I was asked this question a couple of times yesterday. It was interesting because it was from people that I consider acquaintances more than friends. I answered yes, and at least once explained that I had spent some time with friends. Most of the day I forgot it was even Valentine's Day - basically all the celebrating I do for Valentine's Day is with my students at school, and we had done that last Friday before the break. I honestly walked into a stores on Wednesday and Thursday and wondered why they still had all the Valentine's stuff out front because I thought Valentine's Day was already over. I have never been one to do much for Valentine's Day, so is struck me as somewhat strange to be asked about it multiple times.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Winter Break
This past week was our Winter Break from school. I took advantage of the break by going to Texas. I spent a few days in the Dallas area and then headed down to Waco on the way back to Louisiana. I also spent a few days at home catching up (at least partially) on tasks at home, and relaxing with friends. It has been a very enjoyable break.
Saturday I went up to Plano, TX. I spent time with cousin David and Jackie, along with their children Ethan and Jessica. Ethan has definitely changed a lot since the last time I saw him. He is very chatty, but not yet fully understandable. He loves being a clown and wants people to notice him. He is very cheerful about it as well. Jessica is a precious two month old. It was fun to hold her and compare her to my nephew and cousin who are also young babies. While there, Jackie treated me to some delicious food, and we also enjoyed some time watching a movie (The Incredibles), looking at pictures, and playing a game (Carcassonne with some expansions).
On Tuesday, before I left the Dallas area, I met up with my friend, Marisol, for lunch. Marisol has been working on a contract in Dallas for most of the school year, so I have only been able to see her occasionally. It was nice to relax and catch up over some yummy sandwiches at a little cafe near her work. From lunch I continued on to Waco.
I arrived in Waco shortly before my former roommate, Rachel, had to head to class. It actually worked out nicely because she was able to let me in to the apartment before she left for three hours. I spent that time relaxing, napping, and reading. I also put a casserole Rachel had made in the oven for supper when she returned. Our evening was spent participating in a variety of fun and somewhat traditional activities. We shared pictures, talked, drank tea, and watched Hogan's Heroes. We had a wonderful time. The next morning we started with a leisurely pace and made our way to Cameron Park to walk along some trails. The weather was cool but sunny and the walk was excellent. From there we went to a coffee shop to meet up with her boyfriend Nate. It was fun to get to know him. After coffee we returned home for lunch and then I left for Louisiana so that I could do the majority of my driving in the light.
My drive was rather uneventful. I took state highways most of the way rather than the interstate. Driving state highways in Texas is nice, the speed limit is actually 75 mph most of the time. When I crossed the border into Louisiana, my progress slowed considerable as the speed limits dropped to 55 mph. Upon my return to town I stopped for gas and groceries before I made it home. It was a very enjoyable trip and I am glad that I had the opportunity to do it.
Saturday I went up to Plano, TX. I spent time with cousin David and Jackie, along with their children Ethan and Jessica. Ethan has definitely changed a lot since the last time I saw him. He is very chatty, but not yet fully understandable. He loves being a clown and wants people to notice him. He is very cheerful about it as well. Jessica is a precious two month old. It was fun to hold her and compare her to my nephew and cousin who are also young babies. While there, Jackie treated me to some delicious food, and we also enjoyed some time watching a movie (The Incredibles), looking at pictures, and playing a game (Carcassonne with some expansions).
On Tuesday, before I left the Dallas area, I met up with my friend, Marisol, for lunch. Marisol has been working on a contract in Dallas for most of the school year, so I have only been able to see her occasionally. It was nice to relax and catch up over some yummy sandwiches at a little cafe near her work. From lunch I continued on to Waco.
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| Beside the trail in Cameron Park. |
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| Rachel and I at the coffee shop. |
My drive was rather uneventful. I took state highways most of the way rather than the interstate. Driving state highways in Texas is nice, the speed limit is actually 75 mph most of the time. When I crossed the border into Louisiana, my progress slowed considerable as the speed limits dropped to 55 mph. Upon my return to town I stopped for gas and groceries before I made it home. It was a very enjoyable trip and I am glad that I had the opportunity to do it.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Yay for Productivity!
