Esther and Bad Jokes

I get together with a group of friends every couple weeks for a Bible study. This year we're going through Esther with Lydia Brownback's study guide (it's a very good guide; I definitely recommend it). 

I love Esther. It's so full of God's plans and how He's working all the bits together for good, even if Esther and the others couldn't see it until the end. It's one of my favourite books of the Bible, and I plan to use it to teach the children about God's sovereignty and providence later this year.

But: We were on chapter three on Sunday, the part where Haman gets all upset because Mordecai wouldn't bow down to him, and responds by plotting to kill not only Mordecai but also all the Mordecai's people (the entire Jewish nation). 

And the whole time, all I could think was, "That's a bit of overkill."

Turnips

Earlier this week I made a variation of shepherd's pie. It was actually cottage pie as I was using a ground beef/pork mix instead of ground lamb, but the only recipe that used turnips was for shepherd's pie, so that's where I started. I hadn't made either type of pie and I wanted some idea of how it should go together; also, I had turnips and carrots this week.

The recipe said that it feeds 6, but all it called for in terms of vegetables was one turnip and one parsnip, which did not seem enough.

Although I realized that I don't know how big a normal turnip is. I get my vegetables from the Odd Bunch, a company that rescues produce that isn't good enough to be sold (generally because of size, shape, or minor defects) or overstock. Since that's where my turnips came from, they might be smaller than normal. My only other knowledge of turnips is from Jan Brett's book The Turnip, and that turnip is bigger than any of the animals!

I added three turnips, one giant carrot, and three very small beets. It made enough for five servings and turned out very good.

I still don't know how big a turnip should be.

Random Stuff

I have been so busy lately! Homeschool facilitating season has started and I've been in meetings for the past couple weeks. I like my job and I like my families and I still look forward to being done! Honestly, I have 9 incredibly busy weeks (and if I keep getting through the meetings at my current speed, I may even be done early), so I have no reason to complain.

Today I read two books to my little guys in the homeschool room. We didn't have enough time to read the third, so I told them the story very dramatically while showing them the pictures, and they seemed to enjoy that a lot.

On Saturday I tried making stuffed squash. The stuffing was good. I still don't like the texture of squash. I'm going to keep trying, though, because I keep getting squash in my veggie box.

I spent most of Thanksgiving Day reading. I was thankful for a quiet day to read!

The weather is getting colder and it's freezing most nights. Most of my flowers are dead, although the petunias seem determined to keep going. I moved the pot of tomato plants inside and they're still ripening on the vines.

I like fall. It's cooler and nice for walking. I do a lot of walking between buses and meetings and sometimes between meetings.

The next two days I have Fort Sask meetings. I like the people, but it takes forever (and 5 buses) to get there. I am thankful that after Friday I will be done with that journey until spring.

I have been listening to Symphony of Psalms on YouTube lately. I really, really enjoy them and listening to and singing the Psalms has been helping my heart.

There's not much of any excitement going on. Life is good.

Official Ages of Adulthood

 Today I found the "official" ages of adulthood (according to at least one organization):

Early Adulthood (ages 22--34) 

Early Middle Age (ages 35--44) 

Late Middle Age (ages 45--64)

Late Adulthood (ages 65 and older)

You may note that there is no "Middle Middle Age"; you just go from Early to Late. Also, all the younglings who claim to be adults when they turn 18 are not mentioned here at all. I knew they were just babies!

Warning: Contains Spoilers

Minor, not-really-a-spoiler for Guardians of the Galaxy (but really, it's been around 5 years now), and an actual spoiler for Avengers: Endgame.

At the beginning of Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill is stealing a mysterious orb from a seemingly abandoned planet. He puts on his walkman and dances his way through the landscape to "Come and Get Your Love".

In Avengers: Endgame, they go back in time to this spot (to steal the same item), and they watch Peter dance through the landscape. Except that he's wearing a walkman, so this time only he (and not his audience) can hear the music. And it looks really odd and funny to watch him dance without music.

