GUYS! I read SO MUCH over Thanksgiving break! For a long time I've felt starved for a good book - I just haven't been reading much recently. And so I grabbed my chance with five days off. Mostly my Thanksgiving break went like this:
Read
Sleep
Read
Help Mom (a little)
Read
Go to Thanksgiving service
Read
Sleep
Read
Help Mom (a little more)
Eat Thanksgiving Dinner
Enjoy family
Read
Sleep
Read
Go to town
Read
Go back to town (why couldn't I get that car fixing appointment a little earlier?!)
Sabbath meeting
Enjoy family
Read
Sleep
Reeeeeead
Enjoy family
Read
Sleep
Church
Go home via lunch w/ friend
Pretty good, eh? That's my kind of vacation. It's amazing how much I love reading when I can do it without distraction!
Sooo, what did I read? Ahh, a good question. I started off with an Agatha Christie. Can't go wrong there. VERY much enjoyed the character descriptions - one totally reminded me of me, flaws and all! Weowd.
Then I decided for a little more culture, and picked up "The Mayor of Casterbridge" which I'd started and abandoned. The plot definitely heated up, and I was surprised by the ending. Reading some of the commentary helped me to understand it, and I feel like a more well-rounded human being for having read it.
Then, because too much of a good thing is an awesome thing, I opted for another Agatha Christie. I shortly discovered I'd read it before, but I couldn't remember much, and certainly couldn't remember who'd done it. I was curious. It was a good read all over again, and I was fooled. I always am, with good ol' Dame Christie. Or is it Dame Agatha? Anyway, I was fooled.
It was time for more culture, so I picked up another 19th c British novel called "Barchester Towers" by Anthony Trollope. It was a loooong book, and everything that could be said in 10 words was said in 25. I'd say it's the kind of book that should probably be enjoyed over a long period of time, bit by bit, as opposed to a 24 hour period. But you know what? It was a great story! A great read! And the author had a beautifully Victorian way with words. Not quite as good as Dickens, but reminiscent thereof. I enjoyed the characters there, too.
And, to reward myself for being so cultured I decided on... another Agatha Christie! This story, "The Big Four," was quite different than most of her stories - involving more spy-story tendencies than usual. Quite enjoyable.
Well, I don't know if this book counts, because I only started it on vacation, I won't finish it on vacation (unless I have insomnia tonight or something), but I'm currently reading "Remembered Anger" by Martha Albrand - a story about a man betrayed in WWII who decides to track down his betrayer after the war.
AHHHHHHHH! I love reading! I'm about ready to say goodnight to the Patriots (who are obviously going to win) and pick up my book again... and it's only the first quarter!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Time for a Post!
Good grief - I've almost stooped to Craig-like proportions here. Quick! Update!
Today my fourth grade teacher came to church. It was a fascinating experience. It's amazing how your perspective can change in 17 years... I don't remember why she was such a good teacher - I just know that she stands out in my memory as one of my absolute favorites. But Mama knew (and expressed) what it was - her control of the classroom, her awareness of each student as an individual, her adeptness at discerning the needs of her students, etc. I can see what Mama's talking about now, but then all I knew was that I loved her. That's one of the things I love about getting older - being able to see things you never could have seen when you were younger. Brain expansion is an exhilarating thing:)
In other news, I'm enjoying my new students so much! I forgot about that period of building rapport with the new kids, and am having lots of fun with it suddenly. The times I have been enthusiastically jumped-out-at-with-loud-BOOs are becoming more numerous. Usually I have to fake fear, but the other day they reallllly got me. Nothing like some good adrenaline filled rapport building.
Last week we took a whole school field trip to Plymouth, which was pretty cool. I got to ride with one of my student's mothers, and discovered such a sweetie! There's also rapport building along those lines... Last week was also parent teacher conferences, and I found them draining but rewarding. I'm not used to dealing with such grown-up people! But parental connections are so beneficial, and they went really well. Hurrah for supportive parents!
Okay, something has been posted. My job here is done. Happy Thanksgiving soon!
