Who Haven-I''d love to hear more about you!

[bee*]

Hi Haven, as the title says, I''d love to know more about you! You''re one of my favourite Pricescopers, and I find myself nodding in agreement with much of what you post. Your wedding looked fab and you always seem to have such a positive outlook on things. So spill

 

[Skippy123]

Me too!!! I would love to hear more

 

[ladypirate]

Yay! I want to hear more about Haven, too!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

I agree, can''t wait to hear more about you, Haven!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Yahoo for Haven! Can''t wait to hear your story.

 

[miraclesrule]

Knock, knock...Haven are you Home!?!?!?!

 

[marcy]

Me too.

 

[joflier]

Me 3!

 

[coatimundi_org]

Haven, I too would love to learn more about you! You write such thoughtful and insightful posts. Your post on teaching low income kids really hit home. What you do as a teacher is so amazing--you are greatly appreciated! I''d love to hear more about your experience as a teacher.

Coati

 

[oobiecoo]

Yes, Haven! Come on over and tell us more!

 

[dragonfly411]

me too me too!

 

[bee*]

Just bumping it in case Haven stops by!

 

[Haven]

I had no idea this was here--thanks for starting this, bee*! I love reading your posts, too! (And thanks for telling me about it, Skippy.)

I really wasn''t trying to be rude by ignoring this, I had no idea it existed. Oh boy, now I feel the pressure . . .

I guess I''ll start with what I always tell my students is the most important thing to know about literary characters--what makes them tick. If you know this, you know the person.

I feel like you know so much about me, already. Well, here goes . . .

These things make me tick:
Original thought, articulate men (my hubby being #1 on that list, of course)

, night-time thunderstorms that you can feel deep in your chest, good books and big mushy reading chairs, hand-potted mugs with real character, handwritten letters from loved ones, being stuck in traffic behind a car with a happy dog bouncing around in the back, fig-scented anything, cuddly pets, people who are passionate enough about things to make you think twice about your ideas (I think this is why I love PS so much), good conversation, a Morton''s Cajun ribeye, delicious words like javelin and tangerine, the radio station that plays all Christmas music all the time during the holiday season . . . more to come . . .

I''m so touched that you asked, bee*, and that you guys are even interested. This made my whole week.

 

[Skippy123]

Yay, I am glad you found this thread!!! I love thunderstorms too; I am looking forward to reading more about you!!! I bet your students just adore you; I bet you are one of those teachers that is tough but years later your students will come back and thank you for really caring and teaching them!!!

You rock Miss Haven!

 

[Haven]

Hahaha! Skippy, you are so right on the money about my teaching style. I am tough, but not so much that they hate me now. I'm still working on finding that perfect balance of setting high expectations while still being extremely clear that I respect every individual in my class.

I just came back to this thread because I realized how cheesy my response must sound. I might as well have said I like long walks in the park . . . but seriously, I do really love all those things. They are some of the things that rev me up and make me happy to be alive.

I'll add some less head-in-the-clouds basics, I (was/am):

Born and raised in Chicago suburbs
Now live in a different Chicago suburb with my husband (married July 4, 200, our four cats--Vince, Manny, Geddy (all 3-years-old) and Bootsie (18-years-old) and our puppy--Bailee (1-year-old)
The eldest of four girls
Teach high school students English and reading
Studied English and technical theatre in undergrad, and reading and literacy in grad school
Collect first editions of literature and hand-potted mugs
I'm tall, 5'9'ish (sometimes I'm 5'10", I have no idea why)
Big UFC fan, used to kickbox
AND,
My thoughts are currently consumed with plans for creating my dream life, which is something I've been dreaming and scheming about with my mom for over ten years. Not surprisingly, it's a sort of business which I call the Haven, and it's the dream that keeps me going on a daily basis.
Basically, the idea came out of this realization I had all those years ago about what I think we really need more of in our lives--hobbies, interests, and real community. At its heart, the Haven will be a sort of vacation destination which offers in-depth workshops on an enormous variety of things (sports clinics, stained glass art, calligraphy, languages, you name it, a different one each week). People can come to the Haven, take some real time to learn something they've been interested in but never took the time to actually try out, and be a part of a small community of like-minded individuals.
And I'll get to live there and try it all!
There's a lot more to it than that, but how do you cram ten years worth of dreaming into one post?

Anyway, the Haven is probably the biggest thing about me that you never knew. I may have mentioned it on here once before, but I've only told about four people about it in real life.

Thanks for listening! I'm such a rambler.

ETA: I LOVE humor. Most notably of the Steve Carell variety, and satire in general. Oh, and politics, but I try to keep my political banter to myself unless I'm with very close friends.

 

[diamondfan]

I am so glad you have a thread! You are such a delight and one of my favorite posters.

I LOVE idea, Haven''s Haven. What a neat thought and might be something really amazing to create.

 

[geckodani]

Yay! I love the thought of your Haven Haven!

And I love what makes you tick - the dog in the back of the car cracked me up, LOL.

 

[Elmorton]

Haven, yay! I''m so excited you have a who''s who thread. I love reading your posts. I don''t think your first post here is cheesy at all (I love the smell of fig scented stuff, too - DH thinks I''m nuts. Have you tried the fig demeter perfume?). Your idea about the Haven Haven is fantastic - I''d sign up in a heartbeat! Do you plan to leave teaching someday to pursue it? Looking forward to reading more.