This afternoon I finished my required work for tomorrow early. I did not have a staff meeting or tutoring today, so I was home from school early. I went for a walk, showered, and ate dinner. I then decided to work ahead on my Smart Board files so that I wouldn't have to do them this weekend. I was planning on doing two weeks worth, and if I got really ambitious I would try for more. I ended up being able to do 4 weeks worth of Smart Board days in under two hours! I am super excited about that. The program only froze on me one time, and I had 13 files of it open at that point so it was understandable.
Another instance of productivity was on Saturday. I managed to accomplish my entire list for the day - that virtually never happens. I was especially excited because I had a couple of ambitious things on my list, including 4 weeks of lesson plans and finishing my taxes. Happily that all got accomplished.
One of the best parts of this productivity is that I have a vacation next week. Since the work got done now, I can enjoy other activities during my break: like visiting people, reading my new book (which I told myself I could not read before break because I had work to do), sleeping in, and things around my house.
Now, I need to get my productivity to include the lingering pile of mail on my desk. It has been opened, the items of immediate importance have been dealt with, but there are many things still to be read or taken care of. Somehow my productivity is typically higher in school related activities - probably because those have a deadline whereas things at home do not.
Another instance of productivity was on Saturday. I managed to accomplish my entire list for the day - that virtually never happens. I was especially excited because I had a couple of ambitious things on my list, including 4 weeks of lesson plans and finishing my taxes. Happily that all got accomplished.
One of the best parts of this productivity is that I have a vacation next week. Since the work got done now, I can enjoy other activities during my break: like visiting people, reading my new book (which I told myself I could not read before break because I had work to do), sleeping in, and things around my house.
Now, I need to get my productivity to include the lingering pile of mail on my desk. It has been opened, the items of immediate importance have been dealt with, but there are many things still to be read or taken care of. Somehow my productivity is typically higher in school related activities - probably because those have a deadline whereas things at home do not.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Hand-me-down Clothes
Getting hand-me-down clothes can be a significant blessing. I know when I was younger I didn't always like the idea of getting clothes from someone else rather than new ones. Now, I am very happy to be given clothes by other people. I recently gained high quality clothing from a friend who no longer needs it. Although we are not quite the same size, there was a lot that I could use. The quality of the clothing is also great, and it is school appropriate. Yay for new school clothes!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Why I love my church
The line 'The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is not a resting place, the church is the people.' from a song from childhood comes to mind. I love the people that make up our church.
I love looking out from the front the church and recognizing almost every single person in the church. I not only recognize them and know their names, I know them and I know about their lives. Some people I know better than others, but they are all a part of our church family.
Our greeting time during the service takes a long time because we like to greet as many people as possible. It is more than simply a 'hello.' Hugs abound and people catch up on the details they may have missed in the days since we were last together.
Pastor Dean and Lynne are wonderful. They take the time to be involved in each person's life, they truly care about each of us, and they are very committed to prayer. They are such a blessing to our entire church.
The ladies of our church. We meet for Women's Bible Study one Thursday a month where we pray for each other, share with one another, encourage each other, and genuinely enjoy fellowshipping together. We also have prayer meetings on the last Saturday of each month. The women live life together, willingly opening up to be vulnerable with each other and carrying one another's burdens.
Our worship team is made up of a variety of people who enjoy music and strive for excellence in leading people to easily worship the Lord through music during our service. We work at it, but we also have a lot of fun while practicing. We may not always be as efficient as we could be, but we also build relationships through our time together.
The leaders of our church: pastor, youth leader, elders, deacons, Sunday School teachers, and so many others. These are not just roles, they are real people. Thinking of this I can better understand the lists of names in Paul's letters as he greets different leaders in the church. Our are intent on growing in their individual relationships with God and encouraging others to do the same. They willingly serve, they are scripturally grounded, and they are truly a blessing.
Our marriage study on Sunday afternoons. Each participant not only shares what they have learned from the book we are studying, but willingly shares wisdom gleaned from life experiences.
Wednesday night Bible Study. This is a time of fellowship and digging into scripture. It is also a time to share prayer needs and encourage one another.
First Sunday Luncheon. We have a potluck after church the first Sunday of every month. There are some people who have specific dishes they always bring - some of these are favorites of others. I have been told by different people that I should always bring a certain dish, but the irony is different people tell me to always bring different things, so I do still mix it up. I like to send things home with people afterwards. It is interesting to eat with different people and have conversations that may not have otherwise happened after church on Sunday.
