What's Happening Lately?

Not so much writing, that's for sure! I just realized that almost two weeks have passed since I last posted. I've been busy, but also not feeling inspired. I need to get back on track with writing, though. Happily, work meetings are almost done and hopefully I'll have more thoughts to share soon!

So....

• I've been completing my fall facilitator visits. I have one more next Monday and then I'm done! I had hoped to be done by the end of November this year, but a few people had to rebook because of illness, so I'm now scheduled to finish December 1.
• Christmas concert planning! We have had our first practice and it went fairly well, I think. The first one is always a bit crazy as we get kids organized. There are more than 80 children involved this year. 
• A bit of reading, although nothing exciting. Mostly "bus reading", which is lighter novels.
• Some childcare for work events. Also nothing exciting, but still fun. And I get to read to them.
• Wednesday mornings with my homeschool kids. So more reading! And some trivia, which is often hilarious as they try to come up with answers.
• Just life as it happens. 

Next week my schedule shifts again as I will be home more. I'll get back to various projects (including making more angel costumes). And maybe I'll be inspired to write something worth reading.

Update

I was doing so well at my goal of posting more often and then this month things fell apart! Part of it was the heat; it was too hot to think for almost 3 weeks this month. Happily, it cooled off completely for a couple days and now it's nice, normal summer temps. Part of it was lack of planning. I usually plan my weeks carefully and include "blog" two days each week (only 1 when I'm very busy with work, but summer is not that time); I realized that I was planning less because of the heat and I had forgotten to add "blog" to my days for the past two weeks. I'm back on track now and catching up with things.

To catch up on a bit of news.....

In June, my friend and I went on our "we're turning 50 this year" road trip. We drove south through the mountains, spend a couple days in Salmon Arm exploring the area, and then headed back home through the Banff area. 

The highlights of the trip: 8 used bookstores, 6 museums, and a kangaroo farm. One of the museums was the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre; I've wanted to go there since I first read a novel that takes place during the time of the Frank disaster. We also went to the Revelstoke Railway museum and learned a lot about trains and the building of the railroad through the Rockies. Oh, and on the way home we stopped at the Spiral Tunnels just a the right time to watch a very long train going through one of the tunnels. There were also some smaller museums, and we made one lady happy by coming into her museum and reading everything (it seems most people come in, look around, and leave without learning all the things). The kangaroo farm was so much fun: we fed and petted capybaras and wallabies, met a very large turkey who seemed to be very full of his own self-importance, admired some beautiful peacocks, and generally enjoyed ourselves.

The best news of summer though: I have a new baby granddaughter! She was born a couple weeks ago and is absolutely adorable. She all chubby and squishy and has a lovely amount of hair and I love her very much. Her big sister adores her and always wants to hold her. 

And now it's time to buckle down and get ready for fall!

Hello

 Why yes, it has been a long time since I posted. It's been a pretty rough year (to put it mildly), and I haven't felt like writing, or like doing much other than just trying to get through it, really. I'm back, though, and I'm going to try again. Things are still messy, but I'm finding my way through, and maybe writing will help (or at least the discipline of sitting down to write).

Anyway...this year: Covid issues, health issues, and work issues all piled together to wear me down and wear me out. I'm on sick leave right now, and trying to figure out what to do with my life (and waiting to see the last specialist). I'm okay, really; it's just a throat issue that won't clear up properly. I have a long list of things that aren't wrong with me!

I should be posting my "best books" lists right now. I'll tell you the truth: this wasn't a good year for reading because I was tired a lot and reading took a lot of energy.  I did read, of course, and I'll post some favourites in the next day or two. I didn't track everything (or anything past about the middle of the year), but I'll do what I can.

I tried the Challies reading challenge, and failed spectacularly. I may try again next year (I have it printed), or I may try the Redeemed Reader challenge for kids and teens (it has different categories, and I can use books written for adults; I don't have to fill it in with kid/teen books (although that might help!)). I'm not sure. I also might just read, but having a plan will help.

