Sorry I've been busy!

Life has been very busy lately! I'm sorry I haven't blogged for awhile. I am preparing for the Christmas Concert this Thursday, and our fruit fundraiser came in. I was up till 11:30 on Wednesday sorting fruit. Luckily almost all of the fruit is delivered, my Christmas programs are mostly done, and my lessons are ready for the coming week. I figured I could blog a little about what's been going on.
Basketball is starting, which means Pep Band. In this area of Montana the home team plays the school song of the visiting school. Isn't that interesting? The only problem is I can't find some of the songs. Hoping my search will have success this week, as my first Pep Band gig is Friday.
The weather has been interesting. We had some snow and really cold temperatures right before Thanksgiving. (Like a high of 0!) Then we, warmed up, and we got some snow a couple of days ago. It's cold again tonight (-5 right now, with a windchill of -20 or so,)  so you have to bundle up when you go outside. I went to deliver fruit to an older gentleman this afternoon, and couldn't make it through his lane without getting stuck. I had to walk the lane, twice, and I was so cold that my legs took about 30 minutes to warm up! I enjoy looking at my new thermometer every day, and calling Ben to have him explain the barometric pressure.

We had some interesting freezing fog. I was trying to see how much ice could build up on my antenna. When the sun came out, it looked like a true winter wonderland.

 

Over Thanksgiving I spent the weekend in Whitefish Montana. I didn't really do anything really interesting. Mostly I just relaxed in my hotel room, and walked around town. The shops were a little expensive so I really didn't buy anything. I even "went out" and met two very nice ladies. One of them worked at a boarding school in Kalispel. It was neat to talk to her and share stories.The mountain air was amazing. The air was cool and crisp and my lungs soaked it right up. I enjoyed walking around the antique stores, and made my second purchase (of 2, lol) at a used book store.

 

 

Whitefish at night

I took the train to Whitefish on Thanksgiving day and returned on Sunday. My experiences on the train were great! It's a more relaxed form of travel. You have time to relax, enjoy the view, and even grade papers. If you ever ride the train, I suggest hanging out in the Lounge. During daylight, you have a better view of the scenery, and at night it's quiet and free on snoring passengers! I feel a lot more comfortable about riding the train home for Christmas now.

I'll post my other pictures on Facebook in the near future. Hope everyone is enjoying this Holiday Season. I've appreciated all the notes, cards, and prayers you've been sending my way. If you are able to pray from me for this Thursday, for the Christmas concert, I'd appreciate it. It will be my first K-12 program I've been involved in, and my first completely in charge of concert.

Can't wait to come home and see everyone!!!!!!

Etsy Rules

(partially stolen from http://www.regretsy.com)

#1. Bandannas were originally created to help cowboys keep dust from getting into their nose, mouth, and throat. Do not use them to create clothing styles.

(source)

#2. When making beauty products, not only should they smell good, but they should look pretty too!

 

(source)

#3. Knitted beards are not in style in this century.

 

(source)

#4. I know recycling is important, but clothing fabric should be more luxurious then this. 

(source)

#5. Tapestries shouldn't be monstrosities. Especially when you're being charged $1,200!

Sorry to have wasted your precious time

Brahms, Candelight, and Chocolate

I went to the High School this evening to work on grades because it's the end of the trimester. I got most of my work done so I decided to go into my classroom and play the piano. I ended up lost in the world of Brahms for about an hour. It's been awhile since I played some real music so I was making mistakes all over the place. It doesn't matter how it sounded because what's important is that I left feeling relaxed and somewhat cheerful! I'm now realizing that because I'm involved in music all day I tend to unwind by reading, watching TV, or playing a game. To teach student's to love and appreciate music I need to love and appreciate music! I am feeling really motivated to start practicing again on a regular basis. We'll see how it goes.

I also got a wonderful package today from Steve and Mel North. It had a whole bunch of goodies, but most importantly there was chocolate!!! I never buy chocolate or snacks for myself because I don't "need" it and it's not cheap. With Thanksgiving approaching and the knowledge that I won't be eating at my Grandma's on Sunday, or with the Rife's on Thanksgiving chocolate was just what I needed.

