Tag Archives: education

6 reasons my blog readers rock. ❒ ~ check ✔

Posted on July 17, 2011 | 22 Comments
Muah ♫.•*¨`*•♫.•´*.¸.• {blows a kiss.}

Muah ♫.•*¨`*•♫.•´*.¸.• {blows a kiss.}

Welcome back visitors for yet another pot of freshly brewed hot blog copy, using homegrown partially recycled pure grounds. Whatever that means.

Blog copy. Try saying that ten times fast.

I wanted to start off by saying I’ve had a few readers who have been such loyal blog followers leaving comments, hitting the facebook ‘like’ button, encouraging me.

I thank you for being my constant inspiration. Believe it or not, some of you wonderful readers have sent me long inspiring letters AND super cool REAL presents. That’s just too cool.

Like This!

Now my readers are going to ask What does blog copy mean? Then they are going to ask me what fresh brewed has to do with blog copy. I’ll have to send them to an expert because I have no idea.

Bwah ha ha

I’m digging myself quickly into a hole on this post. I can feel it spiraling down.  I still have friends who don’t know what blog means.

Note to self.  Should I start calling it an online journal?

❀ I know you are there. I can see you and it makes me happy and sad all at the same time.

❀ It's okay to take a break. ❀

1. I love my readers. Some of them I have known for ages and others are new. They continue to inspire me to write.

They tell me nice things like you never know Julie, maybe you will make someone’s lives better. They say things like they love to read my blog. I don’t know if that counts though because it was probably my mom. ;)

2. I love writing. To me writing gets my thoughts on the page and out of my head. Yesterday while shopping with my kids I sat down and wrote a list of 15 things I had to do. I felt overwhelmed and getting my list on the page made me feel like I could accomplish it. I’m just taking baby steps one at a time. Stay with me folks.

3. The more I give the more I receive. My friendships have been growing steadily and so is my reader base. I feel like I have never learned so much about life, love, laughter and people as I have in the last couple of months since sharing my life with others.

I had a lot of fears to overcome. I think we all get used to talking to our inner circle of friends or to ourselves we think that if we wrote it for all the world to see we would be drastically made fun of.

4. My learning curve is out of control. The minute I hit the publish button on my first blog entry most of you know I couldn’t sleep. I thought, Oh great, delete, delete, delete. My husband is currently worried about me because it has been almost all consuming.

I just read. I want to know what makes a blog successful so I just click away. Luckily I’ve been super peaceful and smiling.

I'll forgive you. ´¯`»¸¸.·☆

It's a new day and new dawn and I'm feeling good.´¯`»¸¸.·☆

I’m not so certain that spending more time online is a good thing though.

I have always sustained that a to be happy in life you have to find a balance of work and pleasure.

I’ll give you an example. Say you are successful. I ask you how you are spending your days. Are you spending them alone or with other people? What percentage of your time are you dedicating to your family, to your work, to entertainment?

How much of your time are you dedicating towards being a good person, toward helping others? How much of your time are you dedicating toward making yourself a better person?

As my best friend says it’s the doing that makes the difference. In writing and sharing, I’m a do-er not a be-er. Note to self: don’t forget to hyphenated the word be-er.

This chick is so cool. She's thinking about you. ❀

I can see you. Just tell me everything is going to be okay. It will! ´¯`»¸¸.·☆

5. People are curious. I think one of the reasons people are reading this now is because they want to know what it is like to live in Italy. I think I should write more about that. I’ll tell you. I spend a lot of time with my family, cleaning, cooking, writing, drawing,  a lot of time with my friends – as much as possible and the major part of my time taking care of life.

6. I push myself to succeed. I strive for excellence. I strive for peace. I model good behavior. I strive to be a better person. I’m crazy scared that I’m going to bomb in front of all of my peers so I’m doing all I can do to make this great.

I know it’s not. But like I tell my kids, I’m not a great mom, I’m not even a good mom, but I do try. I make it a goal. I know they know that. Making it a goal shows you care. I tell them I love them every day so many times. They know the story because I tell it to them every night before they go to bed.

