Although I haven't really been posting very much (I've been living, people! Sheesh! J/K LOL as my students would add), I thought it important to announce that this blog will no longer be updated.
I have a website! www.myrainfantesheridan.com and I will be updating my blog on a weekly basis. I plan to post on Saturday mornings right before I do my cleaning. :)
Myra Infante Sheridan
FESTIBA
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
something a tutor wrote for me...
I have 5 tutors assisting me in the classroom this summer. As part of the shoebox project, I had everyone write small notes to each other in response to the box and presentation of the box.
One tutor wrote this for me...
"Mrs. Sheridan, Your personality makes me smile and helps me to feel comfortable with being myself. This world would be a brighter place if it had more women like you :) Thank you for everything."
One tutor wrote this for me...
"Mrs. Sheridan, Your personality makes me smile and helps me to feel comfortable with being myself. This world would be a brighter place if it had more women like you :) Thank you for everything."
something i wrote while teaching...
A good teaching practice is to model for students during an assignment. I had students decorate a shoebox with pictures, etc. of what represented them. I then had them write a journal entry explaining their box.
This is what I began writing for mine...
I am metaphorically schizophrenic because I am split into many parts-- as a Chicana poet said, "My divisions are infinite."
Even my name feels like it keeps changing. I was born Myra Ivette Infante, but my mother taught me to say, " Mayra Ivette Infante Flores a sus ordenes (at your service.)" For years I thought " a sus ordenes" was also part of my last name. I used to love listing my ancestors last names as well-- Velasquez Quiroga-- not really realizing that they represented people who had lived before me who would help shape who I am today.
Although I've been using "Ms. Infante" with students to avoid confusing them, I chose "Mrs. Sheridan" as the title of my box because my husband was watching me as I chose the sticky letters. After we became engaged, I asked him if he cared whether I took his name or kept my maiden name. He said he would be happy with either and that he wanted it to be my decision. I know he was really pleased when I decided to take his name and I was decorating my box, I didn't want to hurt his feelings by putting "Ms. Infante" on it. Funnily, he thought I was making a box to ship a gift for his mother (some photos of our wedding and some souvenirs.) So, I guess we're both getting used to my new name.
I have a wedding picture on the top of the box because it's one of the most important events in my life recently. People who hear our love story ooo and ahhh. As a character on show I watched said, "Our love is epic. It spans decades and continents." I smile when I think our love is one that could inspire the writing of books and movie scripts.
That is all I wrote, but I liked it enough to keep it here. I would like to turn it into a non-fiction piece.
This is what I began writing for mine...
I am metaphorically schizophrenic because I am split into many parts-- as a Chicana poet said, "My divisions are infinite."
Even my name feels like it keeps changing. I was born Myra Ivette Infante, but my mother taught me to say, " Mayra Ivette Infante Flores a sus ordenes (at your service.)" For years I thought " a sus ordenes" was also part of my last name. I used to love listing my ancestors last names as well-- Velasquez Quiroga-- not really realizing that they represented people who had lived before me who would help shape who I am today.
Although I've been using "Ms. Infante" with students to avoid confusing them, I chose "Mrs. Sheridan" as the title of my box because my husband was watching me as I chose the sticky letters. After we became engaged, I asked him if he cared whether I took his name or kept my maiden name. He said he would be happy with either and that he wanted it to be my decision. I know he was really pleased when I decided to take his name and I was decorating my box, I didn't want to hurt his feelings by putting "Ms. Infante" on it. Funnily, he thought I was making a box to ship a gift for his mother (some photos of our wedding and some souvenirs.) So, I guess we're both getting used to my new name.
I have a wedding picture on the top of the box because it's one of the most important events in my life recently. People who hear our love story ooo and ahhh. As a character on show I watched said, "Our love is epic. It spans decades and continents." I smile when I think our love is one that could inspire the writing of books and movie scripts.
That is all I wrote, but I liked it enough to keep it here. I would like to turn it into a non-fiction piece.
Catch Up!
I've had a fantastic weekend! My life has been annoyingly stupendous lately.
Unfortunately, this means I haven't had much time for blogging, but I want to rectify ASAP.
Ian passed his driver's test last Thursday, so he is an official Texas licensed driver now! He found both the written and driving test quite easy, which explains all the bad driving he sees here. How can I defend our great state? I'm not sure. On a positive note, he is very happy in Texas regardless of other drivers.
