As a counter proposal Marian threatens to eat a leaf of lettuce whole!

Marian told LeLe to try the octopus from the ceviche mixto at Costa Verde in Tampa.

St. Pete Beach toward the Don Cesar Resort

Pass A Grille - end of the island at St. Pete Beach

St. Pete Beach - First Part of Trip to Florida

Marian buries LeLe in the sand at St. Pete Beach

and she turned into a mermaid

LeLe's "What?" pose next to Marian

LeLe and Marian had fun feeding red grapes to the sea gulls, swimming and then playing in the sand at the beach this past Tuesday morning. We were at the tip of the island of St. Pete Beach between the Don Cesar Resort and Pass A Grille at the southernmost tip of islands along the Gulf Coast of Tampa Bay. We at at Pujano's Italian Restaurant that has been in the area since 1971. What fun! We'll post more pictures as we go.

LeLe's 16th Birthday

Wendell Mayes, LeLe Pacini and Brian Pacini at Barton Springs Pool celebrate LeLe'll be able to drive now. Watch out people on MoPac, there's a former blonde at the wheel. LeLe will attend LASA in the fall at LBJ. Brian is a senior at Anderson HS.

Last Week of Summer School - Watching JDorama & Korean Dramas Lately too!

It is the last week of summer school at Austin High School. My students have done very well, especially in cooking and in math this session. All of my guys are studying hard in communication this summer, and making good grades. Tomorrow we will go on a field trip in the afternoon to Deep Eddy Pool. It should be fun.
Barry & I recently watched a Korean movie called MARATHON about a young athelete in Korea who just happened to have autism. My friend from Hangul 1 class loaned to us over the summer while she was visiting Korea. It is a powerful story of self-determination and finding one' niche in the world. I highly recommend it.
Right now we are watching the 1993 Japanese drama DOUBLE KITCHENS about a young married couple who live with the groom's family in an adjacent town home, hence the name double kitchen. His parents are very traditional. There are still two sisters living at home when the drama begins, but slowly they grow up, marry and seek jobs or start a family of their own. The young couple are busy with work and learning how to navigate newlywed life with all the formalities of family matters and tradition. It is cute and funny.
If you really want to see a great Korean drama try one of these:
I'm Sorry I Love You - old favorite, jealousy, glamour and suspense
Sweet Love - innocent, heartwarming and romantic
or
Save the Last Dance for Me - wow a new favorite!!! This is a heart wrenching rollercoaster of events. I highly recommend it.

More than Words

Well, what'ta'ya know...things finally did change. It did not happen on my timeline. It was divine intervention. All the many years led up to a miraculous Friday at school. I understood why I had gone through so many challenges...it was all preparing me for God's work I need to be ready to do. Sometimes you have to look carefully to listen. You've probably heard of "not seeing the forest for the trees" haven't you? Imagine trying to understand someone who quietly communicates, but it was hard for others to understand. Why this week we could make the connection, and see that they were reaching out all along is nothing short of a miracle. You know it is grace given when you know that you have not done anything to deserve such a blessing as special as this...it makes you feel thankful to be alive, it makes you feel happy. I am so looking forward to the challenges that are ahead of me. I want to face it. I want to grow. I know that my students are going to teach me so much more than I've ever expected. College was great, training is always helpful, but it is life's greatest challenges that really prepare you for what needs to be done. I was amazed that one of my students has been so patient for me to finally get what he has been trying to say all along. He just laughed at me like "now you get it"! What a joy. I am thankful for all these things. Even though I do not know what may happen, I have faith that it is going to be as it should be.

Yeah I am going to be the new Life Skills Teacher at McCallum High School!