After eating some chocolate, I lit some candles to try and make my apartment feel warm and cozy. It's so COLD here!!!

These three things made me smile, and I feel like today was a good day. Honestly it's been awhile since I could say that, and it was much needed.


With Love,
Casey

Choir

I thought my "audience" would be interested in seeing a picture of my choir singing at the EMB church last week. I stole this picture from the dorm blog which is a fun read as well. I was jealous to learn they were out driving four wheelers today. That's ok, I spent my day relaxing, cleaning, and making homemade bread.

Music keeps me Happy!

I love listening to music while I'm working on the weekends and when exercising. It helps calm me but still keeps me focused. I thought I'd upload two songs I've been listening to recently. The songs are peaceful, a little sad at times, but the lyrics are hopeful, as I am.


NEW FOUND LAND - Rooftops from TV Noir on Vimeo.

Ojo de Dios

This week I took a day or two to do a traditional Spanish craft with the elementary students.
Ojo de Dios, is Spanish for "Eye of God." They are made from yarn and sticks by native peoples of Mexico and South America. It was fun to take a day off from our curriculum and do a fun craft. It also was a quick teaching moment by singing "Cabeza, hombros, rodillas, y pies".
The student's really enjoyed themselves and were patient with me as I went around making knot after knot. I also made one as an example and then ended up making two more as well. The student's actually like me now! (lol... I think they liked me ok anyways.)
Here's the picture of the ones I made with thread instead of yarn. They took a lot longer then making them with yarn, but they look a lot better. Here's a yarn example on Etsy of a traditional Ojo de Dios. They are fairly easy to make in 15 mins. or more depending on how thick your yarn/thread is and how long you sticks are. I thought about keeping one of mine, but I think they may end up in the mail traveling back to Ohio.

If you have some free time this weekend take time to create a craft.

Home is where the Heart is

I was so excited and blessed to travel home for Ashley's wedding. I left on Wednesday Oct. 20th after school was out at 1:00. We had an early release and I was excited to get away as quickly as I could so I wouldn't have to drive unfamiliar roads in the dark. I went through Malta and then South into Billings. I had to make a few stops because my curiosity got the best of me. I ended up spending about 45 mins. in the C.M. Russel National Wildlife Refuge south of Zortman. I drove the hilly gravel roads on an auto tour route. It was absolutely beautiful but the sun made it difficult to take any pictures. Around the same area I saw signs for Elk crossing. I looked but I didn't see any. ;-( Also saw a glimpse of the Big Snowy mountains that I enjoyed driving around in when I was in the Lewistown area back in March.

 

 

I ended up driving the last hour or so to Billings in the dark and was thankful to get behind a truck so I felt ok with having to go slower.Arrived in Billings and went to Bed with an early start in the morning. I arrived at the airport around 5:00 am and had a great flight into Denver. I had over a 3 hour layover in Denver. I ended up finding a quiet place and watching a movie on my ipod. I even nodded off for a few minutes and was able to put my feet up.

I finally arrived into Dayton in the afternoon (Ohio time.) I spent some time with my family, Ben, and the Rife's on Thursday then headed into Chillicothe for the wedding on Friday. Before I left I took a few minutes to enjoy the beautiful colors around our house. The red leaves was the best because Montana doesn't have any maple trees. It was quite a bit greener than here in Montana as well. So many trees make me happy!

 

We arrived in Chillicothe on Friday afternoon. I went to the rehearsal and then the rehearsal dinner at a swanky place called The Brick. It was so great to see everyone. I got to spend some quality with Nat and Tyler, and I had some really good food. Although I had to pick some meat out of the salad it was really. Even better was my slice of pecan pie with a large dollop of whipped cream!

The wedding was on Saturday. I went to the church around 10 to get my hair done. I felt so bad for the lady who was working on the bridesmaids hair. When I walked in she took one look at my long locks and her eyes got so big. It turned out that my hair was one of the easier ones to do.

