Top 10 TV Shows of the Year

1. Lost

2. Pushing Daisies

3. Samantha Who?

4. The Office

5. Bones

6. Burn Notice

7. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

8. Psych

9. Grey's Anatomy (just for Ava)

10. Robin Hood (this should be first on the list, so revise in your head please)

Romeo & Juliet & the Ninth Graders

We're finishing up Romeo & Juliet in English, and we just got to the part where the friar sends a message to Romeo explaining that Juliet's not really dead. As a refresher over the weekend, I made the ninth graders write the message, including the return address, salutation, p.s., etc. Here are some of the addresses, postscripts, and closings the students wrote:

666 Satan Loves You Road

Verona, Italy

August 5, 1594

666 Satan Road

Verona, Italy

123 Holy Road

123 Church Road (how original)

P.S. Hurry!

P.S. Don't kill yourself! Thanks!

P.S. Don't let Paris try to kill you! (Methinks we have a clairvoyant friar here)

And here are some of the closings:

Your pal,

Friar Lawrence

BFF,

Friar Lawrence

LOVE YOU FOREVER,

Friar Lawrence (the all caps freak me out!!)

I think my favorite is the the "BFF, Friar Lawrence." Ha!!

Things My Parents Say ...

"Gravity."
The reason, according to my father, anything happened. For instance, why my brother was late or why my father is so weird to why my favorite TV show is not airing or why I can't find my book.

"What goes around comes around."
My mother's favorite belief.

"It's nice to be nice to the nice."
My father's response, from M*A*S*H, to anyone whoever uses the word "nice" in a sentence, whether the response is relevant or not.

"Hello, boys."
My mother's favorite greeting a room full of girls. I don't know why.

"When I was a kid, we had to walk all the way over to the TV to change the channel."
My favorite of my father's "When *I* was a kid" stories.

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things

For my sister who is sick and may need something new to read:


The smell of a chlorinated pool. Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Black stiletto boots with blade-sharp pointed toes. These are a few of my favorite things.

Snow days. Summer days. Vacation days. These are a few of my favorite things.

Friends. Meg Cabot books. Movies with romance like While You Were Sleeping and The Bourne Identity and A Room with a View. Books with romance like Welcome to Temptation and Bridget Jones: the Edge of Reason and Weep No More, My Lady. These are a few of my favorite things.


Finishing a piece of writing. Songs being played on the piano by a pianist more accomplished than I. Playing "Sleigh Ride" on the piano. These are a few of my favorite things.

Historical novels like The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Period movies like Pride and Prejudice. Accents like Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz. Rebecca the book and Rebecca the movie.

Dry humor. Sharp wit. Jokes that are playful, not mean. These are a few of my favorite things.

Hot chocolate with whipped cream on top. Lots of good movies playing at a theatre near me. Jeans that fit well. These are a few of my favorite things.

The feeling of being absolutely free like floating in the water after a dive in or going down a hill on a roller coaster. Watching the Academy Awards. Playing Trivial Pursuit or Catch Phrase. These are a few of my favorite things.

Plane trips. Vacations to places I've never been before. Exploring new places by myself. These are a few of my favorite things.

Inside jokes. Secret languages with friends. Traditions. These are a few of my favorite things.

Being kind. Being the recipient of kindness. Laughing with students who are used to being ignored. These are a few of my favorite things.

Christmas lights. Oldies but goodies on the radio. Watching old home movies. These are a few of my favorite things.