I tell them I love them more than the moon, more than the stars, and more than all of the oceans.

Tell people you love that you love them. I don’t think you can ever say that enough. Be the change you want to see. Be inspiring. You think you don’t know how? I’ll give you a start. Smile at someone you don’t know. Live your life with passion. Pursue excellence. Take care of yourselves.

Until we blog again. Uh hmm, I mean journal. Have a good one.

Julie

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Posted in happiness, Inspiration, Italy, journal, learning, motivation, teaching, writing

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♡ Original Painting | | x ♡ o

Posted on June 23, 2011 | 20 Comments


You might be new here, so please make sure to add a bookmark, follow me on facebook or follow me on twitter at jbuliesblog.

Hello friends. New visitors welcome. Just for fun I’ve decided to give away one of my paintings.

To win a free original painting signed by me the artist please:

1. Choose a painting you like, Number 1, 2, 3 or 4.

2. Leave a comment below or click on this text.

3. Share on facebook if you have it.

4. That’s all. Easy, right?

I’ll choose a winner by a random drawing. You may enter more than once but not more than three times.

Painting Number 1 ~ Pastel Flowers

Number 1 | Original painting of soft round flowers in a light jade vase on thick Italian watermark paper. ;) 25x34 cms.

Painting Number 2 ~ Floating Roses

White Washed Bulbs of Big Red Roses and a Blue Tulip

Number 2 | Floating Roses ~ original watercolor painting signed by the artist on Watermark Paper 32x45 cms.

Painting Number 3 ~ Coffee and Flowers for a Friend

Flowers and Hot Coffee for a Friend

Number 3 | Flowers and Hot Coffee for a Friend | Here I like the idea of having coffee and flowers with a friend. This painting is watercolor on thick watermark Italian paper. 32x46 cms.

Painting Number 4 ~ Two Vases of Flowers with fluffly Curtain

Love this one. It's two vases of flowers and some fluffy pink drapes as seen from outside. This is made just to hang as a gift to yourself or a friend. I think it would look nice either over a bedside table, in a restaurant or over a lamp next to a sofa. Also, I would love to look at this painting in my office to cheer my spirit.

Number 4 | It's two vases of flowers and some fluffy pink drapes. This is made just to hang as a gift to yourself or a friend. Original watercolor painting signed by the artist, me. 32x46 cms. on thick Italian watermark paper.

Frequently Asked Questions:

This is what the painting looks like framed.

This is what one of the paintings looks like framed.

Is the painting shipped framed? No, the painting comes in an envelope sent from Italy with cardboard to protect it from bending. If you win this contest you do NOT have to pay for shipping. Shipping is free.

How can I buy one of your paintings? I currently have six paintings for sale that you can see on my side bars.

They are called

My Cup is Overflowing, Russians in Paris, Blue Tulips, California Dreaming, Waves and Coffee and Flowers for a Friend. Prices range from $79 to $1,000.  Write me at jangelos1@gmail.com for pricing.

How do I frame my painting? If you guys know me by now or even if you don’t I am a huge IKEA fan. No, I am not a HUGE SPINNING FAN, I am a fan of Ikea. I am there usually about once a week with my kids.

I’ve also seen beautiful frames at Walmart, and Target. Frames that work well with these paintings are here. I also came across a super cool online frame shop here. Also, you should see how creative my friends have been framing. I love to see what ideas they come up with, like this or this.

If you need help or advice let me know.Most of you contact me on facebook but my email is jangelos1@gmail.com

Close up of flower from Number 1

Close up of flower from Number 1

Julie, I love your paintings, but I don’t know much about art. Me neither! I just like pretty pictures. There’s really not too much of a mystery to it. You just put a nail on a wall then hang the picture and enjoy.

Where do you think your painting would look good? I think these would look cute just about anywhere. You could hang it in your living room, bedroom or even kitchen.

What I would love to do is give one to a friend who isn’t well to cheer her up.