Ashley was absolutely gorgeous and the wedding was really beautiful. It had a fall/harvest theme so there was beautiful colors all around. (All the colors I miss up here in the Hi-Line.) They had this cute little video during the wedding called The Missing Piece.  It reminded me that in Christ I am already complete, I don't need a husband to complete me. After the wedding we took some pictures at the church and then went to a park take some pictures. Then the reception began. There was some dancing, toasting, laughing, and eating!!! I was SO hungry by then. I sat with my parents after the main meal, and was able to spend some time with them too.

 We left around 7:30 and drove up to Mindi's house. My parents hung out for awhile before saying their goodbyes. I had some trouble falling a sleep and was upset when my alarm went off at 4:30 Ohio time (2:30 Montana time.) Mindi took me to the airport in Dayton, and I made the journey back to Billings and then home to Lustre. I also stopped in Miles City on the way home to do some grocery shopping at Wal-Mart! I rolled into Lustre around 6:30 and was in bed by 8:00.
Overall it was an amazing weekend. I'm so glad that Ashley had me in her wedding because I had the opportunity to go home.
Last night I had parent teacher conferences. It's hard to come back from a trip and get right back in the thick of it, but I didn't really have a choice. I'm looking forward to Christmastime even more now!


Toodles.

Excitement

I have been very busy lately! The music fundraiser has begun and it's a lot of work getting the student's to do what they are supposed to do. ;-) I'm hoping that they do not procrastinate and turn in their orders on the last day but it seems like this is a very likely event. We are selling citrus fruit (oranges, mandarins, and grapefruits) and apples (Granny Smith, and Red Delicious.) For many out here in the north the fruit they purchase lasts most of the winter so a lot of people rely on it. It's a little pressure for a new teacher, but I'm managing at least at the moment.

I am so excited to get to leave this week and get a little touch of home. I'm in a wedding in Chillicothe Ohio on Saturday. It's my best college friend Ashley and I'm really excited. I also get to see my immediate family and Ben! Unfortunately I don't have enough time to really visit others or go to my church but I'm still excited to have this chance. I will leave through Billings on Thurs, and return to Billings on Sunday. It's a good 6 hour drive to Billings, so I've been working my tale off to get everything planned for this week and next so I don't have to worry about it while I'm gone.

With being so busy I've really grown to love  my little free time each day. It normally means reading a little and watching an hour program on TV. I've been watching a new show on the History Channel called IRT Deadliest Roads. The Ice Road truckers are in India driving in the Himalayas. It is absolutely crazy and entertaining. I've also been obsessed with the Discovery channels newest nature series. It's called Life. I had it on today and ended up watching the whole hour. I had to turn the TV off after seeing it was on next as well. And it's so beautiful to watch in HD! You can watch the preview here.

The Life of a Nomad

I know I'm going to get some strange looks and tilted heads on this post but bear with me. I've always been a homey individual. I love my family and I love to feel comfortable in my surroundings. Moving to a new place far away from the comforts of home and those that I love most has really challenged my thinking.  I'm not really homesick I'm just people-sick. I miss my friends and family dearly. I've picked up and moved yet my heart hasn't always necessarily followed me to Lustre. So I'm this stage in my life where I feel as though I don't really have a "home" at least in the sense that "home is where the heart is." This feeling has led me to a new sense of adventure and desire to be care free. I'm even a little less concerned about money then normal.
Instead of having the desire to be couped up in my apartment and relax, I want to leave my apartment and go experience new places and landscapes. This weekend I traveled North into Canada. I went to the city of Regina (giggle ;-) in Saskatchewan. It was a very remote and enjoyable drive and as I pulled into Regina I couldn't believe the number of people. I made the mistake of starting off at a mall, and was annoyed by the crowds. In the afternoon I ended up in the Cathedral district. Beautiful old homes and quirky boutiques, art galleries, pottery shops, and book stores. I enjoyed the pace and the sights. I also ended up in Victoria Park talking to a native from Poplar who was sharing her life story with me and never asked for money or assistance even though she was homeless. 
My hotel was nice as was the local bar where I had some wonderful pizza. I also enjoyed the large bathtub and was able to soak with some goodies I got from wonderful friends for my birthday! 
On Sunday I went shopping at Canada's Superstore to find bulk bins full of spices and aisles of ethnic cuisine. It was so much fun to walk through and look at everything. On my way back I had to stop in the middle of nowhere to make sure the ice wasn't melting too bad in the cooler. I stopped at a picnic area to find a guy sleeping by his bike. You could tell that this man either didn't have a home, or was far away from his home. 
Lately this lifestyle of living with what you can fit on your back, on a pull behind your bike, or fit into your car has interested me. It probably didn't help that when I was looking for a place for Ben to take showers in Lima I stumbled across a blog about surviving homelessness. If you have an hour or more to kill the blog is very interesting ( http://guide2homelessness.blogspot.com). I in no means would ever to be in that situation and feel sorry for those that find themselves homeless, but it made me wonder if I could live a nomadic life. I love the challenge of traveling as cheaply as I can, and still having wonderful experiences. So would anyone like to take a summer with me, my car (if it survives Montana's winter!), my tent, a pillow and blanket, and 500 dollars in my pocket and see how far we can go, how long can we travel? 
Why not experience life to the fullest. What can I fear when I know that God is in control. 
Have your own adventure this fall. Don't be afraid to try new things, and experience roughing it. Sleep in your car (or in your van :-), or take a nap in the afternoon outside or under the stars at night, and take advantage of free samples at grocery stores. Why not?!