I love that our church looks out for each other, cooking meals for new parents, visiting each other in the hospital, bringing food to someone who just had surgery, making sure people are not alone on the holidays, and generally offering hospitality.
I love sharing meals with people from church: once in a while at my place, but more often elsewhere. People still like to take care of me and send me home with food, even if I wasn't coming over for a meal.
Our church is not overly large. A lot of these activities with people are with many of the same people. We interact not only on Sunday but throughout the week. I love that we are a family of believers and that we live life together. God created us for relationships and he placed us us together not only for our most important relationship with him, but also for relationship with the rest of his family.
I love looking out from the front the church and recognizing almost every single person in the church. I not only recognize them and know their names, I know them and I know about their lives. Some people I know better than others, but they are all a part of our church family.
Our greeting time during the service takes a long time because we like to greet as many people as possible. It is more than simply a 'hello.' Hugs abound and people catch up on the details they may have missed in the days since we were last together.
Pastor Dean and Lynne are wonderful. They take the time to be involved in each person's life, they truly care about each of us, and they are very committed to prayer. They are such a blessing to our entire church.
The ladies of our church. We meet for Women's Bible Study one Thursday a month where we pray for each other, share with one another, encourage each other, and genuinely enjoy fellowshipping together. We also have prayer meetings on the last Saturday of each month. The women live life together, willingly opening up to be vulnerable with each other and carrying one another's burdens.
Our worship team is made up of a variety of people who enjoy music and strive for excellence in leading people to easily worship the Lord through music during our service. We work at it, but we also have a lot of fun while practicing. We may not always be as efficient as we could be, but we also build relationships through our time together.
The leaders of our church: pastor, youth leader, elders, deacons, Sunday School teachers, and so many others. These are not just roles, they are real people. Thinking of this I can better understand the lists of names in Paul's letters as he greets different leaders in the church. Our are intent on growing in their individual relationships with God and encouraging others to do the same. They willingly serve, they are scripturally grounded, and they are truly a blessing.
Our marriage study on Sunday afternoons. Each participant not only shares what they have learned from the book we are studying, but willingly shares wisdom gleaned from life experiences.
Wednesday night Bible Study. This is a time of fellowship and digging into scripture. It is also a time to share prayer needs and encourage one another.
First Sunday Luncheon. We have a potluck after church the first Sunday of every month. There are some people who have specific dishes they always bring - some of these are favorites of others. I have been told by different people that I should always bring a certain dish, but the irony is different people tell me to always bring different things, so I do still mix it up. I like to send things home with people afterwards. It is interesting to eat with different people and have conversations that may not have otherwise happened after church on Sunday.
I love that our church looks out for each other, cooking meals for new parents, visiting each other in the hospital, bringing food to someone who just had surgery, making sure people are not alone on the holidays, and generally offering hospitality.
I love sharing meals with people from church: once in a while at my place, but more often elsewhere. People still like to take care of me and send me home with food, even if I wasn't coming over for a meal.
Our church is not overly large. A lot of these activities with people are with many of the same people. We interact not only on Sunday but throughout the week. I love that we are a family of believers and that we live life together. God created us for relationships and he placed us us together not only for our most important relationship with him, but also for relationship with the rest of his family.
Reflections on Being Sick
I take a long time to admit that I am actually sick enough to need a doctor. I got a sore throat on Tuesday evening, but not until Thursday evening did I even think about going to the doctor, and it wasn't until Saturday that I actually went to the doctor.
It is easier to teach school while sick than to have a sub.
A week ago Friday I woke up and my sore throat was worse than it had been and all I wanted to do was roll over and go back to sleep. I knew that I could call in sick, but that my principal would then want sub plans prepared in the hour and a half before school, which wouldn't allow me to sleep in anyway. I would also have to go take care of grades and such after school and recollect things after a sub. In addition I would have to reschedule the observation planned for that day. So, I went to school and taught anyway. I drank about three quarts of water during the school day, my observation went well, and I took care of all my work after school.