That’s why I particularly like flowers. I think these would look great in a restaurant, lobby, doctor’s office or hallway. Where do you think these pictures could be shown? My mom says in an art gallery or restaurant. She says I need to organize an exhibit.  I agree.

Thank you for visiting and participating. Good luck.

Julie

This contest has been organized by jbulie’s blog and bears no affiliation whatsoever. It is a non profit contest to played just for fun with readers of jbulies blog. Winner will receive his/her painting via mail as long as there is post within a timely manner. If postage exceeds US$10, the winner must pay for additional postage. Winner will be contacted after June 16th to clarify mailing instructions.

You mean you want to see even MORE of my paintings? Okay!

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I’m painting pictures in the garden.

Posted on June 2, 2011 | 8 Comments
Follow your dreams. ॐ

Follow your dreams. ॐ Here I won at a local competition for this painting I entered : )

Hi friends. New visitors welcome.

I’ve been busy in my garden making more paintings. I love them. I found a program online that shows me what they will look like framed under various settings. I’m sharing only one today as I find it’s fairly time consuming.

The painting you see is the one that I entered the contest in in our local town. It was a funny day actually. The way it works is you have to stop by in the morning with a piece of paper, pay the entry fee, I think about $10, and the nice people put a stamp on the back showing it’s a new paper.

Then you have until 3.30 to turn in your finished piece.

The only problem I encountered was time. I had lunch plans that day with my family out of town. At 2p I said I had better get busy.

I flew into my garden, grabbed my paints and started painting. The blank canvas was TRULY overwhelming.

I loved what I painted however. It’s just Italy, porticoes, wine, a table, you know, a swimming pool street.

I won a prize and was honored. When I turned in my painting, it was still wet. I drove to the center of town holding my painting up to my car heater. I signed it right after I parked.

The only catch was I had to give it to the city hall. I’m happy to have done so. I hope you enjoy it.

You can see the link of the event here.


Julie

This is my idea for my flower painting give away. I’m going to make a little video when I get my hair decent, and show you four new paintings I made. Then you will just choose the one you like, leave a comment and I’ll pick a winner. That should work, right?

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Posted in motivation

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I can’t be all things to all people.

Posted on March 8, 2011 | 3 Comments
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

I can’t be all things to all people.

I’m just going to keep telling myself that.

I’m recovering from a period of about three months of unexpected setbacks in life. It was one thing after the other and frankly I’ve managed to sort through them and put them in the past, thank goodness.

Thank my DEAR sweet Lord.

I just don’t know how much of this I can take.

God seems to be setting me to the test one day after the other. I don’t know about you but if I get reprimanded I shake like a child. I am such a baby that way.

When I was a child I would cry and my top lip would tremble. Why is that I just wanted to be perfect? I know why. It was because dad left for the other woman.

I wasn’t enough.

I was nine and I never got over my parents’ divorce.

Instead of acting out, I acted up. I became what my mom called was an over achiever. I was in ninth grade when I was asked to go skiing with a friend of mine in Aspen for a week. We went on a private plane. It was normal for me. I have never had fears of being with wealthy people.

I’m going off on a tangent that has nothing to do with what I was talking about. I’m SO far from perfect.

What I was talking about was is how I threw myself into my school. I loved school. I loved church. I excelled and was nominated president of my high school class for two years running. I was such a hard working young girl and I loved my teachers. I loved learning.

Maybe I was just trying to get attention that was missing at home.

Then somewhere along the lines things seemed to take a turn for the worse. I went through a rebel phase in my late teens that didn’t last long. It just entailed dying my hair a few different colors. I still like to play with my hair.

Then after some nice lovely soul searching and maturing, I found a balance, through prayer.

I found love. I found a family. I found a job I love and I found a place I wanted to live.

But today.

Again.

God challenges me in terms of being reprimanded by the principal. It has to do with a class that was organized by the school ~ a certification class.

To make a long story short the class I was slotted to teach was cancelled due to under enrollment. I was told that there needed to be a minimum of 15 kids to have the course start. So when today four kids showed up for the first class and I wasn’t there, I got a call from the principal.

