I am the Messanger. . .

I just finished reading I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak. I had read a review, ordered the book and then sent it home with my TA, Tara. She read it quickly and returned it to me. Her only comment was, "Mrs. Villers, you need to read this book."

Many of you may know Markus Zusak from The Book Thief, a fabulously written book. I am the Messenger pre-dates The Book Thief, but has gained notoriety due the the popularity of The Book Thief.

I could "booktalk" this book for you, but I think I will quote my wonderful aide, Tara. You need to read this book. . . If you don't read YA, I think this would be a good one to try. Quick YA warning: this book does contain language, but it fits the story. If you are thinking about branching out into the YA genre, this is a great starting book - Enjoy!

Donkey Basketball

Since moving to Westcliffe, I have had many "new" experiences: blizzards, driving in the snow, watching a bear forage through our trash, deer eating all my plants, eating Rocky Mtn Oysters, and rodeo. This last week, I added another experience to my list - watching donkey basketball. The sophomore class hosted a donkey basketball game as a class fundraiser. There were two student teams, a faculty team and a team from the fire dept. Over 500 people turned out for the event. Since we only have a population of 1,000+ - impressive! I cannot remember the last time I laughed so hard. . . here are some pics, but they don't really do justice to the event.



Mr. McRae, high school math teacher, dressed to impress. . .


Pre-game show - community dancing : Macarena, electric slide and the casper slide. . . Levi is on the far left and Tommi is in the middle with a heart on her shirt.

The third grade class sat together. It was pretty cute. . . By game time, there were no empty seats left in the gym. . .

Mr. Flower provided the night's entertainment - here he is riding backwards. He also took a shot standing on the back of his steed. The next day in the library, the kids kept saying, "Mrs. Villers, did you see Mr. Flower last night??? " Yes, I did. . .

McRae trying to get his donkey to move - as you can see the donkey was not impressed!

Lance is riding in the center (blue shirt and cowboy boots). He only fell off once - impressive~


Tom heading down the court to make a shot. . . As I sat in the packed, hot (and stinky) gym laughing and cheering with our community, it made me realize yet again that Westcliffe is a very special place. This is not the life I imagined for myself, but I am so grateful for all of the new experiences I have gained living in a remote, mountain town. I may get my downtown loft yet, but for now I am enjoying the sights and sounds of country life. . .