I've been watching more tv lately, while knitting and crocheting (a baby blanket, an afghan for my niece, and now more baby blankets for the slew of babies due at the church). It's been a nice way to spend the evenings and I feel productive. I'm sticking with simple patterns, and I find it very relaxing. It's probably good that there are a dozen babies coming!

That's the update for now. I'll be back tomorrow or the next day with book recommendations from the past year.

It's Time to Start Again

Okay, let's try this blog thing again. I have a lot going on in my head, but there are some complications when it comes to blogging:

1. I don't want to share everything with the world (or the bit of the world that still reads this).

2. When I'm thinking about things that I could blog, it isn't always a convenient time to write.

3. I'm trying to stay off the computer in the evenings, there's not a lot of time to write in the mornings, and I'm usually at work during the day.

On the other hand, I like writing, and I do have thoughts that I can share. So here's the plan: I'm going to try updating the blog at least once a week. We'll see how that works for now.

And for those of you who have hung in there, waiting for words, I have 2 stories for you:

From work:

One of my students was trying to show off how smart he is, so I pointed out that I still know more math than he does. His response:
"That's because I'm only in grade 6, and you're in grade...adult!"

From Junior Church:

We were talking about Moses (who, despite what one small sweetheart thought, was never thrown into a pit by his brothers). We were talking about how God knew that Pharaoh would say No to Moses, and how God knows everything. We don't know everything: not us, or our parents, or the pastors, or anyone. Then this conversation happened:

Small girl, very thoughtfully: But I think Pastor James and Pastor Mike know a LOT about God and the Bible.

Me: Well, yes, or they'd have to or they wouldn't be very good pastors.

Smaller girl, with all the intensity of a Very Serious 4-year old: Pastor James and Pastor Mike are VERY good pastors because they teach us about God and Jesus.

There was general agreement, and I assured them that yes, I know that they are very good pastors. I was also trying not to laugh at how quickly they came to the pastors' (unnecessary) defense.

What's Up

Okay, I really meant to get back to writing somewhat regularly after school was done. I still plan to. I've just been enjoying not being stressed, not having to write, not having to read specific books within a specific deadline, not having too much to do, and not feeling behind all the time.

In the past month, I've been somewhat busy at work (one day soon I'll tell you about my new responsibilities). I finished writing the Sunday School curriculum, and today I wrote the final exam. I also finished arranging Junior Church for this year. I met with the elder and started planning teacher training and next fall's Sunday School and Junior Church programs.

I've read a lot (still mostly nonfiction, but of my own choice and at my own pace). I've probably spent too much time on the computer, reading stuff and playing games. I finally cleaned the apartment (well, most of it). I bought some plants for my balcony (I choose them based on which ones were prettiest, so they're a mix of pink, purple, red, peach, white, and yellow flowers). I made some banana muffins. I might make more later today (someday I'll post my banana muffin recipe; it's one I got from a friend with slight modifications).

This summer I need to write book reviews for the women's discipleship class at the church, sew a skirt (the material has been cut out for a long time), at least start Sunday School and Junior Church lessons for this fall, and write more.

I'm starting to feel more relaxed and ready to tackle tasks.

In the Event that I Still Have Readers....

I'd like to tell you about my friend Monika, who is preparing to be a missionary in Ireland. Actually, I think I'll let her talk to you; go read her blog.

And...I'll try to write a bit here and there, but life is busy. I'm finishing up the last of my classes and then I'll have time (and energy) to write more.

By mid-May, I will be posting a little more regularly.

Blah, blah, blah

Hey, look...I have a blog! On occasion, I should post words and stuff here, shouldn't I? According to my stats, I'm currently popular in Slovenia and Russia. I'm not sure why. Obviously people there are bored enough to check out any blog, even the rarely updated ones.

I don't have a lot to say right now. I'm busy with work, I should be busy with school, and I'm trying to recruit and train teachers for Sunday School and Children's Church.

