postcard anyone?

I am leaving in 4 days and I feel like I am in countdown mode. Nothing going on but waiting at this point. If you would like a postcard from the other side of the world, please send me your address and I will add you to my list! rachelvarney@sbcglobal.net

where I'm headed....

Well, faithful and not so faithful readers, I am about to embark on my next grand adventure. A week from Friday I am leaving for Mariupol, Ukraine to teach English with Friend Speak and, yes, some friends as well. I will be travelling with 3 other girls (from the Ukraine Touch This shirt pics) and we will be there for 14 days. Here's where I'm headed:

I am meeting a group that has already departed for Ukraine and, I'm told, took right at 24 hours to make their journey from the states. WHEW! Long weekend next week! I am looking forward to doing some outreach/mission work as it has been quite a while since I was on a Spring Break campaign back at ACU. My friend Tanya is already there and has had some very encouraging news about readers, etc. so far.

At the end of my time in Ukraine, I will be journeying on with Amy to Italy for 6 days. We will be strolling the streets of Rome and Florence and taking a new little excursion out to Sorrento and Pompei. Here's what I have to look forward to there:

I am so excited to be away and across the pond once more, but I am getting sad to leave my Joey for so long. We talk at least 5 times a day when one of us is out of town and that will be out of the question in Europe. I'll miss him greatly....but how can I pass up an opportunity like this one?

Mural Take 2

This is a photograph and my sketch for the second mural at our school. It is considerably more complicated than the first.

I didn't think I would like this one, but it turned out better than the aquarium! Which do you like best?

More paints...

Don't get mad Jamie, but I've been painting more things that are not your picture of Venice. Sorry!

My principal has been asking me for about 6 months to paint two murals at my school. During school it sounded like too much work, but she agreed to help me with it if we worked on it this summer. Hooray! Unfortunately, she is no help, other than to point out what she wants different, but I do have another teacher friend to shoulder the workload and we surprisinly had a lot of fun today.

We planned yesterday and I got JoAnn's to give us a 20% discount on paint. We rummaged thru the art closet and found supplies, and even a bucket of blue house paint from a couple of years ago. (still good! being a packrat is paying off finally!)

Today we worked for about 4 hours (an hour of which was paint drying time) and ended up with this:

That's Sharon painting the big fish there. She helps me with Art Club and has become a really close friend at work over the past 3 years. Couldn't have done this without her!

Next week we are doing the other pole on the opposite side of the school with a outdoor/park scene. But how could it compare with this cutie?

See how much it brightens the drab hallway? I hate to admit it, but my principal was right...it's a great addition!

A New Addition to the Fam

After one and a half years of marriage, Joe and I have added something important into our lives...my childhood piano! Mom and Dad had put it in storage when I went to college so it has been stored away for about 10 years now. It still sounds beautiful and looks just like I remember it. Dad bought it for me when I was about 7 and began taking piano lessons. I remember the first flowers anyone ever gave me were my daddy sending me roses for my first recital. It was funny when I got up this morning and came around the corner. Yipes! What's that big thing in my living room? Oh yeah, it's my piano! We still need to get it tuned and find that bench with all my music in it. And I need to brush up on chords and notes, but I'm really excited about having it in MY home now.

The road to getting the piano was a bit sticky (the delivery men came 2 days late and I literally waited all day yesterday for them until almost 8pm). And a kink was thrown into my excitement when our garage door decided to pull apart and trap my poor car inside last night. But, in reality, nothing can take away from the joy of this piano. It's like someone just plucked up a piece of my childhood and laid it at my door.

Jeremy's Big Night

I know it is odd to Blog about someone other than myself, that isn't even related to me, but thought some of my readers might be interested in this.

Those of you who know Jeremy Hailey, check out this link:

www.tommycooperphotography.com

Click on JUNGLE BOOK on the homepage and see pics from Jeremy's big night.

If you don't know already, Jeremy is the arts and music man in smalltown Texas now and did a Disney-written musical of THE JUNGLE BOOK this past spring. Jamie and I wanted to go for his big debut, but it was on a Tuesday (how odd is that??) on the last week of school. I rarely hear from Jeremy, but have heard from him several times since the play about the response. His hard work paid off as the superintendent said, "It was the highlight of my educational career." Looks like the kids had fun and from what I hear, some reps from Disney even came to check it out. Wish we could've been there to show our support too!

painting again

It's been a while since I got in a artistic frenzy. With painting, drawing and coloring all day every day, it has turned my relaxing art-time into work. But the past weekend, I have been in a frenzy! At the Ukraine garage sale I bought 6 chairs for $15. I decided to make a little profit and sell them to teachers at school as reading chairs, painted to order. (Ahh, remember that black and white set Jamie? Christina?)

