Thursday, September 22, 2011

Pandora's Secret Revealed

Curiosity got the best of me, so I emailed Pandora Radio about why they chose their name.  Jesse was ready, willing, and eager to answer my question....not only answer it, but answer it with a passionate voice.  Here is the reply I received:

The name Pandora means "all gifted" in Greek. In ancient Greek mythology, Pandora received many gifts from the Gods, including the gift of music, from Apollo. She was also, as we all know, insatiably curious.

Unlike those Gods of old, however, we celebrate that virtue and have made it our mission to reward the musically curious among us with a never-ending experience of music discovery.

It's also important to note that at the bottom of Pandora's box was Hope...
Isn't that awesome? I can honestly say that I will be a Pandora fan for life with that kind of depth for a name.  I can finally admit that I am truly, madly, and deeply in love with Pandora Radio!!!  The two words that stuck out to me the most in his reply were "insatiably" and "hope."  I have always loved the word hope.  No one can live without hope and music has saved numerous people....only God knows how many.  Now, the other word, "insatiable"....it means "impossible to satisfy."  I have felt that way many times in my life....due to my addictive personality, and I love the word.  A friend of mine uses it a lot for different reasons, and it has become one of my favorite words.  So, seeing Jesse use it by saying "insatiably curious," well, I LOVE IT!!!!!
CARPE DIEM!!!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Skyler Diaz and Unconditional Love

I met Skyler Diaz when he came into my class as a freshman.  That kid was loaded with energy and surprises.  I can honestly say that since he graduated last year, I miss him....tremendously.  His unique laughter used to fill the hallways and would always bring a smile to my face.  The kid (now a young college man) seriously made me laugh every day!


This morning I noticed that I had a tag from Skyler on Facebook, and my heart melted and made me want to cry.
"Kids you are in high school what the he'll do u know about love? Did y'all not listen in Brandi Tyson Enriquez class when she taught Shakespeare. Now that is love to die for someone to put someone before yourself. That ia love. So until y'all can do this I could care less. And the only real unconditional love now days is from a mother!"
 I have seen that kid mature into a very intelligent young man where life is concerned.  He made me think about the subject of love and how important it is in our lives.
What is unconditional love?  It is the type of love where you love someone no matter their faults or mistakes.  Everyone screws up in life, but it is the people who love them unconditionally that give them the hope to keep moving, living, and dreaming..  There are numerous people in this world who have never been loved in such a way, so I feel extremely blessed to have quite a few people in my life that love me through my failures. Only God knows the number of mistakes I have made....and I really hope he lost count!  
 True, unconditional love can be a scary concept, but it should never scare us enough to stop loving.  If you think about it, most of our hearts are very fragile....whether we care to admit to it or not.  Believe it or not, mine is very sensitive....I hate to admit it to everyone, but I have a soft, kind heart and sometimes it gets me into trouble.  Minerva/Clairee/Mere likes to remind me that I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I hate to admit it, but she is right...and it SUCKS!  I can be a real superb*tch, but underneath the tough exterior lies sensitivity.  UGH!
Of course, I love my family unconditionally, but I can also tell you that I love my two soul sisters unconditionally as well.  God puts people in our lives for certain reasons, and he wants us to love.  Remember what it says in the Bible:
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.  
1 Corinthians 13:13
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails  1 Corinthians 4-8


So, do me a favor....give someone a hug and tell them you love them today.  Hugs release the good endorphins and telling them that you love them is the icing on cake!


CARPE DIEM!!!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Pandora Continues....

Pandora has caused quite the comments among my two soul sisters, Minerva/Clairee (Meredith) and Aphrodite/Superb*tch (Toni).  For the record Pandora is not new to me, but the school decided to block it awhile back for some reason.  This year they decided to remove the censorship and let us have it....I pray that it continues!  The ap has been present on my phone for a few years, and I used it occasionally, but I just totally forgot about it when the school denied us the privilege!

Minerva reminded me of Pandora being a huge part of the Music Genome Project....so I decided to include a brief synopsis of the the kick arse website....http://www.pandora.com/corporate/....check it out everyone...pretty cool concept!