I think about this sometimes when I'm at work. I use a headset to listen to music on the computer (it's easier to pull it off if someone walks in than to find the right tab to turn off the music). And sometimes I sing to the music, and sometimes I'm enjoying the music a lot, and then I think: this would look and sound really odd to anyone who can't hear the music. Watching that scene in Endgame just confirmed what I had wondered.

Grocery Shopping

When I go to the grocery store, it seems to be a mark of pride for some of the cashiers/baggers to fit as many items into one bag as possible. I understand that when they charge for bags, people will want their items in fewer bags, but even when I bring my own bags, and hand them all three bags, they seem impressed with their ability to fit everything in one bag. I am less impressed, as I have to walk home and it's easier with more bags (at least 2 to balance things out).

Earlier this week I ordered groceries on-line for delivery. You need to understand that when I get groceries delivered, they don't charge for the bags. You'd think they would use fewer bags, right? Not a chance. I do not know what goes on in the store, but I image it goes something like this:

"One small package of deli meat? It's special; it deserves its own bag!"
"Let's put the bread in its own bag. That way, it won't get squished."
"Great plan! Hey, I'm going to put these frozen perogies in their own bag as well."
"No, wait: we're using too many bags. I know: you put the bag with the perogies into the bag with the bread. Then it we're using fewer bags, right?"
"Okay, this is getting out of hand. We'll put all three types of cheese into their own bag. Just don't let them into the bag with the one small package of deli meat or there'll be trouble."
"The rest is all big stuff. It doesn't get bags."

I'm glad someone came to their senses and realized that the 3-pack of tissues, the 24-pack of toilet paper, and the 24-pack of yogurt didn't need bags (they have everything in bins when they deliver it, so it wasn't a problem for the delivery guy). I'm concerned about how many bags they would have used otherwise.

A Mix of Thoughts

I have too many passwords. It's amazing that I can log into anything on the first try. I often can't, and then I get frustrated with myself, the computer, and the world in general.

In Sunday School, I told the students that Tyndale and Wycliffe were "freakishly awesome", and then told them that I need a new adjective to replace "freakishly". They suggested awesome, amazing, and totally. I think that I won't try "awesomely awesome", but I might go with "totally awesome" and then try to slip in "totally radical" to see if they react.

Last week I was trying to explain about idioms and figures of speech to a student. The sentence was, "They were like three blind mice trying to find their way through a maze". She could not get what it meant, and thought that maybe they were blind or something. I finally got her to understand the concept, and then started telling her that she's just a blind mouse trying to find her way through a maze. She was not amused.

I have a pen in my office that was given to me by my MLA one day. He and the MLA from the next riding were at the bus terminal one day (I think the bus terminal is in the other MLA's riding, but it's close to the boarder between ridings and many of us come from the south and the next riding over). They had coffee, Timbits, and free pens. I almost feel bad about not voting for him.

We had our first Christmas Concert meeting yesterday. I guess it's Christmas time now. We start practices in 2 weeks. That gives me enough time to put the concert together (it's pretty much the same thing every year, with some changes to songs), and still gives us 4 Sundays to practice, plus the Saturday big rehearsal. This year the choir is joining us; they'll do a call to worship, and opening song, and then Silent Night at the end. They plan to sing the first verse in German, and then the congregation will join in with the rest (in English). I plan to tell my students, when they complain about how hard it is to learn the songs, that at least they get to do it all in English.

It's oddly warm for November. It's more like the beginning of October. It's nice.

Stories That Didn't Happen

From some old notebooks, I give you the start of some stories.

First, an introduction to a fairy tale or fantasy:

The problem with being a princess in a small kingdom like Kalden, though Marlynda, was that you got all of the restrictions and inconveniences, but none of the perks, of being a princess.