Here are some pics from my recent travels.

 

 

sorry this one's not centered well.

 

fall foliage! (tear)

 

I love people who aren't afraid to express who they are!

A few items from my international grocery shopping trip.

Have a great night!

A Game A Game!

So I was desperately wanting something sweet. I had lots of components but nothing that i could put together easily. I've been craving strawberries lately but I haven't been in town in over a week and I have to wait a little longer. Strawberries got me thinking of dessert crepes. I began a frantic search to see what I could do and the following picture is what I came up with. It looks disgusting, but it tasted pretty good (although strawberries would have really done the trick.)
Guess my five ingredients!

Wowsers!

Sorry I haven't blogged for awhile, I've been busy! The past week has been a little discouraging. I'm having some issues figuring out how to make everything work and some classroom problems as well. But, with the grace of God and those who are here to help, I'm making it. I'm hoping that I'll be able to move past "just surviving" this year. I have to remind myself that I'm still in my first month. I have a lot of time to build relationships with the students and to grow as a teacher.
I did have an interesting surprise today. I knew today was going to be cold, so I bundled up this morning in an actual coat. First surprise was when I felt in my pockets I found 4 quarters and a dogie poop bag. (The poop bag kinda made me sad though.) Later in the day, around 9:45, I was in the elementary for my planning period. I was walking out of the bathroom when a girl saw me and said "Miss Purdy, Miss Purdy... It's snowing!" I will admit my answer was "yeah right." Then when I opened my classroom door lo and behold IT WAS SNOWING! It's still technically summer and it's snowing. Granted it was flurries that didn't last very long, but I'm still in shock. I guess the farmer's almanac predicts that in Montana wet harvests = cold and snowy winters.
What did I get myself into?

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

I celebrated my 25th Birthday by traveling 3 hours south to Makoshika State Park near Glendive Montana on Saturday. I wanted to spend a day away but I wasn't sure if I had enough time to spend the whole weekend, so I decided to camp out on Sat. and return on Sunday.
I arrived in Glendive around noon and treated myself to a personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut. Yumm! I haven't had any restaurant food (including fast food) for two weeks, and it was a treat. After I found my way into the park and talked with the Park Ranger about trails and paid my camp fee I began to drive around. I found out quickly that the roads were a little tricky and I even had to turn around at one point because the pot hole was as long across as my car and a foot deep.
The scenery was absolutely beautiful and a little strange. The rock formations were almost alien like. The first trail I hiked was called the Cap Rock trail and it went into a valley of various rock formations.

The second hike, I struggled with because of a step incline and I was walking through prairie grass worried about rattlesnakes. 

I finally set up camp around 5. My little tent is so easy to work with, and I had no problems doing it on my own. I ended up camping in a different
spot then I wanted because of the storm clouds. Many of the roads in the park were dirt and gravel. The dirt roads become impassable when wet and I didn't want to take my chances with getting stuck.

