Community

I live in a red county in a state that is blue thanks only to it's proximity to the capital. I sponsor the Diversity Club in a school whose population is 94% white. I sponsor Young Democrats in a school where the 8-10 students who dare attend through the boos and hisses of Carhartts in the hall must also hide their membership from their parents.

On November 9th a handful of them came to our meeting in room 315 with heavy hearts and a million questions. They read comments from classmates on Twitter that made my stomach churn. I did my best to give hard, honest answers and reminded them to consider their privilege as I often have to remind myself. Then from the same tear-soaked face that had just earnestly said "I'm scared" (rendering me more helpless than I've ever felt)  came a light bulb, "Why don't we have a community meal for everyone who is scared and hurting?"

So, on Saturday that is exactly what our town of just over 400 will do. We will come together and break bread reminding ourselves that though the world is big and the troubles overwhelming we must begin with our community and grow from there.

If you are in Floyd on Saturday I hope you will join us at Plenty! from 11:00-2:00 to be together in love. Everyone is welcome.

On Floyd Time

Drew used to call what we live on "Indian time" but since we live in Floyd now it's become "Floyd time." In other words nothing is on time, no one is in a hurry and things may get done today and they may not get done until next summer. Clearly this has become my approach to this blog as well.

Here are some highlights (or low points depending on how you look at them) since my last update:

Drew totaled our car. He's fine and we got a bigger Subaru which the dogs seem to be enjoying.

We found a "new home" for our rooster and adopted 4 more hens. They're a pretty multicultural group now. 



Both our dogs have had emergency vet trips. One of them has had 2 hip replacements and the other diagnosed with Lyme's. I spent this past Tuesday morning walking in a grassy patch beside of our vet while a male nurse chased after us trying to catch Dolly's pee in a metal pan. These are the moments that I think I should have my own reality TV show. I could be one year into a PhD program with what we have paid in vet bills since June.


I successfully stayed by myself without getting scared for the first time since living in Floyd.


I go back and forth between adoring my students and cursing them. Usually under my breath but when a fire drill went off in the middle of an awesome review game on Friday I cursed out loud which they seemed to thoroughly enjoy. Moments of "you changed my life, Mrs. Moore-Hubbard" and the creation of CD's for me called "Napoleon's pre-game mix tape" are closely followed by "which month comes after October?" and "wait, wasn't Martin Luther King our first black president?" That is why I go back and forth between thinking I will do this forever and I can't do it for one more day. My fickleness strikes again.


Speaking of which I might be ready to move. Thoughts on Asheville? Or Ireland? Those are the two leading contenders in our household right now. All that's stopping us is figuring out how to travel across the Atlantic with a couple of sick pups and a flock of multicultural hens?


Drew's the same. Thank God. There's not a fickle bone in his body. He's cutting wood all the time and skinny as a rail. He has taken to baking his own bread and he's become quite the coffee snob. The only bad thing about him is how much he wants me to be happy. Sounds crazy but whenever I come home saying "I want to make a living peddling eggs" or "Let's bring the chickens inside" he's always supportive but he's learning I sometimes need a strong hand which is why only one of the chickens has been inside and just for a minute....


I have the best of intentions of updating again soon.....

Home again home again jiggity jog

Anyone know the rest of that little nursery rhyme?? If you do, 10 points for you, I just taught it to my husband about a week ago and he recites it every time we pull in the driveway.

Drew was on unpaid vacay this past week (Thank you Caterpillar!)So we went home to help my parents with a little demo work as they are beginning a remodel today. I learned how to pull nails out of a wall using a hammer. I always knew it was possible and that the back of the hammer was like that for a reason....However, I didn't know to use leverage against the wall so I was just trying to wiggle the nail out of said wall with said hammer. After almost whacking myself in the face a few times, I figured it out.

My mom almost cried when I told her that. She said it makes her sad when she finds out I don't know how to do pretty basic things like that. I won't tell her it's because she always did everything for us so now all 3 of her children are invalids.

Also while home, I purchased this little pretty from my cousin who is making them like it's her job!!

She has all different color beads and I haven't taken mine off since I got it last week. You can read her blog here and also, I would imagine you can order yourself a snazzy bracelet while there too!

 

 

Also, we had my dad's family reunion over the weekend. Amazingly, (not really) I have no pictures to showcase it, I must have been too busy actually interacting and enjoying myself. I'm such a disgrace to my generation!!!! As my friend Libby said when we had dinner last week "You didn't really have a good time unless you have pictures of it." *insert sarcastic tone*

 

Annndd I want to point out a fun fact: Libby and I were not friends in high school. In fact we were the opposite, but can I just say that I don't know what was wrong with me??? She is so much fun and I love her sense of humor. There's a lesson kiddies: You probably would have had more in common with people outside of your "clique" in high school had you taken the time to get to know it.

 

 

Back to the reunion.... We don't get to see my dad's extended family much so it is nice to catch up with everyone. My granny is always happy to have everyone there together so that makes it all worth it. (Even when she gets all out of sorts and is sent off on a wine-tasting to calm down in the middle of it all).

 

 

As per usual I'm back home and procrastinating on homework and purchasing episodes of Sons of Anarchy on Amazon instant to reward myself for not doing my work...wait, do I have that backwards? 

Letter to myself

Dear 15 year old me,

-You don't need a serious boyfriend
-Be cheerful
-Cherish your girlfriends and see to it that your friendships are strong enough to last
-Go to prom with someone different every year
-Be nice to everyone
-Keep your close group of friends, but don't keep too close that you become a "clique"
-Try harder in your classes and don't be afraid to question your teachers
-Continue playing basketball even if you're not that good
-Don't try to fit inside the bubble of what you think you're supposed to be, just be you
-Be nice to everyone
-Don't be shy and backward
-Let everyone know you are a follower of Jesus, not because you're judgemental but show them His love
-Stop being judgemental
-Kiss more boys
-Be nice to everyone
-Be a good secret-keeper
-Try tennis or volleyball or softball
-Still don't try cheerleading
-Take advantage of more opportunities
-Love your town and take pride in it but don't let it hold you back
-Be more outgoing
-Be positive
-Dream bigger
-Tell Drew Hubbard you think he's cute :)


A few weeks ago I was having lunch with a new friend and I made a comment about how I was in high school and she didn't believe me. I wasn't the most pleasant girl in my teenage years, it's a miracle that I met my husband there and that I was able to maintain my dearest friendship. Sometimes I want to ask them what they saw in me haha I'm grateful for having grown and I just want to make sure I convey these things to my little girl one day.

Babies, I think we were 17 here. And just friends.