He's on break from his internship/volunteer stint at the school district. I'm really glad he's been able to be around other IT people because he's been able to exchange ideas about IT. We all need a professional support system. He's back in three weeks and in the meantime he'll be studying to renew some of his certifications. He's finding the Spanish lessons a bit challenging, but I think that he'll pick it up soon enough.
I got some great news last week. Our school librarian mentioned to me that the school principal requested a classroom set of my book for teachers to use.
***
I started writing this post on Monday, I think. It's Wednesday and I still haven't finished it! Argh! Where does the time go?
Anyway... back to where I left off.
So, Thursday evening, our friend Anne joined us for dinner and a movie. We ordered some Hawaiian pizza and I made us a salad, and we watched "The Land of Blood of Honey." It was a bit grim, but we made silly jokes throughout which lighten the mood. We finally convinced Anne to watch "Team America" and thankfully she wasn't too offended with it.
I had planned to spend all of Friday working on Kayla's song and lo and behold after a bit of procrastinating I actually got it done. I spent part of Saturday and Sunday laying down a track on GarageBand.
And here it is...
On Saturday, we went to Carino's Italian restaurant for the book launch of "Mexican Bestiary." We had a nice meal and a good time listening to readings from the book. Oh, and I won a t-shirt! Woot!
On Emilia's recommendation, we attended an evening performance of "Zoot Suit". It was fantastic! I hope we can attend more productions by "Thirteen O'Clock".
And last but not least I must announce.... I CAN RIDE A BIKE!!!
It's official and there is absolutely no doubt about it.
Ian and I went for a bike ride around the city oval in the back. It was so much fun and scary for me. But mostly fun. :D
This fourth of July has been a lot of fun. We went to the parade this morning and I knew three of the beauty queens! We came home and I filled up the apartment with smoke whilst cooking some steaks. I let an army of flies in when I opened the patio door to let the smoke out. Boo! Ian hunted them all down. Yay! We watched a movie and then went for our bike ride. We decided to go watch the fireworks display at the last minute and made it just in time. I think Ian had a good first fourth of July.
I rushed through this blog because I've delayed too long in writing it and the longer I wait, the more stuff that will happen!
Unfortunately, this means I haven't had much time for blogging, but I want to rectify ASAP.
Ian passed his driver's test last Thursday, so he is an official Texas licensed driver now! He found both the written and driving test quite easy, which explains all the bad driving he sees here. How can I defend our great state? I'm not sure. On a positive note, he is very happy in Texas regardless of other drivers.
He's on break from his internship/volunteer stint at the school district. I'm really glad he's been able to be around other IT people because he's been able to exchange ideas about IT. We all need a professional support system. He's back in three weeks and in the meantime he'll be studying to renew some of his certifications. He's finding the Spanish lessons a bit challenging, but I think that he'll pick it up soon enough.
I got some great news last week. Our school librarian mentioned to me that the school principal requested a classroom set of my book for teachers to use.
***
I started writing this post on Monday, I think. It's Wednesday and I still haven't finished it! Argh! Where does the time go?
Anyway... back to where I left off.
So, Thursday evening, our friend Anne joined us for dinner and a movie. We ordered some Hawaiian pizza and I made us a salad, and we watched "The Land of Blood of Honey." It was a bit grim, but we made silly jokes throughout which lighten the mood. We finally convinced Anne to watch "Team America" and thankfully she wasn't too offended with it.
I had planned to spend all of Friday working on Kayla's song and lo and behold after a bit of procrastinating I actually got it done. I spent part of Saturday and Sunday laying down a track on GarageBand.
On Emilia's recommendation, we attended an evening performance of "Zoot Suit". It was fantastic! I hope we can attend more productions by "Thirteen O'Clock".
And last but not least I must announce.... I CAN RIDE A BIKE!!!
It's official and there is absolutely no doubt about it.
Ian and I went for a bike ride around the city oval in the back. It was so much fun and scary for me. But mostly fun. :D
This fourth of July has been a lot of fun. We went to the parade this morning and I knew three of the beauty queens! We came home and I filled up the apartment with smoke whilst cooking some steaks. I let an army of flies in when I opened the patio door to let the smoke out. Boo! Ian hunted them all down. Yay! We watched a movie and then went for our bike ride. We decided to go watch the fireworks display at the last minute and made it just in time. I think Ian had a good first fourth of July.
I rushed through this blog because I've delayed too long in writing it and the longer I wait, the more stuff that will happen!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
I did it!