I tried to explain what happened, how I was told that the class wasn’t going ahead without a minimum enrollment. Still he yelled at me. He was mean to me and reprimanded me. I sunk into my little girl five year old child what have I done wrong world.

I keep beating myself up for it. How could I have done better? How could I have communicated with everyone what was happening. One person was telling me one thing. Another another.

And so it is.

I continue to be vulnerable to err to be so imperfect. I wish I could just forget it and let it go. I keep asking myself,

How long, Julie, just how long are you going to beat yourself up for this?

It gets into my sleep. I have such a guilt conscious. I won’t sleep for months because of negative comments. I try to sort through it think positive but some days like today I feel like I just can’t make everything work. I can’t be all things to all people.

Somewhere along the lines I need to forgive myself for falling short of my expectations of perfection.

There you have it. I’m still willing to share. I think I pray you understand.

Julie.•*¨`*•♫.

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I ♥ my readers. Great minds can make anything happen when working together.

Posted on January 7, 2011 | 9 Comments

Each time one of my readers leaves a comment I’m scared to look at it. I sometimes can’t sleep thinking oh great I’m going to wake up and some nut in cyber world is going to have written something mean on my blog and I’m going to have to delete it. Instead I wake up and I see words like excellent and exceptional.

Bike today.

I’m getting to know you all better and I thank you so much for participating in life, love and laughter. You guys are my extended students outside my classroom. I’ve particularly liked meeting people who need help on their endeavors like web site advice feedback. It’s nice to have found a fun creative place to play.

Whenever I’m in a classroom situation my students generally flock to me for information. Why is that? Even when I was little I remember the teacher asking me to explain simple concepts to the other students. I can only attribute it to the fact that both my mother and my grandmother, bless their hearts, were teachers.

If you have read my entire blog you will have seen that I used to write travel diaries from when I was younger. I travelled to Europe mostly before I moved here.

Back to you. My reader’s comments.

My first comment on my first post was from my friend from high school who I call double G. That’s for Gigi. Isn’t that the coolest name – Gigi? She said she’s adding me to her RSS feed. I seriously had never heard of that so I had to look it up on Google. I then read my comment from Pam at Bored Cook and she said Excellent. I felt like I got a good grade on a paper.

It's all an illusion.

One of my favorite comments comes from the nicest guy named Jeff. He wrote I find it hard to believe this isn’t the most popular self-improvement blog out there yet. I about flipped. I’m a new at this. I’d say it’s luck and passion. I also like to laugh and love to write. You guys made my dreams come true for getting 1,000 hits under two months. I’m aiming for another 2,000 in two more months. Does that sound about right to you?

A couple of years ago I was working at a Jr. High School here in Italy. You know what my students like to do? Before I walk in the class they like to write on the blackboard Prof Angelos is the Best. They also like to pass me decorated graffiti like notes written Angelos on them. The kids are 12 years old and so smart.

More Reader’s Comments

It’s your uncanny way of never “seeing” the obstacle of things and situations that make you a great motivator for me. Anne Marie

Your writing style feels like I’m sitting in your living room drinking tea and shooting the breeze. Jeff Burke

I love reading your blog! Miss A. Topp

The articles here are fantastic. Shane Mosley

Hey there. You might be new, but I enjoyed your commentary. Dr. Tom Bibey

Cool and funny tips! … I like the way you write and you have another regular visitor in me! Tomas Z.

Truthfully, this was a really outstanding post. Rosa Planting

You must be a wonderful teacher being who you are. Jeff R

Strong Voice. Shufina K., contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle

Not all reader’s comments have been positive.

On about my third day of blogging I tried adding my blog to a search directory and a guy said he though maybe I was writing satire. I had to look that up. If I’m writing Satire I’m unaware of it. That particular comment is not on my blog because he wrote it on the web directory.

Is this a positive or negative comment? I’m undecided.

The other comment I’m not sure was good or bad was a friend of mine on facebook. When I wrote I’m getting teary eyed when I see babies in strollers Tim wrote Careful, Nietzsche felt the same way about horses.

