Category Archives: Just For Fun

September 16, 2011 · 5:00 am

Romancing the Sand

The rolling waves, the clean, soft sand, the briny wind and lazy, drifting clouds–it all presents the perfect locale for a romantic scene.

Like Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity, or Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum in Dear John, the romanticism of the beach can wash over one like waves on the shore (cliched pun intended.)

So, my hubby and I decided to take a nice stroll along the beach in the moonlight. Hand in hand, we wandered along the water’s edge as the gentle waves lapped at our feet.

And sand birds swooped in after the tiny creatures washing ashore in the water.
And shells scraped against the skin of my feet.
And I held in shrieks every time seaweed touched me.
And the water made my skin sticky.
And the drunk people on the beach celebrated too loudly.
And I got paranoid about sting-rays and crabs in the shallows because we had seen some earlier in the day.
And sand blew in my face.
And I watched for jelly-fish washing up on shore.

So much for the moment.

I can appreciate the beauty and majesty of God’s creation when looking out over the rolling ocean or the moon reflecting upon the water. I’m not inhuman, but…

All my life, I’ve been a fair-weather friend of the beach. (I know that there are some of you who don’t want to be my friend anymore.)

I like the atmosphere of being at the beach, but I only actually like being on the beach for a few minutes, and then I’m done.

There are creatures in the water. Don’t tell me there aren’t–I’ve seen them. And I’m not a fan of creatures.

The waves can get really strong and it freaks me out–I don’t want my kids getting sucked out.

Sand is the most annoying substance on earth. It gets EVERYWHERE. Eating on the beach inevitably means ingesting at least a pound of sand, so a picnic is kind of out. And sand has a habit of traveling home with you. I’m still finding it in our house.

And since it’s a true fact that my nickname is Pale Hale, the sun and I aren’t exactly buddies. SPF 900 has to be reapplied about every 10 minutes for me to avoid looking like a lobster.

“Now I know why you like those vampire books,” my husband said to me as I sat on a blanket and watched my boys frolic in the water. “You look like you’re about to burst into flames.”

I ignored his snarky comments because I was measuring the water around my boys’ ankles. Is it deep enough for a shark?

So the whole idea of the beach being a place for a romantic rendezvous is kinda out for me.

When I look at the picture of Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster above, all I can think is, “they’re gonna get sand in some awkward places.”

Share with me: Is there a location that most people consider romantic that you don’t find romantic at all?

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Filed under Just For Fun, Romance

Tagged as beach, Jennifer K. Hale, romance

August 19, 2011 · 5:00 am

The Great White Way

I recently participated with our church children’s choir in a production of the musical “Amazing Grace.”

I played Grace. And I had a blast.

Afterward, a sweet church member paid me a compliment that meant the world to me. He said, “You ought to be on Broadway.”

I know you are laughing to yourself because after all, it was just a little church production with the children’s choir. Nothing to really put my acting chops to work.

But that compliment meant the world to me, because if given the chance at any other career in the world, Broadway is where I’d be found.

When I was in high school, drama was my thing. Our school drama department was very small and only did one large production a year, but I put my soul into it. I loved everything about it.

You know how there are those people who hang on to their high school achievements, even 20 years later? Remember Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite? He still lived in the moment from the 80s when he was on the high school football team.

My senior year in high school I won best actress in our regional One-Act play competition. Call it a small accomplishment, but it’s something I’m still seriously proud of. 🙂 I played a 300 lb Irish nun that year. I stuffed my nun’s habit full of towels and small pillows and threw myself into the role (literally- I had to dive across the stage and fall off of chairs in that production), finally able to put my ability for accents to good use.

I went to college on a theater scholarship with every intention of becoming a drama teacher-slash-Broadway star.

But although I loved performing, circumstances (and God) pushed me in a different direction and I became a history teacher; something I’m equally as passionate about. And now I find passion in being Mommy and Writer.

My friend Katie Ganshert recently wrote a post about choices and how they affect the direction of our lives.

While I would never, ever give up my family, home, and life, if I had an alternate universe in which I could function, I would definitely pursue a life of performing on the stage.

My dream role would be to play Elphaba in Wicked. (She’s the green one.)

Dear Wicked Producers, should you ever need me, I already have the dialog, monologues, and music memorized. Give me a call. 🙂

Share with Me: Is there a career or job you wish you’d had the opportunity to pursue? Maybe one that might surprise the people who know you best?

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Filed under Just For Fun

Tagged as Broadway, Wicked

August 5, 2011 · 5:00 am

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

This is my favorite time of year. College football starts in a few weeks, autumn is sure to be around the corner (although I live in GA so it’s usually late October before we begin to see a break in temps) and school is starting.

The stores are all hustle and bustle with parents and kids armed with school-generated lists of supplies necessary for the child to function appropriately in the classroom.

Moms are running wild trying to collect all the necessary supplies, kids are dreading the end of summer, and some teachers are groaning about returning to the classroom.

I love school.

I always have, I’m sure I always will. I was the kind of kid who begged my mom to take me school supply shopping in July, and then I’d carefully organize my supplies, label my folders, and prepare with hope and excitement for a new school year weeks in advance.

And nothing changed when I became a teacher.

Being a teacher only added to the excitement for me. I couldn’t wait to meet the kids whom I would have the pleasure of teaching. And because I taught high school, with each new semester, I got to do it all over again!

There is something so exciting about a fresh, new school year. It’s full of anticipation, hopefulness, and the desire to be accepted, whether you are a student or a teacher.

This is the time of year when I miss teaching the most. I miss everything about it, from the paperwork and relentless meetings and workshops, to the actual classroom time and relationships I built with my students. I even miss the challenge of a class from you-know-where.

To my teacher friends, I say, God bless you this year. I pray that God gives you patience, wisdom, and the ability to realize that each precious child represents the opportunity for you to be a light to an entire family unit. Each child represents the hope for our future. And no matter how annoying or uncontrollable that child may seem, each child has been given to you by God for a brief span of time– make the most of it. Pray over each one of them. Love each one of them. Remember the old adage that you may be the only glimpse of kindness, love, joy, patience, or Jesus Christ that the child ever sees.

I wish you a Happy New Year!

Share with Me: What did you or do you most love and hate about the Back-to-School time? Were you the kind of student to keep your desk or locker organized, or did the dog constantly eat your homework?