A year ago today, my friend Kelly from Jenelle's Journey and Missing JT Snow was declared cancer free. Today is a great anniversary.

Several years ago, I decided to see if I could grow my hair long enough to donate to Locks of Love or some other organization. I stopped dyeing my hair, I kept growing it and cutting out the dye. Last year, when Kelly shaved her head because it was falling out so much from Chemo, I thought about cutting it. I couldn't do it. I wasn't ready for short hair yet. I talked to Kelly about it, I felt like a very vain friend, but she told me it was okay with her.

Today, I was going to get my hair cut. I decided that I was going to cut off four or so inches and regrow it to donate next year. I just wanted to look more like me and my hair didn't look good the way it was - it was too heavy and therefore flat. When I sat down in the chair, I asked the hairdresser how much I had. It wasn't my normal hairdresser, I can't get in with mine on short notice so I went to the hairdresser my girls use. She knew why I was growing my hair. When she told me that I had 11 inches I told her to cut it. She bounced! She was so excited. I let her cut my hair into whatever style she wanted. She was so excited that *she* got to be the one to cut my hair.

It looks really cute.

When I got home, I discovered that today was my friend Kelly's one year anniversary. I didn't know, the haircut just fell on today, I just happened to watch "what to wear' today when they cut someone's hair short (I don't normally watch the show), I just decided that today was the day. Little did I know that today was a very special day.

So, for my friend Kelly - I have short hair. Just like she does a year later!

(picture will go up tomorrow or as soon as I can, but since this wasn't planned, there are no before shots)

Cheers.

Silent Monks singing Halleluia

I saw this and I had to share!!

Yesterday, I made the most wonderful cookies. They are a new favorite. They are very chocolaty, but with a nice little, lingering bite.

Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies

Recipe courtesy Aaron Sanchez

via Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Mexican cocoa powder (or substitute by adding 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon to unsweetened cocoa powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons sweet butter, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Generous pinch ground black pepper
• Generous pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup dulce de leche, optional
• 1/4 cup almonds, finely chopped, optional

Directions

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly with a whisk and set aside. Combine the sugars in a small bowl and mix well with your fingers pressing out any lumps. (Combine in a food processor if lumps are stubborn.)

In a medium mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter and margarine until creamy. Add sugar mixture, cinnamon, peppers, and vanilla. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute. Beat in the egg white and until the mixture is smooth. Stop the mixer. Add the flour mixture, beating on the lowest speed, just until incorporated. Gather the dough together with your hands and form it into a neat log, 9 to 10 inches long by 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Fold or twist ends of the paper without pinching or flatting the log. Refrigerate at least 45 minutes, or until needed.

Put the oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Use a sharp knife to slice rounds of chilled dough, a scant 1/4-inch thick. Arrange the cookies, 1-inch apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back about halfway through. Cookies will puff and crackle on top, and then begin to settle down slightly when done.

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing or stacking. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 2 months.

To spice things up, after the cookies are baked, let them cool on a wire rack, drizzle with dulce de leche and sprinkle chopped almonds on top.

I am professor - hear me roar!

Some of my students are not going to be happy with me.

Yesterday, I told almost half of one of my classes that I was not grading their papers - they could re-write them.

Somehow the paper revision - which was a brand new grade - became a "all I have to do is add a paragraph with the missing information, but don't have to change my analysis and those extra 200 words will take my 78 into an A. Oh, and adding new information won't change my analysis so I don't have to change that!

Yea, right.

I told them that I will not accept anything less than their very best.

They may mark me down on my teacher evals, but they will learn!