 

[Kaleigh]

I am so glad to know more about you Haven. I love reading your posts, you are always spot on. I know you are a great teacher. I love your dream for the Haven, that sounds very interesting. A place I would love to go.

 

[Haven]

Awww--this is so nice to pop back in here and see your kind words, ladies. I love reading all of your posts, too; I feel like I know so many of you already.

Yes, I absolutely plan on leaving teaching to start the Haven. I''ve already taught and attended a few small workshop-style classes so I can get a feel for what is really involved with running this sort of thing. It''s hard to explain it in writing, but my vision is so much more than just a workshop--it''s a physical space where the sole purpose is to identify new interests, ideas, experiences. And I suppose "dream" isn''t even the right word because I am GOING to open it up soon. I''ll let you know when I do, we can have the first national PS get together at the Haven!

gecko--I love those happy dogs! I''m going to think "All I need" every time I see your name, now. That''s the best anagram ever.

DFan--Did I miss the update about the bar mitzvah???? It happened, right?! I have to go look up that thread . . . I can''t wait to read all about it! I think you''re delightful, too. (And I''m still rocking your Liz Taylor quote in my sig, hope you don''t mind!)

El--I have smelled that perfume, LOVE IT! I wear Fresh, Fig Apricot, I think it''s called. Mmmmmmmm. You''re my first fig-twin, people always think I''m crazy when I say I love fig scent.
I think we share a lot of ideas, El. I always think so when I read your posts.

 

[Haven]

DFan--Never mind! It was TWO WEEKS away not TWO DAYS! I thought I missed the update on your simcha. I can''t wait to hear all about it, I''m sure it''s going to be wonderful.

 

[diamondfan]

HAven, my quote is your quote!!

Bar mitzvah is THIS weekend, and even though we had crap weather it should be pretty nice and sunny and dry for the weekend, yeah!!!!

I will fill you in when it happens!

 

[somethingshiny]

I just had to add another up for the Haven. What a great ambition! My best friend and I were actually looking for something like that. We love to be able to do/learn new things, but we just can''t manage a full-on course to learn it. It would be a great s'' week to go to the Haven and discover something new about oneself.

btw, I like your "cheesy" list.

 

[princesss]

Haven, WOW, I love the Haven idea. (Did that sentence make sense?) It sounds so completely up my alley. I think it would be so much fun to go somewhere and really be able to immerse yourself in a new skill and knowledge and surround yourself with people that want to do the same thing. So cool! How did you come up with that? I know you said you realized that people need more in the way of hobbies and community, but how did that translate into such a great idea? More details, please!

 

[geckodani]

Definitely more info!

And yay on the anagram. I love it. I don''t usually like my name (who does, really? lol) but with that anagram I like it more!!!

 

[Haven]

Oh my gosh, I can''t tell you what a can of worms ya''all just opened by encouraging me to share more about the Haven. I could go on forever . . .

princesss--The idea really blossomed over a year or so in the beginning, and I''ve just been shaping it in my head ever since. I''ve also been carrying around a sheet of paper with tidbits and visions for the Haven for TEN YEARS, if you can believe it. I keep it in the front pocket of my agenda, and whenever I have a new idea I scribble it down. It''s quite messy now, but I really love that piece of paper.
I think it''s just the concrete realization of everything I hold dear--education, new experiences, ideas, interaction with interesting people, community, home, et cetera. Why not create a space for creativity and personal growth and the development of ideas? It''s either create the Haven or work for someone else for my entire life in a fulfilling-yet-not-quite-perfect version of what I want.
I also operate under the belief that in the end, who we are as individuals is really a conglomeration of everyone we''ve known and allowed into our lives. If that''s true, I want to surround myself with interesting people, and I''m pretty sure that the people who will be attracted to the Haven are worth knowing.

A former superintendent of mine once told me that every school should have a BHAG--a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal--and that we should operate under the premise that we are going to make that BHAG a reality. Of course, I instantly thought of my Haven, and at that point I shifted my perception of it from a "dream" to a "goal". It seems like a small shift, but since that moment I''ve been taking small steps to make it happen.

Diamondfan--This weekend! What an exciting time. How is your son doing? Is he getting excited? I can''t wait to hear all about it.

Shiny, Princess, Gecko--You''ll have to join us at the Haven once it''s up and running! Seriously.

 

[geckodani]

I would be honored to come to your Haven!

 

[dragonfly411]

Haven - I just wanted to say that I love your idea of the Haven, what an amazing venture that would be!

 

[bee*]

Woohoo loved reading all your responses Haven! Glad you didn''t mind about this post!

 

[kittybean]

Haven, I read your posts about The Haven, and I am intrigued and amazed, and I would be there on opening day, with bells on. Honestly, your dream appeals to me on so many levels--emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. I spent the majority of my life being the kind of person I envision would come again and again to your Haven; however, lately I feel like I''ve become a little cynical, a little lazy, and a lot further from my dreams, my million and one interests, my hobbies, and from person I like being. (I blame it on law school--I''ll save that story for another time.) I would love to come to your Haven and begin to reconnect with my love of learning and the curious person I was until recent years. I have friends that would be thrilled at the prospect, too. Just like you described: education, new experiences, new ideas, new interactions, new friends, creativity, and personal growth are incredibly valuable to me.

I really love that you are slowly building up your dream; what an admirable, awesome thing to do. I know this is a personal goal of yours, but if you do begin looking for help or for people with whom to share ideas, I would happily help or be a part of your process in any way I could.