I got on a my bike and pedaled properly. I think it counts for riding a bike! I'm looking forward to more bike riding practice. Ian said to me a couple of days ago that once you "get it" you don't think about balancing anymore and I think he's right. For the few seconds I was actually riding, I didn't have to worry about balancing because I was just riding. WOOT! I know this is strange coming from a 38 yr old, but my parents never taught me how to ride. They were always too busy with work and church. :( Anyway.... I think I'm getting the hang of it!!!
I took a two hour nap after my shower and it felt great. I was tempted to stay awake and read, but I made myself take a nap because I haven't been getting enough sleep the past few days.
When I woke up, Ian still wasn't hungry. One of my concerns about being married was that Ian prefers home cooked meals to restaurant meals. I wasn't too confident about my cooking skills, but I knew I could follow a recipe. After two months of cooking almost every day, I'm quite at ease with the routine. I actually enjoy cooking and when we have gone out to eat, I feel a little guilty. The problem I now face is deciding what to make. I just need to print out some recipes and shop for the ingredients. If I have a recipe and ingredients, I think I'll be able to make any meal!
So, tonight, hoping to ease the burden of deciding what to cook, I asked Ian what he would like to eat. He opted for leftovers. We had leftovers from three different meals I've made in the past few days. That was easy!
Tomorrow we have a busy day. Work in the morning, Ian's driving test in the afternoon, and Anne is coming over for dinner and a movie in the evening. We're ordering pizza and I'm making a salad. :)
Have I worked on Kayla's song? Not really. Sad face. But, I did look up something called fruity loops for putting a track together.
I'm still reading THE HOBBIT. I need to start reading up for my Mexican Moses stories.
I took a two hour nap after my shower and it felt great. I was tempted to stay awake and read, but I made myself take a nap because I haven't been getting enough sleep the past few days.
When I woke up, Ian still wasn't hungry. One of my concerns about being married was that Ian prefers home cooked meals to restaurant meals. I wasn't too confident about my cooking skills, but I knew I could follow a recipe. After two months of cooking almost every day, I'm quite at ease with the routine. I actually enjoy cooking and when we have gone out to eat, I feel a little guilty. The problem I now face is deciding what to make. I just need to print out some recipes and shop for the ingredients. If I have a recipe and ingredients, I think I'll be able to make any meal!
So, tonight, hoping to ease the burden of deciding what to cook, I asked Ian what he would like to eat. He opted for leftovers. We had leftovers from three different meals I've made in the past few days. That was easy!
Tomorrow we have a busy day. Work in the morning, Ian's driving test in the afternoon, and Anne is coming over for dinner and a movie in the evening. We're ordering pizza and I'm making a salad. :)
Have I worked on Kayla's song? Not really. Sad face. But, I did look up something called fruity loops for putting a track together.
I'm still reading THE HOBBIT. I need to start reading up for my Mexican Moses stories.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Summer Days
Can I say I absolutely love my life? I absolutely effing love my life! Do you ever get an idea of what you would like your life to be? I am so close to that idea in my head!
I woke up close to 5am and since I had already done the ironing, I was able to ... geez... I don't remember what I did, but it involved domestic things like washing and tidying and getting dressed. I popped generic eggos into the toaster for Ian and myself (which I think counts as making breakfast for my husband!) and off to work we went.
I don't like that we've practically run out of time. The ELDA program is only six weeks long and we are on week four. We've been reading a book called EVERLOST and the play based on THE OUTSIDERS by S.E. Hinton. Two positive things have happened. I feel like I and we (teachers and tutors) have built a good rapport with the students in such a short time, and I think students are starting to appreciate reading!
Oh, I almost forgot -- I put some chicken in the slow cooker before we left, so we had a meal waiting for us! Am I am awesome wife or what?
We planned to go for a bike ride when we got home, but the oval pseudo-track was being worked on so Ian went down the street a bit and I practiced balancing on the bike.
Ian's bike got a flat from a thorn so we'll have to purchase a repair kit.
Kayla's quinceanera is coming up on July 9th. I've been asked to write a song for that, but I must admit I've been procrastinating a bit.
SO far these are a few ideas I've been throwing around
"At the threshold of the rest of your life
Come sit down listen up don't you strife
I'm gonna tell you all the secrets of the world
So you'll know what to do
So that you will be bold"
and...
"Your cheeks turn pink as the boy you like turns your way"
and...
"ADVICE TO A SHY GIRL: speak up, don't be afraid"
and...
"Princess in purple
you capture my heart
the flowers adorn you..."
All a bit rubbish, but at least I've gotten some idea down.
