Willpower

So I have been eating all almost 99% raw/organic for the last 2 and a half weeks and I feel pretty good but have only lost about 5.5 lbs so I am a bit discouraged.  Was hoping the weight would come off faster.  Guess I should buckle down a bit more.  School seems to be going well.  My class is pretty good--just really chatty and a bit onery.  On another note, spent most of the weekend with Jake and Payton helping them move to their new house.  Jake is renting from Robert and Missy.  I had a lot of fun hanging with them.  Payton is getting so big and is so smart.  I have missed hanging with them.  My sister got baptized this weekend and I am overjoyed for her.  I know she was happy to do it and I am proud of her for overcoming her anxiety and giving more to God!  Things seem to be going good right now.  I have been listening to lots of music and this is a cover of the new Lady Gaga song that I really like.  Check it out.

Till next time,

Beck

Green Lemonade Anyone?

So, I am about to embark on a new journey into unknown territory for me.  I am going to start eating raw, organic, healthy foods.  I know it sounds crazy but after some recent bad news from the doctor, a trip to the er, some health scares, and my obesity, I feel there is no other option but to go big or go home as the case may be.  I made a trip to Green Acres Market this evening and spent a whopping $245.00 on raw organic foods.  I plan to start full force tomorrow.  I will juice my breakfast, do a fruit mid morning snack, salad for lunch, juice or fruit for afternoon snack (organic of course) and then an organic dinner (whole wheat pasta with organic seeds of change sauce).  This is the sort of routine I want to get into.  I thought about doing a juice fast but with my diabetes, I wasn't sure I could do that and maintain good blood sugar levels so I am trying this route.  It is a lot healthier than what I have been eating.  I also think this is something that I will be able to manage and stick to.  It will be a lifestyle change but one that I am ready for and that is definitely long overdue!  I have been reading the Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose and it has great recipes and ideas in it for how to go raw and organic.  I have also joined a facebook group Kansas City Raw Food Union and folks on that are very supportive and helpful.  I am encouraged, ready, and excited for this change.  This all started for me after I got the health news a month or so ago and shared it with my friend Kellie.  She told me of a friend who did something similar and got very healthy and seemed to get his life back.  Then I read my friend Jim's fb posts about how well he was doing with juicing and going raw and so I new that I needed to do this for myself.  It is time.  So wish me luck friends and say some prayers.  I will need them.  Oh and don't invite me out for pizza unless they serve organic food or salads!  :-)  lol  

Till next time,

Beck

I Will Not Accept That

It is the end of June and I feel like I haven't even had a summer yet.  I have been busy teaching summer school K2K.  My kids are little, immature, and onery but I am actually really enjoying the K2K experience.  I love knowing who some of the kiddos are before the fall.  My sis is in town and it has been so fun spending time with her and the fam.  We went to Ray LaMontagne at Starlight and he was amazing.  He even played my song--Let it be me!  I was so happy!  Love spending time with sissy!  Sadly, cousin Brent passed away this week and we went to his funeral yesterday.  Very sad for his wife, two kids, Uncle Ron, and sister Cheryl.  Breaks my heart to see them all so sad and missing their Bubba.  He was such a good man too and it is hard to understand the whys of this.  We just have to have faith that God knows and we have to trust in him.  I had a great time last weekend at Payton's bday party with the Dollins clan.  I can't believe Pay is 8--seems like just yesterday I was changing his diapers and he was latched onto my leg everywhere I took him.  I miss those times.  A recent email from a former person in my life made me reevaluate everything I stood for.  It made me look at myself and the values that I have and then after careful thought and prayer, I came to the conclusion that forgiveness does not mean fellowship.  I can forgive someone for wronging me but not allow them back into my life. After all, light has no fellowship with darkness and this person was a cloud of darkness in my life at one time.  I can forgive but not forget.  I will not accept anything less than what I deserve.  I won't accept someone telling me that they have made mistakes but that is what life is about right:?---Ummmm no!  Life is about learning from the mistakes we may make.  Was that your attempt at an apology?  If so, it wasn't very good.  I forgive but I will never ever forget. 

Till next time,

Beck

If you want to make a difference in the world, be a teacher.

Isn't this what President Obama just said a few months ago in his address to the nation.  Now  MO is trying to pass Bill 372 in the Senate which challenges that very statement to the core.  I have been on a writing frenzy tonight.  I wrote so many politicians that my fingers are beginning to hurt from all the typing.  Here is the letter I wrote.  I hope someone listens.


I am writing you in regards to MO Senate Bill 372.  I strongly urge you to take a long hard look at this bill and how it will NEGATIVELY affect the education system here in MO.  It will not "get out" the bad teachers as many think but instead cause many of your best teachers to leave the profession.  For instance,  for someone like me who has been teaching for 11 years, I will go back to probationary status and be given a contract based 50% on a yearly performance based evaluation and 50% on student performance data. So all my years of service, my hard work, my diligence, my thousands of dollars in education expenses for a master's degree to better myself as an educator will now mean nothing. All that matters is how I rate with my administrator and how well my kids test. If I don't score or my kids don't score high enough, I may take a $20,000 paycut. That's right--$20,000. Sorry, I chose to teach at a school where the kids sometimes come to school and haven't eaten since lunch the day before or may not have a home to sleep in so the last thing they care about is some TEST!!!! Teaching isn't just about scores---it is about loving, nurturing, inspiring, advocating for, and yes facilitating learning for children.  We all know that there are SOME bad teachers out there but why must the good ones be punished too? Now teachers will be competing to be at the top tier. Do you think those bad unethical teachers won't cheat to get themselves there? That will leave us honest hardworking teachers who truly want success for our kids at the bottom!  What jobs are out there that didn't first require the love, nurturing and hard work of a teacher?  The solution is not to institute performance based pay but to improve the teacher evaluation system currently in place.  Get administrators in buildings and in classrooms more to see what their teachers are teaching and how well they are teaching it.  Not only am I angry but my heart hurts at the injustice I see!  I beg you to consider how much this will affect teacher collaboration.  Who will want to share great teaching ideas and strategies for fear that some one will out perform you and you will be left at a lower tier?  How does this benefit our children?  Simple--it doesn't.  Nothing about this bill is beneficial.  There are so many things wrong with it.  I am scared for our schools, scared for our teachers, scared for our future, and most of all, I am scared for our children if this bill is voted through.  Please fight to keep this bill from becoming reality.  Please show your support for every hardworking teacher in MO.  Let our voices be heard.  Show us and our students that you truly care about our education system.  Thank you for your time.