Going to the doctor on Saturday may be less convenient for them, but it eliminates the regular hassle of waiting for long periods of time, filling out paperwork, and all the regular stuff. The doctor was available to meet me, so I went to the back door, was checked for strep (negative), and then he called in my prescription (yay for free prescriptions at Super 1). I was home after the doctor and picking up meds just over an hour later. I still don't know how much it cost because his workers had to take care of it later and I will get the bill in the mail.
Being sick may not be fun, but it gave me a great excuse to sit around all weekend - and I had a three day weekend - and read novels. I did not really have any other work I had to do, so I read 2 and a half novels. My outings included going to the doctor, going downstairs to eat with friends, and going to church. Most of the rest of my time was spent on the couch.
Although I am usually hesitant to take advil, being sick gave me a reason to take it frequently. Even after I was taking antibiotics, the advil was good for the pain and the swelling. After the pain went away, I was hesitant to take advil for a slight lingering headache because I had taken so much of it recently and I don't want my body to get accustomed to it.
Taking antibiotics also gives me a good reason to eat yogurt everyday.
Teaching for a full day after a weekend of sitting on the couch reading can be difficult. I don't often think about how much energy it takes to talk, and enunciate properly, for an entire day.
As much as I might like to think that antibiotics make things better immediately, it wasn't until day 6 of taking them that my throat didn't hurt and I sounded normal again. I am glad the doctor prescribed it for 10 days and not just a week.
Although it was annoying to be sick, the timing actually worked out quite well with the long weekend. I am very thankful that I am generally a healthy individual, especially because I work with young children and encounter all sorts of small sicknesses at school. The last time I was sick and needed to visit the doctor was three and a half years ago when I had strep.
It is easier to teach school while sick than to have a sub.
A week ago Friday I woke up and my sore throat was worse than it had been and all I wanted to do was roll over and go back to sleep. I knew that I could call in sick, but that my principal would then want sub plans prepared in the hour and a half before school, which wouldn't allow me to sleep in anyway. I would also have to go take care of grades and such after school and recollect things after a sub. In addition I would have to reschedule the observation planned for that day. So, I went to school and taught anyway. I drank about three quarts of water during the school day, my observation went well, and I took care of all my work after school.
Going to the doctor on Saturday may be less convenient for them, but it eliminates the regular hassle of waiting for long periods of time, filling out paperwork, and all the regular stuff. The doctor was available to meet me, so I went to the back door, was checked for strep (negative), and then he called in my prescription (yay for free prescriptions at Super 1). I was home after the doctor and picking up meds just over an hour later. I still don't know how much it cost because his workers had to take care of it later and I will get the bill in the mail.
Being sick may not be fun, but it gave me a great excuse to sit around all weekend - and I had a three day weekend - and read novels. I did not really have any other work I had to do, so I read 2 and a half novels. My outings included going to the doctor, going downstairs to eat with friends, and going to church. Most of the rest of my time was spent on the couch.
Although I am usually hesitant to take advil, being sick gave me a reason to take it frequently. Even after I was taking antibiotics, the advil was good for the pain and the swelling. After the pain went away, I was hesitant to take advil for a slight lingering headache because I had taken so much of it recently and I don't want my body to get accustomed to it.
Taking antibiotics also gives me a good reason to eat yogurt everyday.
Teaching for a full day after a weekend of sitting on the couch reading can be difficult. I don't often think about how much energy it takes to talk, and enunciate properly, for an entire day.
As much as I might like to think that antibiotics make things better immediately, it wasn't until day 6 of taking them that my throat didn't hurt and I sounded normal again. I am glad the doctor prescribed it for 10 days and not just a week.
Although it was annoying to be sick, the timing actually worked out quite well with the long weekend. I am very thankful that I am generally a healthy individual, especially because I work with young children and encounter all sorts of small sicknesses at school. The last time I was sick and needed to visit the doctor was three and a half years ago when I had strep.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Random
I just spilled white hot chocolate on myself. The irony of the situation is that I recently did laundry, and more of the hot chocolate ended up on me than the couch. It would have been easier to wipe it off the leathery couch. Now I will have to try wipe my sweatshirt and jeans a little cleaner, but when they dry they may just end up smelling yummy. Whatever the case, it was worth it. The white hot chocolate was delicious! Thanks Abby.
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