One melody I'm playing with is C-A-BFLAT-C-C-D-C-A-G-F-G-F-D
Who knows ... *sigh*
I brought my keyboard home yesterday so that I can work on the song, and Ian will be helping me find some software so that I can lay down some beats. Fingers crossed I have something decent by July 9th.
I was also asked to be madrina of the True Love Waits ring. I looked online in hopes of ordering one and then remembered I have that premium membership on amazon.com. I spent about an hour looking and deliberating and then Ian suggested I look for it in a local shop, so I'm going to the local Christian Book Shop tomorrow and maybe I'll find a pretty one.
Ian started reading THE HOBBIT and said it's quite good and asked why I had two copies, so I said I'd read it too so we could discuss it. I'm on page 23. So far I like it!
We watched two episodes of VEEP while we had our dinner (Italian herb chicken ... slow cooker meal I mentioned earlier) Both the meal and the entertainment were delightful.
Okay... better sign off now. I am quite pleased I've blogged two days in a row. I may yet get those business cards that say TEACHER-AUTHOR-BLOGGER :D
I woke up close to 5am and since I had already done the ironing, I was able to ... geez... I don't remember what I did, but it involved domestic things like washing and tidying and getting dressed. I popped generic eggos into the toaster for Ian and myself (which I think counts as making breakfast for my husband!) and off to work we went.
I don't like that we've practically run out of time. The ELDA program is only six weeks long and we are on week four. We've been reading a book called EVERLOST and the play based on THE OUTSIDERS by S.E. Hinton. Two positive things have happened. I feel like I and we (teachers and tutors) have built a good rapport with the students in such a short time, and I think students are starting to appreciate reading!
Oh, I almost forgot -- I put some chicken in the slow cooker before we left, so we had a meal waiting for us! Am I am awesome wife or what?
We planned to go for a bike ride when we got home, but the oval pseudo-track was being worked on so Ian went down the street a bit and I practiced balancing on the bike. Ian's bike got a flat from a thorn so we'll have to purchase a repair kit.
Kayla's quinceanera is coming up on July 9th. I've been asked to write a song for that, but I must admit I've been procrastinating a bit.
SO far these are a few ideas I've been throwing around
"At the threshold of the rest of your life
Come sit down listen up don't you strife
I'm gonna tell you all the secrets of the world
So you'll know what to do
So that you will be bold"
and...
"Your cheeks turn pink as the boy you like turns your way"
and...
"ADVICE TO A SHY GIRL: speak up, don't be afraid"
and...
"Princess in purple
you capture my heart
the flowers adorn you..."
All a bit rubbish, but at least I've gotten some idea down.
One melody I'm playing with is C-A-BFLAT-C-C-D-C-A-G-F-G-F-D
Who knows ... *sigh*
I brought my keyboard home yesterday so that I can work on the song, and Ian will be helping me find some software so that I can lay down some beats. Fingers crossed I have something decent by July 9th.
I was also asked to be madrina of the True Love Waits ring. I looked online in hopes of ordering one and then remembered I have that premium membership on amazon.com. I spent about an hour looking and deliberating and then Ian suggested I look for it in a local shop, so I'm going to the local Christian Book Shop tomorrow and maybe I'll find a pretty one.
Ian started reading THE HOBBIT and said it's quite good and asked why I had two copies, so I said I'd read it too so we could discuss it. I'm on page 23. So far I like it!
We watched two episodes of VEEP while we had our dinner (Italian herb chicken ... slow cooker meal I mentioned earlier) Both the meal and the entertainment were delightful.
Okay... better sign off now. I am quite pleased I've blogged two days in a row. I may yet get those business cards that say TEACHER-AUTHOR-BLOGGER :D
Sunday, June 24, 2012
I'm back! maybe :/
What has happened since my last post?
I am the worst blogger on the planet. I tried to start a few other private blogs as diaries, but I didn't keep with those either. Can I just defend myself by saying I've had a very busy year?
The most unfortunate part is that I had many interesting things to blog about, and now that my life is a bit calmer (I don't want to say boring) I may not blog about terribly interesting things. Never mind.
Phil, one of my professors, said that writers write every day. I have been sorely lacking in this area. Enough excuses. Let me get on with this post.
So, last time I posted I was about to start my Italian adventure. I was in Florence, Italy for three weeks. I lived with three art students and of course there was drama in the apartment. Nothing too major thankfully. I took full advantage of my three weeks and visited several Italian cities. You can see pictures of my adventures on my facebook .
After my three week stint in Italy, I returned to England to be with Ian, and we got engaged in July. :D
I returned to the U.S.A. to attend the AP Institute, but found out I was wait listed. No AP Institute for me! I'm hoping I get to go this year.