In college I painted a table and 5 chairs in bright colors with black and white checks around the edges. CUTE! I sold the set to Chris when she got married and kept one chair for myself. (It still sits in my classroom and has been given the name "RAINBOW CHAIR." It has served me well for 6 years now!

When I was student teaching, I made one for my supervising teacher as well. Blue with stars all over it. But since then, haven't done a one. But this weekend, I did 2 and have orders for 3 more! Hooray! What a fun way to make a little extra cash! Let me show you what I did so far:

I think they are pretty cute! I LOVE the bumble bee one! I have orders for a pink leopard print, an aquatic, and a children 'round the world one. I am so excited to do these! What else would make a good kids' chair theme???

Ukraine

For those of you just catching up on the Varney life, let me tell you about my next great adventure....Mission Ukraine!

I am going with a small group from church to Mariupol, Ukraine this June to teach English in the LST model...teach English by way of the gospels. I am erally excited because 3 of my best girlfriends from the young married group are going also, so we are now a little posse of fundraising fiends!

This past Saturday we had a garage sale to raise some money. Joe and one of his pals had passed along a little pun we enjoyed so we turned it into a t-shirt opportunity. See if you can figure out what the back of the shirt says before scrolling on...

NEED A HINT? That's MC Hammer bustin' a move right there!

Come on, think! THINK MC HAMMER SONGS!

Here's a group pic before I get to the punchline...

You ready for this??? Here's the back:

Awesome, right? I know..we are SO FUNNY!

But seriously, we got some much needed money for our flights and Amy (gal in purple) and I are working hard on some other plans that coincide. She and I are going to take a little detour on the way home and tour Italy for a week. I know, Mel...can't be jealous of anyone else getting to travel EVER again, right? I know. But better take advantage before there are little Varneys to contend with. Just making good use of my time!

ode to a musical

Piggy-backing off of Amy's blog, I have to add my ode to musicals.

Musicals and me...we have quite a history. From the musical I was supposed to sing "ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS MY TWO FRONT TEETH" in first grade in, to my summer ahead, filled with musical theater...SIGH....it's been a good run. :)

I'm proud to say that my parents instilled in me the value of musical theater and took me to my first Broadway play at the age of 13. (It was Crazy For You, incidentally. Mom and Dad were in theater in college and starred as Lucy and Shroder in YOUR A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN.) Ever since I sat eye to eye with Javer in LES MISERABLES 15 years ago, I have been mesmerized with the genre.

Some are just fun to see like HAIRSPRAY and MAMMA MIA. Some give you a gut wrenching heartache like WEST SIDE STORY or LES MIS. But the ones I truly love are the ones with music so over-powering, they make my eyes water. The opening song in THE LION KING, Effie's song in DREAMGIRLS, Defying Gravity in WICKED. There are just some moments that move you beyond words. Amy and I have talked about this many times...it's something inexplicable: how music can move you to emotions that nothing else can.

And I have so many memories tied up in them now. Seeing LION KING on my backpacking trip to Europe. Taking my youth group kids to LES MIS the summer I was an intern. Sitting with Mel in NY watching Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane in THE PRODUCERS. Or even sitting at home (again with Mel) watching CALAMITY JANE or HOLIDAY INN.

Guess that's why I love musicals so much...they connect with something in my heart. So whether it be a musical beating like HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL or OKLAHOMA, or a masterpiece like PHANTOM OF THE OPERA or CHICAGO, buy me a ticket on the front row...I want to be a part!

**Some Favorite Musical Lines...just a few...

• "I've got a hive full of honey, for the right kind of honeybee."
• "In my ivory tower I was just a hostess snack ,but now I've tasted chocolate and I"m never going back."
• "He had it comin'."
• "Measure your life in love."
• "The world is full of happiness that I have never known."

What's your favorite?

How bout them Mavericks....Warriors?

