An Inspiring Writer

Hello Readers,

I'm sorry to have been off the radar for a while. As you know.. when winter comes, I have to hibernate. All is well and I have been in the middle of a few creative projects. As well as ringing in the new year with one of my favorite Brits. The girls and I are now back in full swing, so you will be hearing from me more regularly in the coming months.

This morning, I want to share a wonderful blog that I have stumbled upon and absolutely love. The writer of the blog has a Twitter page called TheDailyLove, so for those of you on Twitter, look him up. Read and be uplifted. http://mastinkipp.blogspot.com

All my Sunday love..
Jen

Let The Love Start With You

I have been doing a lot of thinking about giving lately. As well, the girls and I have been working on various philanthropy projects this year. It has been rewarding to watch them turn their focus to others, and to be excited about it.

I was in church this morning and felt a real call to action, which I am about to share with you. Allow me to set the scene. Cornerstone Christian Church. Pastors in jeans. Four electric guitars, four vocalists, one keyboard, one drummer. Congregation is alive. I arrive. Deep breath, close eyes, I'm here, you're here... listening for your voice. Where two or more are gathered.

Pastor began a four week series called, Change My Christmas [dot] com. The sermon began with this. http://changemychristmas.com/ Please click this link and hit play when the video pops up. I saw this and was able to get behind the idea immediately. It had already been on my heart to do Christmas differently this year, I just wasn't sure what that was going to look like until today. Though I would have been tempted to be up at the crack of dawn, with a Starbucks in hand, ready to get my shop on this upcoming black Friday, I am now turning my focus elsewhere.

This is the video I really want you to see. Go back to the website listed above. Click on BE INVOLVED. Scroll down and watch the two and a half minute video called Love 146- The History. Love 146 is an organization that works toward the abolition of child sex slavery. I want you to see this video because I was moved by it. Because most of the time, I don't allow myself to think about it. And because now that I have, I want to advocate for these children.

Over the next two weeks, I will have the opportunity to hear Rob Morris, the founder of Love 146, as well as Christa Hayden from human rights agency, International Justice Mission, speak about this issue. I invite any of my New York readers to join me if you want to learn more about these organizations. For those of you outside of New York, I will give you a full report after I hear them speak.

Though this is not a cause I am going to forget about after Christmas, I will allow the Christmas season to kick off my call to act. I hereby give myself, and you, permission, are you ready...

To think of others needs and how you can help meet them
To have gratitude and express gratitude daily
To be creative in how you express that gratitude.. write, create, etc.
Scale back on gifts and consider where that money would be better spent

Rather than participating in the traditional Christmas shop-fest, I will be donating to Love 146 and IJM. Though you will not see the usual holiday spread from me this year, you will feel my love nonetheless.

How I Miss You

How I miss you J. Crew. With your beautiful cashmere cardigans, ruffled tops, fabulous beaded jewelry, and Italian style flats. I miss the way your clothes feel on my skin, I miss the way your sales person follows me around, offers me bottles of water, and gets a fitting room started for me. I miss your hair accessories that cost way too much, but last a lifetime. I miss your long winter coats that look fabulous in every color. Red, white, yellow, black, I want them all. I miss how the clothes are folded before they are wrapped carefully in tissue paper, and placed in a comfortable over the shoulder shopping bag. I miss that moment of glee I encounter as I unwrap these treasures and place them lovingly into my closet. How I miss you J. Crew.

How I miss you my hair stylist. Fabulous Courtney who can turn me into anyone I want to be. From brown to black to red to blonde, you have made all of my hair dreams come true. Katie Holmes, no problem, Anne Hathaway, okay, Cameron Diaz, you got it. Sitting in your chair, sipping coffee, and talking about life. Color, wash, cut, and blow dry, with the snip of your scissors and the spin of your chair, a transformation is made. I leave the salon a different person than I entered. I can take on any challenge, I can overcome any obstacle, I can demonstrate to the world that I can take a risk. Stunning. How I miss you my stylist.

How I miss you my jet set. You inspire me most. Whether it be Florida, Arizona, California. Italy, England, or France. I will speak your language, I will revel in your culture. I will own it, I will become it. The star of my film. Plane..train..car..ship.. I walk, I feel the sun, I talk to the people, I eat and drink, and think of you. Perhaps it is because I do not have a permanent home, that I feel most at home on the jet set. On the highest floor of any grand hotel, is where I belong, is where I belong. How I miss you my jet set.

How I miss you dear friends. So much, you cannot know. I am in my ashram, but wish you were here too. My memories drift back to you, even in my sleep. I am my happiest when you are near. Together on our mountain, at the beach, in the city, or our small town. You continue to follow me, but I have never let you go.

How I miss you warm sun. Shine upon me once more. Blue sky, intense heat, bronzed body, white whites. Active, happy, thrive, alive, I almost remember what you feel like. Come back to me sun. Or bring me back to you. I am ready for your touch again.

In Loco Parentis

I cannot believe that this will be my fourth fall in New York. For you new readers, I live at the school below, sharing the halls with 200 fabulous teenage girls. I am the governess to 17. Since the idea of boarding school may leave you curious, allow me to share some images and realities of life in our stone castle.

Girls are up and at em by 7. No uniforms, just a dress code. Breakfast in the dining hall, then off to morning reports. There they will sing their alma mater and get the announcements for the day. Classes resume until after 3, and then it is off to sports or dance. Following that, they will head to choir, drama, and orchestra. Then dinner, then study hall from 7:30-9:30. All the while, freshmen are clueless, sophomores are having a grand time, juniors are in AP hell, and seniors are completely preoccupied with getting into college. And not just any college. By 9:30, girls are either exhausted, or ready to party. That is where I come in.