An embarrassing confession: I quit my ABYDOS training. I just wasn't disciplined enough to keep up with the readings. I regret it because I did want to have the knowledge, but I must admit that I did not want to be a trainer.
I did get to teach AP Language and Composition this past school year. If I get to teach this course again next year, I want to be stricter and plan better lessons. I'm excited about the new school year. I hope I stay motivated and reach my personal goals in relation to teaching.
Ian visited for four weeks in December, but sadly, he was the victim of theft upon his return to England. I'm so proud of how well he recovered from this tragedy as the thieves took much of his livelihood. I am so grateful to his sister Linda who invited him to stay in their home for the few months before his return to the U.S.
In March, my first book was released.
You can get your copy here.
Ian returned to the U.S. on April 12th and we were married on April 20th at Casa Mariposa .
In preparation for the wedding, I discovered ZUMBA. I love it! Unfortunately the gym is a 40 min drive away and I've discovered I'm only getting 15 to 17 miles a gallon. Apparently, that is very bad. I'm thinking about cancelling my membership with UFC. I was already unhappy with them because they reduced the number of zumba classes available and sometimes even cancelled at the last minute. BIG BOO! It's okay because Ian and I have been going to Freedom Fitness twice a week. We took my bike out today and although I wasn't actually able to ride properly, I have hope I will be riding in a few weeks.
Ian and I have taken a couple of weekend trips. One to San Antonio for my nephew's college graduation and one to Corpus Christi for my sister's 25th wedding anniversary. We did the touristy things during both weekends. As always, I had a blast with Ian.
I'm currently working for the English Language Development Academy (ELDA). I'm having a good time because I only work 24 hrs a week and have 3 day weekends. Ian is interning/volunteering with the IT department at the school district. We signed up for Rosetta Stone through the school district. He's learning Spanish and I'm learning French. Woot!
I want to start working on my next novel soon (hence this blog as well). I've decided to develop my "Mexican Moses" story. I have a few ideas. I'm also going to change that title as soon as I can think of a better one.
It feels good to be back. :)
I am the worst blogger on the planet. I tried to start a few other private blogs as diaries, but I didn't keep with those either. Can I just defend myself by saying I've had a very busy year?
The most unfortunate part is that I had many interesting things to blog about, and now that my life is a bit calmer (I don't want to say boring) I may not blog about terribly interesting things. Never mind.
Phil, one of my professors, said that writers write every day. I have been sorely lacking in this area. Enough excuses. Let me get on with this post.
So, last time I posted I was about to start my Italian adventure. I was in Florence, Italy for three weeks. I lived with three art students and of course there was drama in the apartment. Nothing too major thankfully. I took full advantage of my three weeks and visited several Italian cities. You can see pictures of my adventures on my facebook .
After my three week stint in Italy, I returned to England to be with Ian, and we got engaged in July. :D
I returned to the U.S.A. to attend the AP Institute, but found out I was wait listed. No AP Institute for me! I'm hoping I get to go this year.
An embarrassing confession: I quit my ABYDOS training. I just wasn't disciplined enough to keep up with the readings. I regret it because I did want to have the knowledge, but I must admit that I did not want to be a trainer.
I did get to teach AP Language and Composition this past school year. If I get to teach this course again next year, I want to be stricter and plan better lessons. I'm excited about the new school year. I hope I stay motivated and reach my personal goals in relation to teaching.
Ian visited for four weeks in December, but sadly, he was the victim of theft upon his return to England. I'm so proud of how well he recovered from this tragedy as the thieves took much of his livelihood. I am so grateful to his sister Linda who invited him to stay in their home for the few months before his return to the U.S.
In March, my first book was released.
Ian returned to the U.S. on April 12th and we were married on April 20th at Casa Mariposa .
Ian and I have taken a couple of weekend trips. One to San Antonio for my nephew's college graduation and one to Corpus Christi for my sister's 25th wedding anniversary. We did the touristy things during both weekends. As always, I had a blast with Ian.
I'm currently working for the English Language Development Academy (ELDA). I'm having a good time because I only work 24 hrs a week and have 3 day weekends. Ian is interning/volunteering with the IT department at the school district. We signed up for Rosetta Stone through the school district. He's learning Spanish and I'm learning French. Woot!
I want to start working on my next novel soon (hence this blog as well). I've decided to develop my "Mexican Moses" story. I have a few ideas. I'm also going to change that title as soon as I can think of a better one.
It feels good to be back. :)
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