That comment was so above my head. Maybe some of you readers can explain it to me. I looked it up on wikipedia and it said Nietzche ended up in an insane asylum.

Before this starts sounding like too long of an undeserved Booker Prize speech I just wanted to say you have all been wonderful motivators for me. I write about motivation because I like to get my students thinking. I like to see them smile. I like a good laugh. Life is good. Life is wonderful.

Two quick and funny stories I’d like to share with you.

The first is about my holiday experience at school last week. The school was closed due to snow so the remaining teachers sang and danced. It was a moment I wished lasted forever. When is the last time you can imagine teachers singing and dancing in a teacher’s lounge? Kind of crazy.

And the second

I embarrassed myself on Sc.tt’s website that you can see to your right on my blogroll. I introduced myself as an English teacher and then I misspelled a word. I wrote back to ask him to please not publish it. I wrote through not threw. By that time it was already on his public New’s Feed. No going back. I then went to comment on one of his articles he wrote on a FOO camp – I had never heard of that so again I had to look it up. What I saw was a picture of a beautiful house and a bunch of tents in front of it.

It was hosted at a guy’s house named O’Reilly. I commented that I couldn’t believe Bill O’Reilly wouldn’t invite people in to his house or host them at a nearby hotel. Kind Scott corrected me saying it’s publisher Tim O’Reilly. Who would have known? I tried a third time to correct my mistake by telling him he ‘sited’ O’Reilly four times without giving the first name so my mistake was honest. By the time I hit the return button I saw I wrote sited instead of cited.

For the third time in a row I saw my name on the new’s feed calling myself an English teacher. Oy Vay says my sister. Oy Vay.

When travelling we always run into funny stories of miscommunication. Would you like to tell me yours?

Thanks for reading and have a great day.

Julie

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Posted in happiness, holidays, Inspiration, Italy, learning, motivation

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How to be successful without even trying.

Posted on November 16, 2010 | 4 Comments
Mimi Weddell Blogger

Develop a love for learning. ♡

If we can all agree that we got here now today thanks to the support of friends and loved ones I think we can also agree that it is also thanks to people who have motivated us.

One of my favorite teachers whom I’m grateful to is a man named Mr. Phil McGreevy. For some reason when I was going into high school I was told there was an experimental math class where ‘bright’ students were going to be experimented on. Like little hamsters. I still consider myself to be lucky that I was chosen to be in this class because the 24 of us had the honor of having the same students with the same teachers for the four years of high school.

Consistency, Relevancy and Going the Extra Mile.

Mr. McGreevy was a great teacher for so many reasons but mostly because he took the time to slowly explain everything from the start to the end. I always felt I could ask him at any time any question with out him getting angry. I loved the way he wrote on the blackboard because he had nice writing. He was consistent because he did things like draw squares around the answers. He also seemed to choose relevant homework.

Even though I had him for four years I remember one day when he asked who was interested in getting straight As – he was offering a Saturday workshop. Like most of my students they’d LOVE to have straight As but for various reasons their grades are all over the board. Most of them do follow what Mr. McGreevy called the Bell curve where he demonstrated that most students lie somewhere in the middle. I always wanted to be one of the students with the As. Maybe if I just did that little bit extra it would pay off.

Pay attention ~ here’s the key.

I attended his class and after doing various exercises and reading he got to the point of the argument. He said,

If

If

If

If you want to get straight As then all you have to do is develop a love for learning.

I was shocked. I was little bit disappointed because I thought he was going to give me the answers to that Friday’s test. I had to love learning?

Who loves learning? We only went to school because we had to. Love learning. That was the key. He was right. I don’t care how many times my mother could tell me about the starving children in Africa who didn’t have shoes or school it still didn’t make me want to study.

I don’t actually remember doing homework although I do remember it was assigned. I’m pretty certain I did it either during another class or before the class started. I’ll have to check with my classmates on that one.