In loco parentis is Latin for "in place of a parent." That is what I am. I provide, to the best of my ability: ground rules, guidance, emotional support, a listening ear, a snack, encouragement, discipline, and most importantly, a presence. I heard someone say the other day that 95% of being a parent is simply showing up. I agree with this.

The photos below do not capture the girls in the intensity of their day. Instead they give you an idea of what life is like after the busy day. I warn you... you may want my job after viewing these photos. Enjoy.

Love,
The Governess


Our stone castle


Moi


Snack at Tuesday night tea

A game of "ha ha" at Tuesday night tea.

Dance party after study hall. Music: GLEE's Don't Stop Believin'

Yes, they got me to jump on the bed

Mattress Surfing, a sure way to relieve stress

Spotted: one governess, mattress surfing

FAME! I'm gonna live forever...

I'm sorry to say that this film was a little more lame than Fame. I know that you are really surprised by this. Being a former ballerina, I thought for sure it would at least appeal to dancers. I strolled into the theatre last night, on a rainy, misty, New York evening, looking ballerina-esque even in my normal clothes. I looked around to see that there were four others in the theatre besides me. That should've been my first indication. Anyway, to sum up the FAME experience, I will describe it like this. The acting in this film is as bad as it was in Center Stage, circa 1999. With a little High School Musical thrown in for good measure.

However, what has come from my brush with FAME, is that I am now back in the dance studio. I went over the other day, just to reacquaint myself with the barre, and today I start back in ballet class. I still feel at home in the dance studio, which is how I know I belong in one. I am fortunate enough to have the biggest, brightest studio imaginable to use any time.

I cannot, in good conscience, recommend that you see this film. But I do recommend you download Naturi Naughton's rendition of "FAME" and play it in the morning when you get out of bed. The song is hot, and what a way to start your day.

Baby look at me
And tell me what you see
You aint seen the best of me yet
Give me time I'll make you forget the rest

x.

Welcome President Obama!

Monday was an incredible day in Troy, New York. This day, we would line the streets to welcome the President of the United States. That is correct--President Obama actually came to my little town of Troy and spoke at Hudson Valley Community College. For my Modesto crew-- that would be like Obama showing up at MJC to give a talk. The energy in this town was amazing, and everyone was abuzz. The President spoke on clean energy, health care, education, and basic research. For more on President Obama's speech, click here http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hD03sMpMBLESf1hOl78LOnLV63xQD9ARR6082 Moreover, click on the photo to see it enlarged. You can actually see him in the car! I wish I could take credit for snapping this shot, but it was taken by the woman standing next to me.

After welcoming President Obama to my town and watchng him that night on Letterman (he was very funny, by the way) I felt hugely patriotic. And I liked it. I don't think we take enough time to be patriotic in this country. I sent President Obama a tweet that evening to thank him for his visit. Is it poor form to tweet the President?

The Heck With Sugar And Spice.

It is a crisp, fall, New England day. There are first day of school butterflies in my stomach. I sit up in bed, and see the chapel out my third story window. In just a couple of hours, Opening Convocation will take place there. I love this tradition. I take pride in being a part of this tradition.

Students file into the chapel with beautiful stained glass windows. Above the pulpit reads, Worship The Lord In The Beauty Of Holiness. Emma Willard is not affiliated with any religion, but nonetheless this statement is etched front and center in our chapel. I enjoy reading it and after I do, I take in a long, deep breath. I feel calm in this chapel.

I line up with my faculty colleagues in order of the length of time we have been at Emma. As it is now my fourth year, I am moving up, up, up in line. I love this. The line is led by Marilyn Hunter, my Italian teacher, and "the lady in the red hat." The faculty member who has been at Emma the longest has the honor of marching first, and wearing the red hat. And may I just say, Signora does rock this hat.

The organ plays and we march in and take our seats at the front of the chapel. By next year, I will be in row 2. Hollaaaaa... ;-) And when I get my Masters, you will really see my peacock feathers poofed, because with every degree one earns, you get an even more beautiful robe. We all know this would be reason enough for me to get busy on the Masters.

Once we are seated, our esteemed Head of School, will stand at the pulpit and deliver a knock out speech to inspire us all to work toward a year of excellence. Trudy's speeches always kill. The woman is such an example to me in her ability to bring down the house with her words. I will now recount the parts of Trudy's speech that most stood out to me, so that you too may take it in for consideration:

Set meaningful goals. Brassy, risky, nervy, adventurous, daring, courageous goals. What you can imagine is far more important that what you know. The secret to a successful commitment is to be able to see clearly the outcome in your mind, to visualize what it will look like when you have achieved the goal. See yourself winning the award, writing the book, being interviewed by the press--whatever it takes to get you jazzed.

Have the courage of your convictions. There is no such thing as a half-hearted commitment. Firmly announce your plans. When it comes to commitment--you are either in or you are out. Just do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

Take initiative. You need a plan, one with tiny baby steps to get you started. You need gumption--some spunk and guts.

Keep going. Bethany Hamilton, the American surfing prodigy who lost her leg in a vicious shark attack in 2003, reminds us: "Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice."

Trudy concludes with the following: Frustration is an inevitable part of every worthy enterprise. You will have your share of setbacks. Just apply what you have learned to make each effort a better, more informed one. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won't. It is whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.

That said, let me now firmly announce my plans to you. I am going to research, select, apply to, and be accepted into a Masters program this year. I am going to read, write, and devote myself to the written word this year-- in English and Italian. And-- I am going to look closely at different areas of my life (physical, spiritual, emotional, financial, etc.) and make this my best year yet of reaching my goals in each area. Operation A-game is on.

Who is going to join me? Firmly announce your plans--I want to hear them.

Love.. from New York.