Sandra Rose Hughes

A few months ago, I told you all the story of Sippy, the tiny black kitten in our SIPS Panels. Sippy was around 3 or 4 weeks old when we found him, and he had been living in our construction materials, where it stays relatively warm. Unfortunately, there is very little to eat over there, and so Sippy was quickly starving to death. He cried piteously until we captured and fed him. We soon discovered that he was very personable and, once we put some weight on him, a cat with a very nice personality. Within a week, we found a forever home for him with a fellow animal lover, Nancy. Well, some of the SIPS panels are still out there, and they are still a deliciously warm haven for cats in the middle of this cold spell. For the past few days, a new mystery cat has appeared in the panels. She (I think) stayed mainly in the panels, frightened of people, but occasionally we caught a little vision or her tail or face. This morning, her hunger and loneliness drove her right to the steps of our tra...

I just had an article published in the Kern Valley Sun. It's not anything particularly exciting, but it is nice to get paid for writing. http://www.kvsun.com/articles/2010/11/23/kv_life/education/doc4cebfd21d744d095524260.txt

At a Thanksgiving Service last night, I thought back on this year, with all its ups and downs and asked myself, “What am I most thankful for?” I surprised myself with my response. 2010 was in many ways a successful year for me and my husband. We put up the walls and roof of our new house this year. We paid off thousands of dollars worth of student loan debt, and put ourselves in position to get all our loans paid off in six months. I directed my first musical with high schoolers and followed the Lord in leading my church on the first mission trip this church family has ever taken. The children’s ministries we’ve been working on for the past five years are finally growing, and I’ve continued to meet and befriend many interesting and even influential people in our community. Grant and Meghan moved up here this year to begin their ministry at Kernville Baptist Church and we’ve greatly enjoyed them. Anthony and I are both well-respected in our careers and it seems like everything we’ve tr...

We wander side by side Trudging through the sand There are no monsters to slay out here. There is no treasure to find. The only food and water we have is what carry on our backs. There was a time before the desert When our quest was exciting and new When we slept under green trees and bright stars When we fought small battles and won. Now it seems as if that time never existed. All there is is sand and sun. Our horses ran away a long time ago. All we do is step, step, and step forward. Every step is a step closer to the end of our desert. Sometimes I forget just what it is we are questing for. My legs ache. My eyes are gritty with sand and tears. I cannot help but think about what home used to be. Sometimes we talk. Mostly, we just trudge. When we leave the desert, There will be more monsters to fight. There will be new aches and pains But nothing will be as difficult as getting through this damn desert.

We had another student commit suicide from my school. Two in one month? It seems like too much to bear- and yet, here we are- bearing it- because there is simply no other choice. I am mad, sad, and confused. Sometimes I forget how fragile my students are. Jesus, how do I help these babies you've put in my care? I don't understand this world.

I have a Bachelor of Arts with a minor in Drama and a Major in English. I have an English-teaching Clear credential. I have been teaching now for five years. I did a lot of studying in school and worked as hard as I could...but I still don't know the really important things I need to know to be a successful teacher. Here are some classes I wish I had taken. 1. Fundraising 101, 202, and 303. This series of classes would cover how to succesfully run an effective, lucrative fundraiser without stepping on any other club's territory at an already fundraiser-saturated, state-controlled school. 2. Cardboard 235 This class would cover how to make stuff out of refrigerator boxes, like set pieces, props, book-shelves, etc. It would also cover basic tool usage, such as box cutters, packing tape, spray paint, and electric drills. 3. Motivation 504 This class would teach you how to get 100 surly high school students to not only WANT to work hard on a project, but also how to make them actua...

Voluntary poverty is a great way to get ahead financially. Basically, the idea is that you and your household purposefully limit the amount of income you live on and save the rest. This works extremely well when you're trying to get out debt, save for a large purchase, or accumulate wealth. The idea is not to try to make more money- try to spend less. My husband and I have been living in voluntary poverty for the past few years. We tithe 10% of our income, live on 30%, pay off debt with 20%, and save for our house with 40%. Most of the time, it's really exciting and fun to see the progress we've made in building our house (sans building loan or mortgage), and paying off debt (the students loans will be gone by next August!) Sometimes, though, it really bites. Trailer Love I can feel the ball of my shoe wearing thin. I thought that when I married you, My handsome young husband, That we’d arrived. I thought I’d have new shoes from then on, New shoes, nice bras, nice haircut. ...

It's been a while since my last post. Any yearbook advisors out there? Maybe you can feel my pain. I am a first year yearbook advisor. We have a huge deadline coming up and I've been pulling my hair out. I have been eating, sleeping, and drinking yearbook. In two weeks we have to submit 40 pages. I have personally completed about 12 pages. The other 28 pages are the students' responsibility and they are in various states of incompleteness. Is it poor teaching to create so many of the pages myself? Definitely. Do I know how to get the kids to do it? Nope. How can I teach them something I have no idea how to do myself? Plus, 20 kids are sharing 5 computers and one camera. Anyway, here is how I have been feeling about myself and my hyperactive hobbies lately. Jill of All Trades. I am Carol Ann’s daughter, A sub-par potter. I’m a slow-jogging-runner And a never-would’ve been swimmer. I’m a don’t-like-to-fighter, And an undeveloped writer. The child of a preacher, I’m ...