Becky Calvert
Davidson Elementary
NKCSD
(816)797-9676 cell
(816)413-4879 school

Not sure if that letter will reach the right people or make a difference but I won't stop fighting for what is right, what is logical, what is just.  I deserve it, my colleagues deserve it, but most of all my kids deserve it!

Till next time,

Beck

I Won't Let Go

So I know it has been awhile since I last wrote but as usual I have procrastinated and let many things happen so that this blog will probably be one giant ramble of incoherentness.  Sorry for that.  Is that even a word or did I just make it up?  Anyhoo, the last few months have been full of twists and turns and ups and downs as is my life.  I have really been trying to focus on church and getting closer to the Lord and through this I see how short I fall daily.  I am so undeserving of God's Love and yet he gives it to me so freely.  I feel like I have wasted so much of my life worrying about such insignificant things when some are struggling to feed, clothe and house themselves.  I have all of these things and I take them for granted so much.  I have made so many mistakes and I have finally decided it is time to get over myself and try to have a heart like Jesus.  This I struggle so much with.  It is so easy to have a good heart towards family, friends, and even strangers in need.  It is not easy to have a good heart towards those who have wronged me, disrespected me, lied to me, are rude, fake, or do not have a heart for the Lord themselves but I have learned that those are the ones who need it the most.  I just struggle with this and being judgemental so much.  I am really trying to give it over to God because I know only he can help me overcome my failures.  
In other news, my sis was up for a week for Spring Break and that was amazing!  We had so much fun and I really enjoyed all the time spent with my family.  I am so blessed to have such an amazing family.  Crys and I did a lot of shopping and just hanging out and it was tons of fun.  Nothing takes the place of the bond that my sis and I have and nothing ever will.  Will and Amber are getting married in a little over a month and I am going to be a bridesmaid so I am excited about that.  It is going to be a lot of fun.  Grammy has been sick and I worry about her.  I hate seeing her down and not able to get around. 
Next topic to be updated:  Jake and I have been hanging out a lot lately.  We went to the Rascal Flatts concert and had an amazing time.  Then we have spent the last two Saturdays together.  We went to an auction the first Saturday and this past Sat. he, Payton, and I all went shopping at the Legends.  We had fun and I miss Payton so much so I enjoyed the time with the two of them.  I am glad Jake and I are becoming close again.  I have seen a lot of changes in him and am even seeing glimpses of the Jake that I fell in love with 7 years ago.  I hope he does change for the better.  He is a great guy and I want him to have a great life.   I want to be happy and have a great life too and right now, I am not sure what that means for me but I am trusting that God is going to show me the way.  He will lead me to who and where I am supposed to be. Here is a little video that I saw at the concert and it is such a great song.  I love Rascal Flatts!  <3

Until next time,

Beck

Snow Day Dance

So as per usual it has been a couple of months since my last post.  We have had a major snowstorm (thanks in large part to my naked snow dance) so we have had two snow days and will be having another one tomorrow due to the cold temperatures and wind chill factor.  I am enjoying the time off.  I love chilling at home and sleeping in.  I rarely do that on the weekends anymore so it is nice to do it.  I do miss my kids and my besties but I value the time to relax and hang out with my Barks and my bed!  In other news, my sis is having some health/stress issues.  I am really worried about her and missing her like crazy.  Two weeks of Christmas Break just wasn't enough time with her and Dyl.  I wish they could've stayed longer.  :(    I think she is coming up for the summer for classes.  I am so excited to spend the summer with her!    On the dating front, I am talking to a couple of guys.  I actually have a date with Reece the meteorologist on Monday and Matt the softwaredeveloper/IT  guy next Thursday.  I won't hold my breath but both seem like really nice guys which will be a refreshing change from what I am used to.  The last few dates--not so much.  Payton is getting so big.  He is growing so fast.  It makes me sad all the stuff that I miss out on now that I am not in his life as much.  I still see him most Sundays but I miss him a lot.  I went to Brewtop on NYE with an old friend --Tina Clauder.  We had a lot of fun catching up.  It had been so long since I had seen her.  It is crazy how you can lose touch with someone and then reconnect and it is like no time has gone by at all.  Granny hurt her knee pretty bad over Christmas Break.  She is still not healed and Dad and Mom are pretty worried about her.  I just pray that she does not need surgery.  Contemplating some major changes in my life---becoming a foster parent, CASA, adopting, or something else.  Not sure yet.  I am also still deciding what to get my EdS or Doctorate in:  Admin., Counseling, Sped., ..   Hopefully this summer will give me some clarity and I will make some decisions.  I guess this is all I have for now.
Till next time,
Beck

                                                            Payton Christmas 2010