That's as far as that one got. This one may have been based on real life:

She took eight buses every day, and all eight of them were noisy. There were the crowds of students (high school and college) chattering loudly, and not always in English either. Too bad, because that cut down greatly on her eavesdropping. There was usually at least one crying baby or cranky kid, and a mother's constant refrain of "sit down...I said sit down...properly...sit down now!" She didn't know why they bothered; even if the kid did sit down, it was never for longer than half a minute at best. Which isn't to say that there weren't some good kids on the buses; just not all that many.

This next one just stops part way through a sentence:

A state of utter confusion is not always a bad thing. It can keep you from seeing what is truly terrible by keeping you busy trying to understand what really is. Plus, it can be a lot of fun. Take, for example, the classroom of James T. Barker. The grade four students

I have no idea where that sentence was going. I was either interrupted or realized that I didn't actually know what was up with those students!

Overheard

For your entertainment, things that I overheard on October 14, 2003...

In the post office:
2 older guys talking; one is standing in line; the other (Fritz, who talks with a slight German accent) has seen him and come over to talk. They are talking about the new staff in the doctor's office, whom Fritz does not like.After all, his wife was 5 months overdue and they didn't even contact her. (I'm hoping it was "overdue for her appointment" and not "14 months pregnant".)

On the bus:
A girl and an older guy. She is not supposed to be with him, which is make clear by the conversation where they are trying to come up with a story for her mom explaining:
a. why she's with him
b. where her female friend is
c. why she's taking the bus home

And from December 2003 (undated, but between December sermon notes):

Overheard on the elevator:
"She just said that thing, you know, about the tea calling the kettle black. Or the tea kettle calling the pot black..."

At the dollar store:
"Well, you know, I just ain't all that impressed with him."

I just wish I knew the rest of the stories. I think I was writing things down that might make the starts of stories one day. I should start writing more again.

Randomness

The other day I was going through some old notebooks (I have a lot of them) and I found one from several years back. It was mostly used for sermon/Sunday School/Bible study notes, dated August 2003-June 2004. There are other notes and stuff scattered through it, and I bring you some of those now....

From Beanstalk Bistro, Children's Market, Granville Island, Vancouver: "He uses name brand ketchup bottles - the cool ones you use to make ketchup designs, but I watched him fill them with no-name ketchup!"

It looks like there was the possibility of being sent to run another centre back then. I have pros and cons for Yellowknife, Camrose, Maple Ridge, and Edmonton. I don't remember thinking through this, but I'm glad I stayed in Edmonton (especially since Camrose and Yellowknife centres have long since shut down). My conclusion at the time was that I wasn't ready to move and I did not want to be a director right away; also, I figured that eventually, someone would need me (both as a Director of Education and then a director). I was right.

There is, for some reason, an alphabetical list of animals. I'm sure I had a reason. I think I was making up animal rhymes (one of the many children's books I never wrote).

Later there is a list of authors of children's books, including Zilpha Keatly Snyder, Kit Pearson, Jean Little, and Julie Lawson. I'm not sure why they're there.

I have a page of math. I think I was figuring out how much money I needed to pay student loans for a year (based on the monthly payments) and how long it was going to take to pay them off.

Very random, on one page:
Rodman Philbrick
Drawing cartoon animals, people, etc.

On another page:
Old-fashioned Christmas
"Did-you-know" about Christianity
Plastic Canvas Christmas circles
If the 3 wise men were 3 wise women

My personal favourite: "Do you bear fruit? Do you bore fruit?"

And it goes on! Eventually it settles into mostly sermon/Sunday School/Bible study notes, but even then there are bits of stories and poems scattered here and there. Next time, I'll write out some of my observations from that time (I occasionally write down what I can see or hear around me as writing practice; I also write down overheard conversations) for your entertainment.

Very Astounding and Interesting

I was reading some of my older blog posts and among them I found this comment which I had totally missed when it was written (it was a couple weeks after the post...and maybe I should set things to email me when someone comments). I like that my blog is "very astounding and interesting." I have no clue what that third sentence means. Anyone?

