needed to wax her forearms.  Obviously. 

I asked Mama Carol to put me to work, and she didn't waste any time. I took over the following responsibilities to help out the Nobles:

1. Chief Coordinator of Hats and Fascinators  

2. Party Entertainment (sub skills: sarcasm, political analysis of presidential politics, previously undisclosed Jo stories, amateur weather predictions, comparative analysis of wedding customs, identification of absurd things British people say)

3. Director of Pre-Wedding Ferry Crossings

4. Artistic Consultant for Seating Chart 

5. Cuddle Buddy/British Reality TV Enthusiast (and occasional family mediator - let's be honest)

6. Bartender of the Bride

 The days before the wedding can now be added to my list of favorite Enniskillen memories.  What a remarkable feeling -  to recognize that you are exactly where you're meant to be. 

Once Again With Nathalie

My trip to England for Jo's wedding gave me an incredible opportunity to reconnect with a lost friend.  Nathalie and I lived next door to each other when I studied at the University of Oxford in 2007.  Sadly, we have not spoken much since that time. 

Nathalie was kind enough to host me on my way in and out of London.  

I got to spend some time with her lovely new roommates and boyfriend.  And we shared the quintessential British meal: Indian food. 

We talked jobs and family and boys and old friends and new friends and travel and future plans and forgotten plans. We talked and talked. 

The truth that I've learned is that friendships are never dead, never gone.  They are simply hibernating - waiting for the opportunity to awaken once more in a new form.  

And I love hibernating friendships.  They allow me to contemplate how time has played through me and to reconnect with my younger dreams.  

When I think of my hibernating friendships across the world - the people waiting to enrich my life again in the future - I am overwhelmed with excitement. How lucky am I.