Something else that I just LOVE about Pandora is that I play music for my amazing students on Fridays while they do their SSR (Sustained Silent Reading)....you know what I have learned from doing this for the last 3 weeks?  They stay more focused!  Who would have ever believed that music could have such mesmerizing power over teenagers?  Bwahahahaha!!!  Duh!  They have earbuds permanently implanted in their ears!  The thing that cracks me up is that it really doesn't matter what type of music is playing.....mine is "school friendly," but I play all type of genres:  reggae, alternative, country, 80's (Vanilla Ice Ice Baby), rock, and etc...

AND I am going to email my new love right now and ask who was the lucky person to draw this cool name out of the hat.....I'll keep you posted!

So now that I have reintroduced you to the power of music....get out there and dance and sing!  Live life to the fullest....and remember that positive attitudes are contagious.....I would have to say dancing and singing are as well! 

SHAKE IT UP, BABY!

Opening Pandora's Box

PANDORA RADIO!!!  I am in love with Pandora Radio....I said I would never get married again, but Pandora is pretty irresistible.  If you don't have it as an ap on your smart phone (if you have a dumb phone, you are screwed), then do so now or go to www.pandora.com.  F-R-E-E music on demand....what is your listening pleasure?  Johnny Cash?  Ludacris?  Kenny Rogers?  Metallica?  Type in the name, song, or genre, and you are hooked!  Pandora actually plays the type of music YOU want to hear...

Now, who IS Pandora?  Did the creators throw random names in a hat and draw?  I have no idea....maybe I will email them and ask.  Anywho, I am going to assume (since this is a free country) that Pandora is a reference to mythology.  According to Edith Hamilton's Mythology, Pandora was the name given to a woman who was extremely beautiful and lavished with gifts.  Her name actually meant "the gift of all." 

All of you love music, and you can't deny it.  It toys with our emotions on a daily basis, and we love it for that.  It possesses the power to make us dance, sing, cry, punch a wall (woah....maybe that is just me), or feel an absolute peace.  I am musically challenged, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the beauty of lyrics, harmony, and rhythm....

So, check it out, download the ap to your phone, and save it as a favorite on your computer....it may just change your outlook on your day, week, month, or year!  And would you all do me a favor?  Venture out in your music selections.  Toni finally convinced me to listen to some country music, and I have to admit there are some good songs....the music may suck sometimes, but the lyrics can be extremely powerful.  You may be missing out on a great opportunity in life by being conservative.....CARPE DIEM!


Friday, September 9, 2011

Peace is Not Overrated

Many of the things I love begin with the words fresh or new....newborn, fresh sheets, freshly bathed children, freshly baked bread, new roses, and a new beginning.  Thursday, September 1, Connor, Jameson, Reese, and I made a huge pallet of blankets in the living room floor and watched movies in our (once again) new house.

There is something unique and surreal about that house that brings peace and tranquility to my soul and to my children as well.  Maybe it is because it is quiet (well, the neighborhood is) or maybe it is because there is plenty of room to spread out and allow the children's imaginations to run wild OR maybe it is because I can sit in my favorite chair (the first piece of new furniture my grandmother and grandfather ever bought) on the screened-in back porch with a glass of red wine and a book in nothing but my panties and a cami!  Awwwww....the serenity of freedom!!!!

We are still adjusting to our routines, but once we master that concept, it will be nothing but gravy!!!!  The boys are truly enjoying Early, and it makes my heart fill with pride....Longhorn pride!  The only thing that would make everything perfect would be if Peyton and Brooklyn joined the herd, but I am carefree with their choice as long as they are happy. 

Seems to be that everyone is extremely happy at the house....even Sophie and Artemis.  Sophie is our German Shepherd (big) puppy who had to fight parvo to stay alive a few months ago, and she races back in forth in that backyard like nobody's business!!!  Artemis is a tiny kitten who loves to hunt bugs and sneak around, and she has gone from a scrawny kitty to a roly poly in no time!  Her Garfield belly basically drags the floor...

I have a plaque on my nightstand that says, "Life is Good."  And you know what, Life IS Good!

CARPE DIEM!!!!