I WOULD ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF BEING YOUR NEW FELLOW BLOGGER. I FIND YOUR BLOG VERY ASTOUNDING AND INTERESTING. VERY INTRIGUING WITHOUT ANY ABSOLUTION THAT I MISSED IN EACH PARAGRAPH. MAY THIS DAY BLESS OUR FELLOWSHIP AND GUIDE US INTO THE HANDS OF THE LORD AND OUR HEARTS REST IN THE HEAVENS ABOVE AS WE WALK THIS JOURNEY INTO ETERNAL LIFE.

SINCERELY,Mr559KHALIBEATZ

I like that my blog is "very astounding and interesting." I have no clue what that third sentence means. Anyone?

Also: I discovered that I had posted The Reformation Polka twice this year. Sorry about that.

What's Happening

I asked my Sunday School class what we're learning this year.
Them: Turning the world upside down!
Me: Yes, and what do we use to turn the world upside down?
One of them (while the rest hesitated): Oh...that world-tilting gospel book!
Me: Noooooooooooo! (Imagine it said with dismay and despair) We use the Bible, people!

Of course, this is the same class with 2 students who wrote that Adam and Eve sinned because of Satin.

I should be working on my essays right now. I'm not (obviously). One of them has to wait until I get more commentaries from my pastor. In my world research = call pastor to see what he has! I'm enjoying that essay. It's on the concept of light through the Bible. I've finished the Old Testament portion and next week I'll write about the New Testament. I can't say everything there is about light because the paper is due by the end of the month and there's a LOT about light in the Bible! It's been fun and interesting and encouraging to research. The other essay is less interesting.

Today at work I had a call from a parent. Her daughter has a test tomorrow and she knew it was too late to cancel her class with us, but she wasn't sure if we could help. The child attends a Christian school and the test was for Bible class. I quickly set her mind at ease!

Our public library has changed its policy on renting videos. We used to be allowed to check them out for only one week, but recently they changed that to 3 weeks. This will make me happy when I finally make it to the head of the line for Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series. Until then, I wish it was only one week! On the plus side, they have acquired three more copies since I placed a month ago. At the same time, I'm number 36 on 12 copies (which is like being about number 3 so it isn't all bad).

About Doctor Who: I blame Firefly. I think it's a gateway TV show. I was perfectly happy avoiding science fiction until someone convinced me to watch Firefly. I loved it. Then I thought I should try Doctor Who since the same person recommended it. Now I'm hooked. And honestly: I watched the first series (with the ninth doctor) and it was sometimes beyond strange and sometimes freaky and frightening (and that one episode made me cry) and I had no idea why I was watching it and I couldn't stop watching. And now I want more. Although I watched an older episode on Netflix (in Canada there are only a few older episodes available) with the fourth doctor and the whole time what I really wondered was how his companion kept her hat on. It seemed glued to the back of her head.

And on the same note, a couple weeks ago I was going through some old email folders and stumbled upon a geek test that someone had sent me. I tried taking it again. I am very sorry to say that I've gone from about 8% to almost 15% geek since I first took it. I'm still in the "geekish tendencies" stage, but once I hit 15% I'll be a full-fledged geek. It worries me. In my defense, I was promised cookies for coming over to the dark side.

And that is a bit of what's happening in my mind this evening!

One Last School Post

A few final notes from Thursday and Friday...

If it’s not Biblical change, it’s not change at all.

The church is the place where people can gather together and worship together and have world peace with each other and peace with God.

Tomorrow is ice cream day in the snack room. It might make up for it being the last day. I really don’t want the week to be over because it’s my last week here and I really, really don’t want to go back to work.

Our knowledge is limited by our event horizon

He’s talking about sex now. We are not anti-sex; we are pro-sex within God’s design. I’m pretending that I’m somewhere else. In the ancient church married couples were encouraged to be celibate. Single people were extra spiritual. I think I’ll agree with that last statement!

So…I was talking about one of the guys in my class on Facebook, and how he can be pretty loud when he talks. I just friended him. I hope he doesn't see that post (or realize that it’s about him)!

Life’s not fair because we’re in exile.