Here is one of my favorite views in the Park. It reminded me somewhat of a mini Grand Canyon but the colors were completely different. I made it through the night as it rained on and off, for probably 5 hours or more. I kept waking up and checking my tent, but I was dry the whole night! I woke up on Sunday wishing myself a Happy Birthday and went back to sleep for another hour!

I left my tent to dry out and had my own little church service at the end of the road. The roads held up better than I expected but I'm ok with my decision of picking another site. This was my church for the day!

Before I left I did some more hiking, and then packed up my site. Overall it was a great trip. I'm glad that I went and I'm glad I went on my own. I needed to be able to relax and not worry about school. I even got a chance to read a book that my sister gave me for my Birthday. So here's to turning a quarter of a century old and having my own adventure. I couldn't ask for anything more, except for maybe seeing my best friend. :-(

Here's a few more pictures, and if you're ever in Montana, go and explore this little gem!

Busy as a Bee!

Wow! I had forgotten what it was like to be teaching all day everyday. Anyways, I did make it through my first three days! I won't be posting detailed descriptions of my classes and students to protect everyone's privacy, but I can give some basic information.
With the Elementary I am teaching grades K-8 Music and Spanish. The 7-8 grade class just broke out their instruments on Friday and we had a great time playing through some of their music from last year. The 5-6 class is holding off on Band till we get the 5th graders all on an instrument. The 1-2 and 3-4 grades are helping to warm my heart! It's so great to be able to teach a variety of ages.  The smiles from the youngsters help the odd looks from the High School students to not seem so bad!
High School presents some unique challenges with the type of environment at our school. Half of the school population are from foreign countries. Lets see I have students from Korea, China, Ghana, Ethiopia, Puerto Rico, and I can't remember where else at the moment. Choir is beginning to take shape, and we will hopefully begin to start rehearsing some great music. I have some enthusiastic new band members who aren't not only new to the United States, but are new to playing an instrument! I have my work cut out for me, but am blessed to have God helping me. I'm sure I couldn't do it on my own.

If you have any specific questions just ask... I may not respond right away (especially if it's during the week), but I'll do my best.


With Love,


Casey

Montana Weather

Wow Montana Weather blows my mind! Went to town today (Sat.) (and I totally forgot something I needed because I left my list in the car for the last stop) and on the way back I drove through some dust clouds. It was like thick fog but the wind was picking up all the dust into the air. It was a little scary! I feel like driving out here is helping me to grow up a little. I can't panic or I will get into more trouble.

Driving into the dust!

The wind was pretty ferocious all day, but around 7:00 it picked up again.

I took some video on my camera on the way back over from the HS but I couldn't get it to upload... oh well!

And then an hour later I'm blessed by a perfectly pink sunset!

Getting Ready!!

I'm excited and nervous about school starting this coming week. We have work days on Monday and Tuesday and school starts on Wednesday the 25th. In the HS the classes are shortened the first day. I'll have 26 mins. with the Choir and Band. Hopefully enough time to go through the syllabus and talk about plans for the year but not too much time that I'm scrambling for things to do. I also will be doing range checks with each choir student on Thursday and Friday, and have a choir pre-test for them to work on while I'm working with each individual student. I have music picked out to get started with for both groups, and we'll see how it goes from there.
With the elementary I have activities planned for the first day as well as the first Spanish lesson for Thursday classes. We will be working with numbers this week (because I know my numbers!).
See my El tran del abecedario.

 And then I have Brain Teaser for the first day of school using the musical alphabet! Can you read it? Also another form of the musical alphabet is solfege (on the left.)

Well here's a few pictures of the classrooms. I can't really decorate the HS classroom because it's a multi-use room (it's used for Chapel on Thursday, some after-school activities, etc.)

My desk in the Elementary. Notice the chicken... I don't know where it came from, but I liked it.

The Music office.. it's a little disorganized but manageable.

  

Can you see which book of the Bible we are studying in Band and Choir this year! I'm excited, I know I need some more wisdom in my life right now.



Well thanks for reading. I could use your thoughts and prayers for this week especially.