Today my fourth grade teacher came to church. It was a fascinating experience. It's amazing how your perspective can change in 17 years... I don't remember why she was such a good teacher - I just know that she stands out in my memory as one of my absolute favorites. But Mama knew (and expressed) what it was - her control of the classroom, her awareness of each student as an individual, her adeptness at discerning the needs of her students, etc. I can see what Mama's talking about now, but then all I knew was that I loved her. That's one of the things I love about getting older - being able to see things you never could have seen when you were younger. Brain expansion is an exhilarating thing:)
In other news, I'm enjoying my new students so much! I forgot about that period of building rapport with the new kids, and am having lots of fun with it suddenly. The times I have been enthusiastically jumped-out-at-with-loud-BOOs are becoming more numerous. Usually I have to fake fear, but the other day they reallllly got me. Nothing like some good adrenaline filled rapport building.
Last week we took a whole school field trip to Plymouth, which was pretty cool. I got to ride with one of my student's mothers, and discovered such a sweetie! There's also rapport building along those lines... Last week was also parent teacher conferences, and I found them draining but rewarding. I'm not used to dealing with such grown-up people! But parental connections are so beneficial, and they went really well. Hurrah for supportive parents!
Okay, something has been posted. My job here is done. Happy Thanksgiving soon!
Friday, November 02, 2007
Visitors and the Incentive Thereof
Okay, so we've got company coming tomorrow - some of the first to ever burst, um, here. (This is not a silent sea!) The FIRST was Elizabeth. Yay for her!
Anyway, this inspired much cleaning, organizing, and decorating. I'd unpacked the majority of my things within the first week or so, but there were many things that slipped to low priority - such as hanging pictures that required nails.
But a few weeks ago I got the picture hangers from Walmart, and last night I tackled the job. They look WICKED good if I do say so myself! However, I couldn't help but be glad there was no one there to see my slip-shod, unprofessional tactics. I had no level, no tape measure, no nothing! I pulled out a necklace of little plastic Christmas lights (from Penny when I was in Bible School - I love it!), and used that to measure. It's 13 and a half Christmas lights from the center picture to the outside picture, if anyone's wondering. But at a slight downward angle. Yaaa, really exact.
Oh, and my nailing skills are SWEET, too. Mostly I was okay, but I think I hit a stud or something and my hammer was just kind of bouncing off the nail. Mmmhm. And then I bent a nail a little bit. In sheet rock?! I ask of myself in disdain. Ah well - I guess I'm not a carpenter for a reason. Though I would love to try my hand at some small-scale stuff now and then.
Anyway, I'm pretty happy because these particular pictures are the cream of my Israel crop... and they've been waiting for these FOUR YEARS for me to get a wall on which to hang them. I didn't want to put all those holes in the Brown's walls because I thought I'd be moving back home after college and that wasn't too far away. And then I didn't move home, but I still didn't put them up. So now, with an apartment, I seized the opportunity! Yay!
Also, besides my cleaning, organizing, and picture hanging, we had a cleaning party for the rest of the apartment, and the place looks SO good! YAY!
Anyway, this inspired much cleaning, organizing, and decorating. I'd unpacked the majority of my things within the first week or so, but there were many things that slipped to low priority - such as hanging pictures that required nails.
But a few weeks ago I got the picture hangers from Walmart, and last night I tackled the job. They look WICKED good if I do say so myself! However, I couldn't help but be glad there was no one there to see my slip-shod, unprofessional tactics. I had no level, no tape measure, no nothing! I pulled out a necklace of little plastic Christmas lights (from Penny when I was in Bible School - I love it!), and used that to measure. It's 13 and a half Christmas lights from the center picture to the outside picture, if anyone's wondering. But at a slight downward angle. Yaaa, really exact.
Oh, and my nailing skills are SWEET, too. Mostly I was okay, but I think I hit a stud or something and my hammer was just kind of bouncing off the nail. Mmmhm. And then I bent a nail a little bit. In sheet rock?! I ask of myself in disdain. Ah well - I guess I'm not a carpenter for a reason. Though I would love to try my hand at some small-scale stuff now and then.
Anyway, I'm pretty happy because these particular pictures are the cream of my Israel crop... and they've been waiting for these FOUR YEARS for me to get a wall on which to hang them. I didn't want to put all those holes in the Brown's walls because I thought I'd be moving back home after college and that wasn't too far away. And then I didn't move home, but I still didn't put them up. So now, with an apartment, I seized the opportunity! Yay!
Also, besides my cleaning, organizing, and picture hanging, we had a cleaning party for the rest of the apartment, and the place looks SO good! YAY!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)