Is anyone as bummed as me? Game 3 I couldn't even watch and then game 4 they just blow in the 4th quarter? AND WHAT IS UP WITH DIRK??? I can't believe that he is pulling the same crap as last year! Where is our team!?!?!?

So much to tell, so little time...

I'll try to make this short and sweet, but I have so much to share!!!

1. Joe and I found this amazing trail to go biking in! I went 3 days in a row last week! It's this really long ride through wooded areas, back behind amazing homes and you pop out clear on the other side of Arlington at another park! I cannot even express in words the joy I have found in bike riding. What a great way to exercise, be in nature and have some quiet to pray! We are going with our friends tonight again!

2. On our first bike excursion, one of Joe's pedals fell off! He had to wait at a gas station while I rode back, loaded my bike up, and drove to come get him. Poor guy!

3. I have decided NOT to apply for Children's Minister. There are too many things that are wonderful about my current job and too many questionable issues with ministry at my church. Besides money, there's benefits, retirement, my father-in-law/elder, decline in membership in the past 12 months, etc. It's just too risky and I don't feel I'm being led there right now. So no sad faces...more art to come!

4. And on that note...Here is the real fun from life this past week: THE MAIN STREET FORT WORTH ARTS FESTIVAL! The city of FW paid for students in FWISD to have their own booths to sell art this year : a first in the history of the festival. My kids had 2 booths from 3-6 on Saturday and we had so much fun! I found a printer in our neighborhood who donated $1000 worth of goods and services for this! HOORAY! He made us greeting cards and posters and the results were AMAZING. Here are a couple of my favorite pieces.

We sold the cards 5 to a set with each card being different. Everything was $10, and , here's the great part, the kids get ALL THE MONEY! I had 2 who made over $100 each! It was really funny to watch them evolve into salesmen. They would go up to people and say, "I painted this! Do you like it? You want to buy it?" Those little doe eyes and people forked out the cash. It was great fun! I can't wait for next year!!!

what do you think?

I have been given an opportunity for a major change in my life. A major career change....possibly.

My church here in Arlington is looking, for the first time ever, for a children's minister. I dismissed this as no chance for me, as it will never pay as much as my teacher salary. (How sad is that?) So on Sunday at the LTC celebration dinner at church, a couple I highly respect asked me why I hadn't applied yet. I told them money. They told me they are quite sure it will be worthwhile in the paycheck area. So I contacted one of the elders and now I am being asked to submit a resume.

Now this is major jump for me. I fully expect it to go nowhere, but what if it went SOMEWHERE? Would this be wise move? Could I get the salary I would require to maintain our standard of living? Do I really want to walk away from my teaching career when I have finally found an art position? It's all up in the air, just beginning to push the wheel into turning.

What do you think? Wise? Stupid? Pros? Cons? I need to really have a lot of input an think it through from all angles. It's a big change. And I need to decide if I'm open to it.

fungus face!

I have this weird thing on my face, right by my ear. It started as a bump that itched, so I assumed it was a bite of some sort. I put anti-itch creme on it and thought that was that.

But it kept growing! It turned into this welp that is about as big as a nickle and is flat in the middle, raised on the edges. It itches every now and then, but it is very unsightly. In fact, I no longer can pull my hair back because I am trying to hide it all the time.

Joe was joking with me about and said,"It's probably a ringworm." Well, initially I was like, "yeah whatever!" But it turns out...I have a ringworm...on my face! I am a fungus face. :(

Apparently, ringworm is the same fungus as athlete's foot or jock itch, just located in a different place. It's treated with the same lotions, creams, etc. So now I am having to scrub my face in warm soapy water twice a day and add this stinging solution to it afterward. It's supposed to kill the fungus in 2-4 WEEKS! How long must I be so deformed??? :)

But seriously, where did I contract this? We don't have pets, I don't rub my face on Joe's nasty fungus feet. The only thing I can figure is I hugged a kid who has ringworm on his scalp. (You know how you lean your cheek on their heads when you hug them?) I have no idea...but there it is. And here's my fugus face (covered with make-up somewhat):

Please pity me. It's no fun feeling sorry for yourself all alone. ;)

sad and happy

On Friday we got shocking news at school. My principal is leaving us. She put in her resignation in February so she can stay home with her 4 year old. Totally a legitimate reason, but still sad for us. It was a big surprise to us all, and needless to say, good principals come around once in a blue moon, so we are preparing for a fall now. Marci has been a wonderful leader and I became the teacher I wanted to be under her administration. She'll be greatly missed. The first year she was at our school (4 years ago...) we gave her a standing ovation at her doorway on the last day of school. That's how we feel about her. So sad....