I do agree that the key to learning is to develop a love for learning. I since have gone on to become a teacher. I found something even more important and that is the love of teaching. I truly love being infront of the kids and seeing them smile. I feel like it is an enormous privilege and honor to have this responsibility. I try to do my best with it.

One day I’m going to retire from teaching and just be an American living in Italy with her family and garden. God willing. In the mean time, I’m going to love learning.

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Posted in happiness, motivation, teaching

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8 days ’til Christmas. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Posted on December 17, 2009 | 3 Comments

How I love the holidays. I grew up in Southern California so when it snows for Christmas it’s a true joy. When we were growing up, it only snowed once and I remember putting snowballs in the freezer. I remember Californians complaining because it never quite felt like Christmas because it was hot outside. In southern California at Christmas time you can actually see candy apple red convertibles with a Christmas tree in the back seat driving along the coast with the sand and waves in the background. You can also get married in Las Vegas in a drive thru by someone dressed up as Elvis but that has nothing to do with Christmas in Italy.

Where was I? Italy. Oh yeah, I forgot. All this snow must have went right to my brain and I’m not even blonde. That’s a joke for you sis.

Christmas in Italy

Nine days left and counting. If you read my about Julie page above you would have seen that I’m a special aids AND English teacher. I teach English at one middle school and am a special aid’s teacher at another. When I’m in the classroom, I have two roles, I’m either teaching or helping. When I’m teaching I’m pretty easy going. I like to tease my students and tell them I’m 70. They don’t know. They tell me I look great for being 70. Then when I tell them my real age they still look a little quizzed because I think anything over 15 to a 12 year old is considered old. 20-40-70, who really cares. I don’t. It’s how we feel inside, right?

Playing with the Kids

I also like to tell them that there is a quiz today. They never seem to get that joke but I like it. Today I was not the teacher but I was the helper and I think I like that role best. It’s sort of hard to understand your position in the class because as you sit and listen to the lecture you start to think you are a student too. My math teacher friend teaches an 85 year old woman.

I highlight my student’s books and take notes for them. Then, I have to try to explain what I’ve learned to the kids. I’ll make them copies or whatever it takes to get them prepared for their ‘interrogation’.

Interrogation is a common practice in Italy. What it means is that instead of having a written exam the teacher asks each kid orally what was supposed to be learned. For example in Geography the teacher might as an open ended question about China saying Talk to me about China. That’s a BIG subject but basically it can be broken down into it’s physical characteristics, the climate, the government, the resources, the people, the culture and traditions.

When you work with special kids you have to make it simple if you can.

Around the holidays a lot of teachers just do normal lessons. I like to organize Christmas parties. I grew up with a Christmas party and I think it is good that the kids have one too. My five year old had his party today and I got to have a peek at the magic that lies behind the walls of a kindergarten.

Christmas Magic

Close your eyes and imagine this beautiful story book scene. It’s snowing outside, you park in front of the school. The kids are bundled up like Eskimos. Watch them as they put their little feet in the snow for the first time. They have to touch it. You worry that they are going to have wet shoes. The teacher has written everyone a note the day before that the kids should all wear red or white tops and dark bottoms for the Christmas party because Santa is coming.

I dropped off my five year old today and I stopped for a second that I wished was a lifetime to see about 20 little angels going about their angel making projects that included little fairies with sparkles and glue. Then cookies. And then I have to go.

I go to work that I love. Second period I sub and we make paper snowflakes. They look great on the window with the snow falling. In English we sing the song by Black Eyed Peas in English called I Got a Feeling. I’m happy to translate the lyrics. I help the new girl follow along. She’s sweet.

I finish teaching and I go to the teacher’s lounge where the math teacher has his guitar out and is playing beautiful music. Life is good. Life is certainly good.

Thank you for visiting. I’m overwhelmed that I’ve had so many visitors. Thank you.

Have a great day and feel free to leave a comment. I’d like to know what your schools or jobs are doing for the holidays. I see some of your pictures on facebook but I like the stories.

Julie

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Posted in Inspiration, Italy, journal, learning, motivation, teaching

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