I'm spending way too much time online, either reading stuff or watching stuff. The internet is a fascinating place. I really need to stop. The problem is, I need the computer for school and the internet is there, calling to me.

I'm a bit frustrated tonight because there are between 200 and 300 people at the church (a lot are children, though, and they don't count in this frustration) and yet I don't know if I'll have enough to teach the classes in the fall. We also can't get enough people to keep the church clean. People come, but they don't want to serve or be inconvenienced or commit to anything. People annoy me.

Well, there you are: a new blog post. Hopefully that will hold people until I come up with something interesting to say.

I Know, I Know!

It's been a while since I wrote. I was busy with school and now I'm tired of writing! I'll get back on track very soon, I promise!

For now, go check out baby sister's new blog: Life As I Know It. Granted, she only has one post so far, but she plans to write more!

Stuff

I know, I know. But I'm done the final paper, so I should find time to write again.

Work has been crazy, but I have hired another teacher and he starts training tomorrow. I still need one more, but this one at least can do math. I think I'll train him in reading and writing as well so I have a useful teacher. He can also do high school math and science, which I desperately needed. I have sent email to a couple other potential teachers, although I'm pretty sure one thinks we don't pay enough. The other was applying to other, full time jobs; if he gets one of those, he definitely won't work for me. Still, one is good.

My Sunday School class were all angelic today. I figure I have a week or two of good behaviour before the fear of serious discipline wears off!

Life will continue to be busy, but I will try to find time to write. I want to write. It just takes a lot of energy that I don't always have right now.

Update

Life is crazy (that's my excuse for the once-a-week posting)! It really has been a wild week at work with a couple very, very long days. I've also been doing a pile of homework which will go on nonstop until June 28th; then I will have a week off, a week of school, and then more work until October 27th. I may post more regularly after that!

Work hasn't been all bad. We're a franchise, so sometimes corporate comes to make sure we're doing things properly. I'm pleased to announce that my centre pulled off a 97%, so no worries about us being shut down! I also have some ideas about how to do some things better or more efficiently (the corporate lady who came to check was really nice and willing to answer questions). We also had a sale; the goal for each centre is 20% and I exceeded that. It means that my boss is happy with me, I'm happy with me, and my students are learning.

It hasn't been all work, either. Friday evening I had my Sunday School boys over for Lego, pizza, and a movie. We watched Courageous and talked a bit about responsibility, being men, and how if they grow up to be bad dads they'll have to deal with me. We also laughed a lot (mostly at each other). It was a fun evening and I'm glad I had them over. Usually I have the girls or the smaller children and my boys were starting to feel left out.

Today I taught Sunday School and Junior Church (a small class this week; there were only about 11 of them) and then I came home for a nap!

That's about it. Next week seems a bit quieter at work, but still insanely busy with homework. I'll try to find time to write!

I Know, I Know!

I want to speak to myself like I speak to my students: Just put words on paper! Write something! Although it's more "words on the screen" and "type something" but you get the point. I really, really mean to write, but then life gets in the way and the screen stays blank. I have about one more week of insane craziness and then it drops down to normal craziness so maybe I'll find more time then.

In the meantime....here's a story about how mean I am to my Sunday School class. Today they were very disruptive and not listening well and talking a lot. They are rarely like that for me, but my assistant was teaching (they were doing workbooks today; usually she takes them those Sundays). The thing is, she is too gentle with them and doesn't come down on them when the start to be disruptive, and they take "gentle" to mean "permission" and act up more. I find it very hard to teach and very disrespectful to the teacher and the other students and don't tolerate it.

At the end of the class I always take over to wrap things up. This time I stepped in a bit earlier and had them all sit up, put everything on the table, fold their hands properly on the table and listen. It worked fairly well for the last few minutes of the lesson. Then I let them have it. I pointed out that the lesson should have taken about 30 minutes and they took almost an hour because they weren't listening. They know proper Sunday School behaviour and I expect them to show it. Furthermore, if I ever witness such behaviour again, I will send them all out of Sunday School and cancel class for a week. They can sit in the adult class with their parents and take notes about that class. If their notes are good enough, I'll let them back into class the following week.