But 2 so happies make up for it (at least for now.)

Happy #1:

Our backyard is becoming a haven instead of a disaster! Last year we had a big mudslide that landed in our backyard (since we were one of 2 inhabited lots at the time.) This brought in a collection of weeds you would not believe! With the rain and start of spring arriving faster than we could prepare for it, we were looking at 4 foot weeds last week. (I did not take pictures for sheer embarrassment at the state of my lawn.) On Saturday, we had 3 teens come help us and we pulled for 2 straight hours. We hung potted plants, potted some marigolds for our rock wall, and planted rose bushes. Joe and I even went and bought steel gazebo to construct next weekend. Soon we'll have patio furniture under a gorgeous gazebo and be surrounded by nature's beauty. Hooray for teamwork (and surplus of $ due to overtime!)

Happy #2:

I started guitar lessons! Don't tell my brother, but I am taking up the strummin instrument and let me tell you, it is no easy task! The music teacher at my school is graciously teaching me and a few other teachers for free on Mondays after school. It is going to be a lot of fun, but hard work on the ol' fingers!

lift him up

My first year teaching, my portable building was shared with a teacher new to our school...Sue Anderson. She's about my Mom's age and had a few years experience teaching in a private school. We both were teaching 1st grade and she really is what helped me become a good teacher those first couple of years. She was the one person I spoke to EVERY day and as we stayed late day after day, planning and working together, we became friends.

Sue found out last year that her husband has bone cancer. He is constantly in pain and undergoing tests, surgeries and treatments. In the fall, he took a bad turn and Sue was forced to leave school for 7 weeks to take care of him. This semester has not been much better. Weekly trips to the hospital and constant pain keeps him in ongoing need from Sue, while she is still trying to maintain full time teaching.

Today, Sue left mid-day to take him to the emergency room again. She knows there is really nothing to be done for him and the constant giving of her self completely to his care is wearing her down. I was so happy at lunch today to be a part of the staff at my school. There were probably 12 or so of us eating together when we got the news that Eric was on the way to the ER again. We all stopped and prayed together for Eric and Sue. How amazing to have people of faith surrounding me at work!

I say all this just to simply ask prayers for Sue, Eric and their family. We are going through this with her and want to be all the things she needs from us.

wedding fun

PREFACE...I tried to post on Thursday with another YouTube hillarious moment, but the new blogger won't accept it. So if you are interested...look up "30 Rock harmonizing" on YouTube for a funny moment involving a very geeky white guy singing "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" with Tracy Morgan. SO FUNNY!

Now, onto the main blog event!

Last night we went to another in a long list of Woodland West weddings. Folks, in the little over 2 years that I have been at this church, this is the 10th wedding. Yeah! TENTH! Isn't that crazy? So this particular wedding was the merging of 2 fairly wealthy families, so we expected a grand affair...and it was a beautiful evening. They were married at the Maddox Muse building (part of Bass Hall) in a large square room. The seating was around a huge alter (think Meet the Parents) where Hayley and Aaron stood, right in the middle. Great idea, right? It really WAS a unique way to hold the ceremony, but there were a few snafoos here and there. Like...special friends were to be seated with the family...but they didn't tell the special friends so we ended up in "restricted viewing." (Disappointing since the Varneys were "special friends" of the groom.) The bride and her father couldn't fit through the aisle together. Too tight a fit. It ended up being a little disorganized since we couldn't actually rehearse in THAT bldg. (Another wedding was taking place the night of the rehearsal.) But all in all...really beautiful.

The reception was fun for several reasons. #1. I have befriended my best bud (Amy's) best friend from college and we got to laugh and chat a while. #2. I ran into my friend Becky (who I backpacked with that summer) and her now FIANCE...yep. They got engaged on Friday night. She works with Hayley, so they were there as well. #3. They had a DJ and dancing. Let me tell you, it's impossible to NOT have fun with the Varney boys dancing.

We stayed till after 10 laughing and celebrating. Here are some pics from the night.

