I left my heart in San Francisco...

My (mini) San Francisco vacation in photos:

at the airport (11/18) - a little early for Christmas, just saying...

Two great reads from my trip - I highly recommend them!

My friend/host is the best - she had water waiting for me!

We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge!

It was a picture-perfect day in San Francisco!

Pretty as a postcard...

Bridge Selfie

Enjoy the views

The skyline

Sunset view

So many smiles - good times! Love these people...

Representing ACE Phoenix - SJV love

Wine tasting on Sunday with my hosts

We also tasted (and purchased) cheese

more wine photos

"Is this the 'That was good!' photo?"

The ferry building

Coit Tower from below

We didn't count the stairs...but my dad told me there were 400+...I believe it...

Views from the top of Coit Tower

Panorama-style

We saw Alcatraz from afar

Views from the top of Coit Tower

Lombard Street! (Walk down it, not up it...)

Chinatown dim sum

They folded the fortune cookies right in front of us!

Old Saint Mary's Church

Chinatown entrance

We visited our classmate's school in Chinatown!

So great to tour and catch up...

Gift from my hosts :)

Great pit stop :) Free samples

A perk from an early morning flight

Gotta have a good snack on a 3 1/2+ hour flight

These were just a sampling of photos - pictures could really not do this part of our country justice. I can see why there's even a song about how you can leave your heart in San Francisco...

Who's Ernie?

This name tag now is plastered on the outside of my phone case.

But why?

Well, it was "Name Tag Sunday" of course, at the church I visited last Sunday. It turns out this is a once a month event. We were invited to write our first names on a name tag before entering the main church, and after Communion we were asked to exchange name tags with someone we did not know in order to pray for them for the next month. (Well, that was an easy one for me!) It was then that an older gentlemen seated in front of me gave me his name tag, and he introduced himself as Ernie. And that's when I put the name tag on my phone case. I can tell you it's hard to forget to pray for him with his name looking up at me every time I reach for my phone! (I haven't tried to take it off yet, but I hesitate to do so because it might be permanently stuck...)

I personally think Name Tag Sunday is a wonderful idea, and I encouraged my parents to consider bringing the idea to their church back home. I can see it going over well there! And who knows? It might be something to tell my own pastor about...

Ready to go

Only two more days until Thanksgiving break...by Friday at 3:30pm the students and their families will be on their merry ways, and we, the teachers, will be packing up and heading out for ONE. WHOLE. WEEK.

In teaching there are so many ups and downs, not only from day to day but also from class period to class period. Something goes amazingly well or the students are extra attentive in the morning but by afternoon you feel like you're ineffective as a teacher because kids can't seem to follow directions or sit still for more than two minutes at a time. What a roller coaster. I'm certain that mentally, physically, and emotionally I am so ready for this break.

My family's heading up north to us (well, within driving distance) for the holiday, so, alas, the warm weather of back home will continue to beckon to me until January (and only then for a weekend respite on retreat). But before I join them, I am heading to the opposite coast for some much needed visiting with friends. I have never spent much time in that part of the country. (Let's face it, Phoenix, AZ, is its own beast. And I mean that in the best sense.) To say I'm excited would be the biggest understatement of the year.

My bags are packed, and my grad school work for the week is (mostly) done. Let's get this vacation started! (But let's forget about the grading that's starting to pile up...it'll be here when I get back, right?)

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Oh when the Saints come marching in...

As we were cleaning up from a Confirmation parent meeting, I told the eighth grade teacher today that if the upcoming 8th graders (this year's 7th graders) know nothing else, they'll know the saints. And we're not just talking the most well-known ones like St. Patrick, Mary, St. Joseph, St.Francis, etc. - no, we're talking as little known to as famous as you can get. In fact, a handful of students are obsessed with Padre Pio due to a simple "Think About the Saints" Tuesday prayer journal activity and me sharing about my trip to the north side of the city to see the relics (which I actually didn't end up seeing because I only made it in time for Mass). It's crazy what sticks with them!

This week, though All Saints Day is behind us, we spent some time with the Saints through an art project posted originally on the Look to Him and Be Radiant blog. I pared down the amount of Saint artwork for each student (from nine to three), and instructed students in the methods for carrying out the project. I encouraged students to do some lesser known Saints, which observers would be able to identify through the objects/symbols and dress/garb included in each image.

Here's what happened - can you recognize any of them?:

The Saints are now all over my cabinet - and it's absolutely wonderful!

So...happy belated All Saints Day! What good reminders of striving daily on this earth so that we may one day meet God in Heaven!