I’m trying to take better notes today since one of the guys asked me to send him my notes (he can’t take notes himself, and his helper guy isn't always here). I’m trying, but it’s Friday and I’m tired! Also, I have some focus issues in general. My brain needs the occasional break, and I do focus well while doing other stuff and less if I’m just listening. For example, right now the prof is talking about covenant of works and covenant of grace and how there is an aversion to any kind of command in some movements because they believe that Jesus has done it all.

I’m still working on my control tendencies. I haven’t checked work email once this week, and it’s been challenging. I want to know what’s going on and make sure everything is under (my) control. At the same time, I’m pleased that they only sent one message looking for advice. There was a message from another director telling me that he had taken care of a couple things at my other centre, but that was more of an update so I know what’s happening (it was the only potential new student enrolling this week). Beyond that, I have to trust my people to know what they’re doing, and ultimately trust God to take care of things and people much better than I can. It is a trust issue, and I am working on it.

The church flourished by advocating a strict exclusivism.

The food isn't as good this year. Tuesday’s supper was leftovers from Tuesday’s lunch, which included leftovers from Monday’s supper. Also, I’m pretty sure the same green Jell-O has been served every day, but that’s just because no one wants green Jell-O. Tuesday was really the worst day. Most people went to a BBQ, and those of us who were left were pretty sure were forgotten (even though we had said we weren't going; one of our former classmates was coming up to visit). There are a couple other groups here, so we think they prepared (leftovers) for the other people and we came in 30 minutes later and got whatever was left. We’re a little concerned about tonight, since they found it necessary to find out how many people were planning to be here for supper (it’s Friday now). It’s either to make sure they have enough food, or to see how little food they have to prepare, or to see what the can get away with.

Spell check keeps trying to get me to fix “it’s” to “its” even though I’m using it correctly. At the same time, it allowed “we’re” when I meant “were.”

Supper wasn't that great. It's the last day of the last week of classes, so I guess we should be happy there was food. The salad was definitely made up of leftovers and there was no dessert. We went for frozen yogurt. Now I'm in the lounge watching the guys play pool and procrastinating on packing.

Wednesday's Random Notes

Because I know you want to hear what goes through my mind when I'm in class, here are more notes (plus, bonus second post today!).

I’ve eaten bacon for breakfast every morning so far. It makes mornings so much better.

You know the song “Deep and Wide” that we sing with kids? The only place that’s found in the Bible is Ezekiel 23:32. It’s about Israel drinking of the cup of iniquity.

Not many people take notes by hand. By my third summer, even I had given in and mostly type notes (although I write some things down, mostly when we get off on rabbit trails and I don’t want random things in my notes). Last summer we had to write our notes for one class, and then type them up after the class. It’s noisier when people are typing than when they are writing.

He’s talking about Proverbs, the “Train up a child verse.” He agrees that it’s properly a warning if translated from Hebrew properly. I finally had something to contribute since I was able to explain what it really means, so now I look smart!

Proverbs 31 is written to men. They are to marry wisdom.

Why is pride wrong? Because the only one high and lifted up is God. When you are proud, you are saying, “I am competing with Jesus for attention.”

Someone’s mowing the lawn, or possibly using a week whacker of some sort. It’s noisy.

The social gospel and the emerging church switch the gospel with the results of the gospel.

My computer is wondering if I want to switch from google.ca to google.com. I won’t even switch the time (I have to remind myself that it’s an hour earlier than it says); I’m certainly not going to switch the search engine.

I haven’t decided if sitting through classes for 4 hours every morning and every afternoon makes me more sympathetic with my 4-hour students or less sympathetic. After all, they have only 1 session a day and they get more breaks, and sometimes they get to throw things.

Random Notes from Today's Classes

There were 7 students in my first class yesterday. Now there are 8; the other one is the only other girl. I’m a bit perplexed: where did she come from? My afternoon class only has 3 students. The other 2 are guys. They told me that last week it was all guys in their classes. We need more females in this program.

Okay….she left half way through class (at our break time). Based on overheard conversation, I think she was checking out the program.