Laughin out loud

I have a new favorite picture! It's as if he is saying, "Why are these white people hugging me?" Good stuff. :)

This weekend Jeremy, Brent and Jamie came to see me. It was SO fantastic to all be together again. As I'm sure you all have experienced, there are those few friends who bring out the real you. And the combination of all of all of you together makes the YOU even better. That's how it is with us four. Never best pals in college, but now....it's like no group I've ever been a part of. We literally did NOTHING this whole weekend. But I laughed til my face hurt from smiling. The sad part is that Brent is moving to Florida next week. It's so far away for a friend who has always been a stop on my way home to Lubbock. But I guess a friend is always just a phone call away.

Jamie and I made a basket of stuff to give Brent. All inside jokes from ACU and a few since. But the best thing we gave him was a frame with 2 pictures in it of the 4 of us, and a quote "Wherever you are, it's your friends who make your world."

TEAR.

I need your help!

I am throwing a lingerie shower here on Thursday night and we need some games to play. This girl is someone I don't know extremely well, but we are intent on embarrassing her. Give me some help!

The JUROR

Yeah, so it turns out that Jury Duty sucks. Who knew? Oh yeah, everyone!

I got summoned to jury duty for today and had high hopes of a quick dismissal. (After all, Joe was home by 11 when this happened to him in the fall AND no one wants someone on their jury with a public lawyer in their fam, like my bro in law Jerry is.) So after they called 17 groups to go to courts for questioning ahead of me, I was beginning to lose heart. At 11 they told us to go on break and at 11:30 the last court would let us know if we were needed. If not, we would be dismissed. SWEET! 11:30 came and went with no call from the court. Finally, at about 12:05 they called and said...send them to lunch, we'll call back at 1:30. What??? So all alone, I went to lunch, rescheduled my appointment at the bodyshop for my crushed car AND my rental car agreement stuff. Went back. 1:30 came and went. Then at almost 2:00 we found out they needed a jury. So they layed out all the questionaires and started calling us. Number 26...Bethany Varney. NOOOOOOO!!! Yeah, gets worse. Your court is blah blah blah. Your judge wants you to report at 8:45 TOMORROW. Yeah, have to go back TOMORROW! Can you believe that? I did nothing but sit and listen to other names get called and then get told, "Oh yeah, come back tomorrow and do this again." At least tomorrow I get paid $40 as opposed to today's $6. It's aggrevating. Especially when I have to find a sub and prepare stuff for one. So I went to school from there for an hour and now am finally home.

So to make this blog a little lighter than it has been thus far, I will post a little survey per Wendy K. Enjoy!

1. I’ve come to realize that my ex-(boyfriend) --- may be certifiably insane.
2. I am listening to --- Dreamgirls on Joe's ZUNE
3. I talk --- too fast to understand
4. I love --- surprises involving chocolate
5. My best friends --- never see me anymore...but still put forth good effort!
6. I lost --- my mind when I found out I have jury duty AGAIN tomorrow
7. I hate it when people --- laugh at something serious
8. Love is --- sacrifice
9. Marriage is --- bliss....most of the time :)
10. Somewhere, someone is thinking --- about Abraham Lincoln
11. I’ll always be --- goofy and giggley
12. I have a crush on --- Taye Diggs
13. The last time I cried was because --- I heard Effie sing "I'm telling You" in DreamGirls
14. My cell phone --- is getting replaced by a sweet KATANA tomorrow!
15. When I wake up in the morning --- I hit snooze at least twice
16. Before I go to sleep at night --- I kiss my husband
17. Right now I am thinking about --- not thinking about jury duty.
18. Babies are --- soon to be in the Varney picture....I hope!
19. I get on MySpace --- hardly ever...blogging is much better
20. Today I --- you already know this one!
21. Tonight I will --- work up at church on the Bible Hour closet
22. Tomorrow I will --- go to JURY DUTY!!!

Random

Random things here, folks...
I know you wonder all the time about what I do at school all day. Now you can see! A day in the life of Rachel...

This week we are doing weaving in 2nd grade, elephants in first grade, and mosaics in Kindergarten. (The elephants are white for now, but will be painted NEXT week. I'll show you those when they're done.) And the big winner is...THE MURAL! My little first graders drew AND painted this on their own. It's so cute! Can you guess the children's story it depicts?