They were very, very quiet. Their eyes were very, very big.

I don't anticipate any problems next week.

Nothing

I know, it's been over a month.

I have no words. I'm tired. Work is overwhelming as I'm trying to learn new computer systems and new ways of doing things and dealing with added (and really unneeded) pressure from the boss. Does he not realize that we're coping with enough and this added pressure could wait a couple months until all the new stuff is organized and unerstood?

For school, I'm up to Greek verbs and suddenly I have no clue what I'm doing. For 3 weeks I've been translating with little help (because they gave me the verbs and kept the sentences simple) and now I start at it blankly. I'm tired of Greek too and not looking forward to the next 5 weeks or so of trying to understand verbs and finish the class.

So I have nothing. I have thoughts, but not the energy to write them down.

I'll try to find something to fill up the space until I can write again.

Later...

I was going to be all disciplined and stuff and post regularly but school got in the way so forget it.

Here's all I have to say: the New Covenant stuff is complicated (because everyone says something different, although I don't feel bad about disagreeing with them because all sorts of scholars do) but at least I'm learning stuff and enjoying it, and Sailhamer has written the most boring book on the Pentateuch I have ever read and I'm not learning anything from him.

Also, this is my 200th post and I'm using it to explain why I'm not posting more. There's probably something significant about that.

I'll be back after essay season (5 days, 8 hours, 17 minutes until it's all due)

Words

Yes, yes, I know, it's been over a month, and probably my loyal readers have abandoned me by now. I really meant to write. In fact, I've written and written and written this month -- I wrote over 3000 words today alone. The problem is, they've all been for school. The other problem is, they left me really not wanting to write any extra words.

Those two classes are over now; I handed in the last of the assignments this evening. Which does not mean that I'll write here instead; I have started 2 more classes already. Still, I'll try to be more faithful. At some point soon I'll tell you about my experiences visiting a Synagogue and a Christian Science testimony meeting for World Religions (I tried to attend Friday prayers at the Mosque as well, but there was a time issue and it didn't quite happen). But all that will be later; right now I'm glad the classes are done and there's no need to write any more words.

Finding the Words Again

I know, I know, it's been a long time.

For a while I seemed to have run out of words. All of my writing was for school and I was too tired to think of any other words. In fact, I was tired.

I'm rested now. I took a few days off and hid from the world and rested. I read and walked and wrote again. I've missed writing. It's how I sort out my thoughts. For too long I haven't been finding or making time to pick up a notebook and pen to just write, and I haven't been able to find any words anyway.

I'm back now and determined to keep writing just because. I'm not promising anything insightful or even interesting; I'm not even promising to share it all with you. I'm just saying, I seem to have found my words again.

Returning from Self-imposed Exile

Hello, anyone still out there reading my ramblings....I have returned to ramble once again!

It's been a good break. This blog-reading had begun to get the better of me; I was spending way too much time reading the ramblings of people I don't even know. It was time to stop, get away from the internet, and spend time with real, live people! Plus, I am up to my eyeballs in schoolwork and church stuff and that job thingy...you know: life!

But I have missed writing so I'm returning to share my thoughts with the world in general.

For today, though, I have nothing for you. Just an announcement of my return. Oh, and I got my hair cut last week. It is now shoulder length with layers, not all the way down my back. She cut off a LOT of hair! I like it short, though. It saves a pile of time in the mornings, time that could be better spent sleeping.

Okay, that's it for today. I'm still limiting my internet time. I'll try to come up with deep and insightful for tomorrow (but don't hold your breath).

On a break...

I'm taking a blog-break, both from writing and from reading (although admittedly there are a couple I still sneak a look at, but my current policy is that I need to actually know the writer of the blog). So far I'm surviving withdrawal!