The TMC wifi seems to be crashing right now. I’m not sure why it’s suddenly a weak signal that won’t let me do stuff. Okay, it’s fixed. Not that I’m on the internet while sitting in class…I would never do that!

I think the guy in back is trying to type up everything the profs say. He keeps getting them to repeat stuff. I think “typing everything” is not his learning style. He should try listening more and typing less.

Interesting fact: Israel has around 83 political parties. Some are more conservative and claim that there are around 50 major parties. One party is paying parents to have children (sort of like child benefits, only more money compared to their cost of living), up to 7 children (it was 10, but they realized that they couldn’t keep that up forever). So they’re breeding voters and growing their political party.

No one is going to want to serve a god who is just a means to an end. God is not the mean; He is the end. He is glorious.

You will never get the kind of change you really want until they see how great God really is.

They need to provide bigger desks. I’m using three of them (and advantage to small class sizes) and it’s barely enough. I have the one I’m sitting at, then the one in front flipped around so I can put the computer there when I want to write notes or look something up in the Bible. It’s also good because I prefer the computer a bit back when I’m typing, so it rests a bit on the other desk. Then I have the one beside me pulled over to hold my binder and pen when I’m not writing notes, as well as my Bible and drink. My backpack, water bottle, and pencil case are on the seat of that desk. I need a full table, or even a proper desk!

Thoughts on Inspirational Videos

Here's the thing: my boss is big on "inspirational" videos. We watch them at meetings and he used to send them around to inspire us during sales competitions. I am not motivated by videos (I am also not motivated by competitions, but that's another story). Actually, the last time he sent a video during a competition, it was of some guy singing opera, one of those "who would expect such an amazing voice from this guy" things. I told him that I was suddenly motivated to become an opera singer. I'm sure it's just coincidence that he stopped sending around videos after that!

Now I get that there are people who are motivated by videos. These are the same people who got upset when some fast food restaurant had an ad making fun of vegetables and people who bring them to parties, because, as we know, everyone makes diet decisions based on commercials.

This is what actually bothers me: a lot of these inspirational videos have to do with people overcoming terrible odds to do even the normal things in life (also, Rick Hansen going bungee jumping). It seems wrong to use them to inspire me to be better at sales. I think that it cheapens them somehow. Use them to help inspire people who are undergoing life altering challenges of some sort. They need to be inspired to keep going when life seems to be too big to handle.

Inspirational videos, posters, talks...none of them work on me. There always seems to be a disconnect between the talk and the real world. That some guy can overcome great physical handicaps to do great things has nothing to do with my sales record and I can't make them fit. I always walk away thinking "what does that have to do with anything?" Plus, I always get the feeling that someone is trying to make me feel guilty about not doing something or being better at something. I don't like feeling that I (and my emotions) are being manipulated.

Which is not to say that I don't like to watch the occasional inspirational video. I just don't like to use them and I don't like people using them on me.

Right Now

Right now I'm sitting in my apartment typing this while 2 of my girls are watching VeggieTales, Robin Good and His Not-So-Merry Men. Best lines: "never trust a rubber hippo" and "your face looks as long as a boring sermon." I like this version of Robin Hood because Robin Good fund raises from the rich to give to the poor and is very opposed to stealing. As much as I like the Robin Hood movies, I don't think he's a good role model.

The girls are actually over for the last of my discipleship classes. I've been teaching them about wisdom. Today they came over after church and we ordered pizza and now we're eating and watching the movie before we get to our session. Soon, though, the movie will end and I'll have one more chance to get some wisdom into their heads.

