Anne sat with her feet up on the couch, drinking a soda. She heard footsteps by the front door. Brenda was right one time, as usual. Never a minute early or late—for her, everything was exact.

Anne placed her feet on the floor, reaching for the remote, and turned off the television. She knew Brenda would demand her complete attention. She knew Brenda would hand up her coat in the closet by the door (third hanger from the left) and then head to the kitchen for her daily inspection (exact seven steps). She knew this because they had been roommates for six months. Taking a deep breath, she thought about what she would say to Brenda. She waited and watched from her spot on the couch.

A moment later, Brenda stepped into the kitchen and surveyed the scene. Anne watched her expression, watched her eyes focus on the sink, and watched her face harden when she saw the dishes piled high. Pointing to the dishes, Brenda said disappointedly, ''I don't believe what I’m seeing. I thought we agreed to share the responsibilities. I thought it was your turn to clean the kitchen this week. ''

''I haven't got to them yet, '' Anne replied. ''I've been really busy. Relax. I've got all night. ''She walked into the kitchen and added her empty glass to the top of the pile.

Brenda fumed. ''You know I'm having company tonight! Somehow I thought you would have done your share in the kitchen. If we want to remain roommates, things have to change. ''

The phone rang, and Anne started to answer it.

Brenda said in the background, ''Tell them to call back; we need to settle this now. I told you I’m having company soon. ''

Anne ignored Brenda's comment and continued to engage in conversation with a good friend of hers. ''Did I ever tell you about the time when…''

Ms. Mota is one of the first teachers, especially art teachers, who have kept her word. A student was disruptive (制造混乱的) for many days. She actually got him out of the class. She’s not one of the teachers who are unfair saying “You’re going to get kicked out of my class if you keep up with this behavior”, and then don’t do anything about it. She makes sure if others want to be here, they are here without students who want to be disruptive.

She helps everyone at any time. I don’t know how she does it, but Ms. Mota will answer a student’s question at any time of the day. She never ignores any of her students. If we need help, Ms. Mota is always there.

We need paper, pencils, paints, clay, etc. in art classes, but the school doesn’t provide us with enough materials. Ms. Mota stands up for us. She wants her students to enjoy art, so she fights for materials. Of course not fighting with hands, but by using strong words. Besides, she brings so many materials for us. Any donations people give her, she brings in for her students. She wants us to know how to use these materials, and grow as artists. She wants us to grow as young adults who have fun with art but not to make art seem like a chore (讨厌的工作).

Ms. Mota is such an inspiration to me. I want to go into the field of teaching little kids art, and she helps bring that into my life more. I feel encouraged that I can learn more, and teach kindergarteners how to draw because Ms. Mota has taught me to this point.

After nearly falling down onstage, the singer mentions he was diagnosed with a rare and weakening brain condition. Country music's famous singer Drake White was singing as usual on the night of Aug 16, taking the stage for an outdoor concert series in Roanoke. Then, 15 minutes into his performance, he suddenly fell down, his bandmate catching him before he collapsed to the ground. Rushed to the hospital, the "Livin’ the Dream" singer later apologized to fans in Facebook: "Sorry we had to cut it short… Thanks for your prayers and continued support.”

While the incident shocked many, Drake was finally ready to reveal a secret health battle he had faced for months: In January he was diagnosed with an AVM(动静脉畸形), an abnormal tangle of blood vessels in his brain that disturbs normal blood flow. Since then Drake has been undergoing a series of operations which have weakened his brains--the last just four days before his onstage collapse.

Though Drake suffered a lot from his disease, he had kept up his touring schedule, often appearing onstage just days after a treatment. "There was a show in April that I played for 48 hours after surgery, ” he says, "Emotionally it made me realize that I could still do this. Maybe I wasn't jumping around like I usually do, but I was doing it.”

As Drake and his wife Alex wait for further test results and news on his condition, they will be relying on their faith to see them through. "Drake and I are grateful to life and all he has done, "says Alex, speaking from her husband's bedside "He has worked miracles in the last 24 hours.”