Random Stuff

Today was not a bad day at work, especially given that it was my first day back after a week away.
I miss school. I should be doing homework.
Some car in my parking lot was being towed as I returned home this evening.
Today my desk calendar told me how to remove a tick.
My computer is way, way faster now that the IT guy cleaned it up.
I have a book that I bought for a friend last month. I should mail it soon.
I'm averaging around 7 books a month this year, not counting rereading the Little House books and some others quick reads.
I have a huge stack of books waiting to be read.
I should probably be doing the ironing as long as I'm not doing homework.
I pruned my plant at work today. It was trying to take over my office, but was also dying at the top in some places. It looks better now.
This is superhero week at work.
I also have a pile of junior church lessons to write.
And Sunday School lessons to set up.
I should get off the computer and get to work.
Of course, all the work is on the computer, so I can't really get off the computer.
I love Canada because....

Stuff

I really, really planned to write more but life gets in the way. I spoke with tech support at work 4 days this past week, and the only reason it wasn't more was that I was off Friday and no one has time to deal with tech support on a Saturday. The first guy was very condescending and explained things so carefully that I usually ended up a step ahead. In the end, he couldn't fix things so I was bumped up to level 3 tech support. This guy is much nicer but may be tired of talking to me! Anyway, it's made for very long days and I've been getting home too tired to think.

There are things to write about. I want to tell you about the missionary biographies I've read and do a review of The World-Tilting Gospel (although I'm still not quite done it, partly because I've been too tired to focus and partly because, as a friend of mine said, it's a good book and we don't want it to end). There are thoughts from Bible Study to expand upon, and new ones from today's sermon. There are little things and big things that I've thought about and spoken with people about....maybe next week will be better and I'll write more.

For today, I give you a line from the small elf who sits with me Sunday mornings. Today's sermon was from Mark 10, about divorce. This is what she got from it: "When a man marries a woman they become 1 flesh instead of being 2 fleshes."

Have a lovely week!

Bits and Pieces

One of my teachers got engaged this week. It was an arranged marriage of sorts; some of her family knew some of his family; the families got together to make sure all the parents approved; they spoke some over a few weeks; then he came to officially propose. It wasn't arranged in that either of them was forced into it, but it was more arranged than many marriages. My teacher is happy with it that way; he's a nice guy (and very good looking) and they have enough in common. Now she's planning a trip to Pakistan to get her wedding outfit.

I've been re-reading the Little House books. I'm up to On the Banks of Plum Creek. It was time for Pa to make his trip to town, and they're close enough that it's only a day trip. This meant that Ma could go to (in her best dress that she wore to the sugaring-off dance in the Big Woods). Carrie was too young to stay home without Ma so she went too (in a new pink dress and bonnet, looking like a little rose) but Mary and Laura were old enough to stay home all day. After all, Mary was going on 9 and Laura was going on 8, and there were no wolves or Indians in Minnesota.

From the best I can figure on the map, when the Ingalls travelled west from the Big Woods in Wisconsin, they went west and south to end up in Kansas. Then when they left there, they went north and east (although not much east) because they settled in Minnesota, which borders Wisconsin. Later they went further west, to the Dakota territories, which border Minnesota. When I was younger, I thought they went way out west, like at least as far as Alberta (which, in the states, would be around Montana). When I was older I realized that they didn't make it any further than Manitoba. I had no idea how slow it was to travel by covered wagon.

Speaking of covered wagons....on one of the math cards at work, one of the fraction questions was about a wagon train getting 7/8 of a mile in a day. From the best we can figure, by the time they reached Oregon, they would all be dead.

That was about as bad as the word problems one of my students was writing. You have 10 kittens, and together they weigh 20 grams. How much does one kitten weigh? She was surprised when I showed her just how little 2 grams is; we're not sure where those kittens came from. On the other hand, she also wrote a problem about Skittles that weighed 100 grams each (or thereabouts). Yes: in her world, Skittles can crush kittens!

The church library will have a budget this year, although a very, very small budget. Still, we should be able to purchase a couple new books. It looks like we're going to be counting on donations, sales, used bookstores, and damaged books. That last category is my favourite. One of the guys at my church runs a Christian bookstore, and whenever he gets a damaged book in a shipment it's written off and can't be sold, so he brings them all to me! Usually the damage is something small, and sometimes we have to look for it; the books are still good.

And that's a wee bit of what's going on in my mind lately!