Student Writing

I recently completed a mystery unit with my 7th and 8th graders, and then assigned them to write their own mysteries. The results were original, entertaining, gruesome, and funny - quite the combination. Here are some excerpts:

The first is a story about people who get trapped on a cruise ship with a murderer. Here is the advertisement for the cruise ship: "You will be amazed at the food, service, pool, movie theatre, game room, and 24/7 hot chocolate access."

The second story had more exclamation points than, um, I can't even think of a simile since nothing else I can think of even comes close. For example: "All I know is the last name is Mr. McCarthy!" "Go on, please!" "Well, my sisters and brothers were invited too!" "Very interesting!" "I am sorry, but I forgot to get your name!"..."Now please go on with the story!" Etc.

At the end of the above story, the detective catches the criminal (who turns out to be the maid) as she is about to kill his client. He confronts her and she confesses. Then the story takes a surprising twist: "'You are under arrest for murder,' said the detective. 'You either will spend your whole life in jail or die now!' 'I will die now," she answered. So the detective shot her and she died! He then told the girls to pack up and go home!"

Yikes! Nothing like taking justice into your own hands! I jotted down a bit about American criminal law in the margin, but hastened to assure her that it was indeed dramatic. And to think she is one of my quietest, sweetest students! You just never know.

The last story was a 14 page masterpiece, which included this gem of a fight scene: "With that he dodged to the side and with one swipe knocked the gun out of Tim's hand. The gun skidded across the floor and fell into a hole and sank to the bottom of a fifty-foot deep pool used to test underwater equipment. There were a lot of punches, kicks, jabs, and martial arts between the two men. Then Bill sprang up and grabbed an emergency axe from the wall." I will spare you the further details. Suffice it to say that Bill, the good guy, won out in the end.

Phew. Now to move on to our historical fiction unit! Much safer. Of course, we are about to start "The Tale of Two Cities" which has its own kind of gruesome-ness. But somehow Dickens can manage it with dignity.

My First Fieldtrip!

I did it! I led a fieldtrip! I organized it, and bought tickets, and found parent chaperones, and everything! And I'm happy to report that it went very well. We weren't late and it wasn't the wrong day.

My Earth Science class just began a unit about the moon last Monday, and today we went to see "Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon" at the IMAX theater. In 3D! After a lecture to my kids about being Ambassadors for Christ, and not screaming in the mall, and other things, I found myself yelling right out loud TWICE during the film. It was scary! But fortunately the music was so loud I don't think anyone heard me.

The highlight of the occasion was when a man came into the theater with his microphone before the show, and asked for all group leaders to report to the concession stand. HA! That was ME! It felt so strange to get up and walk past the two chaperones, who were much older than I, and go say I was in charge of the whole shebang. My word. What a power trip:)

My kids really enjoyed the show. I wish I'd had a camera to take a picture of them sitting all in a row with ridiculously large glasses on. So cute.

One last thing: I found out, half way up the escalator, that one of my girls has a fear of heights to such a degree that she never takes escalators - always elevators. I held on to her for the rest of the way up. She made it fine. I was glad.

Happy almost weekend!

The 30 by 30 List

The 30 by 30 list is an idea Lindsay introduced to Amy and me a couple of years ago. It's a list of thirty things to accomplish by the time you are thirty! We had such a fun time making them together - what a happy memory. The things can be as varied as you want. Here are some on my list:

*Buy a piano
*Take horseback riding lessons (this is one that was enabled by Amy and Lindsay's graduation gift to me!)
*Read Oliver Twist (done!)
*Go to Israel or Europe
*Teach for at least one year (almost done, and hopefully I'll be at it for much more than a year - I actually had one of those "I can't believe I'm getting paid to do this" moments today!)
*Get a Bachelor of Arts in English (done!)
*Read Dad's Book (maybe this summer?) (and for the remaining four and half years 'till I'm 30?)
*Own the movies Persuasion (check!), Wives and Daughters (check!), Riverdance (check!)
*Memorize the prologue to Tennyson's In Memorium (done... although it's rusty now - I'll have to refresh this one)
*sing in a choir after college (found a possibility - have to audition this summer)
*go to the Boston, NY, Philadelphia or DC art museum
*go camping (I've never been!)
*change my own oil (thanks for the lesson, Bethany!)
etc. etc. etc.

Those are a few items. Lindsay has such ambitious things as refinishing furniture on hers, but that sounded like too much work to me. I just throw it out there to demonstrate the diversity possible:) Not to mention demonstrating the coolness of anyone who would have that on her 30 by 30! I would recommend it for all - it's great fun! And it's exciting to be able to say you've accomplished things on the list.

The Wave of the Past

As the weekend approached, I headed to my favorite movie place, Video Vault (very small townsy and idiosyncratic), to rent "Persuasion." I brought it up to the counter, and the guy told me that I could rent it for $2.50 or buy it for $3.00. What?! It turns out that ALL of the videos in the place are now for sale. They're moving to DVDs. WOWZER. So I bought "Persuasion," and checked to see whether "Pride and Prejudice" (BBC, 5 hour version) had been sold already. Oh ya, he said, it was one of the first to go. Hmmmm. The good taste of these RIers. I was pretty happy, though, since owning the movie "Persuasion" was on my 30 by 30 list (along with a few other choice movies).

Well yesterday, with Melissa (about whose return I could have written an entire 60 paragraph post of joy), I returned. We took the place by storm, scouring every aisle (well, almost... we skipped over the horror films), and picking out the cream of the crop. My happiest find was "Riverdance!" I had looked for it immediately, and hadn't found it. I assumed it was taken already, but then discovered it with the musicals. Hurrah! That was one on my 30 by 30.

Let me tell you, it was a hard task. Where do you draw the line? You can't buy every good movie, because you would be quickly broke, despite the good price. So we settled for choosing a few of the best, and keeping a list of all the other possibilities (25-30 more, I'd guess). And I kept thinking of other people, too, and whether I should be buying for them!

Katie, do you want "October Sky?"
Dad, how about "Captains Courageous?"
And Derrick, I assume you already own "The Last Samurai."

Anyway, it was pretty fun. I can't believe they're getting rid of all their videos, though! It certainly is a big step forward in technology, I suppose. But I'm happily riding the wave of the past with my newly acquired videos.

I told my kids about it today, and informed them I'd grabbed Hamlet, with Mel Gibson, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, both for their sakes! I'll be teaching Hamlet next year, and I wanted to show them Mr. Smith to demonstrate what a filibuster is. One student was groaning at the idea of watching anything in black and white. I vigorously protested that there was no law that kids couldn't watch movies made before 1999 - there were some wonderful old classics. And he came right back and quoted my own words against me. A few weeks ago, after seeing a movie's attempt to portray Medusa, in 1970 or so, I had practically vowed not to watch any movie made before 2000! I'd forgotten about that, and had to laugh upon being reminded. I tried to qualify my statement by saying I didn't like old movie's special effects. But finally I just told them to forget all those rash statements I make:)

Fun on a Wednesday Afternoon

I usually dread Wednesdays because the afternoons are back-to-back classes, ending with two high school classes. And high schoolers aren't so attentive in the afternoon. But I've shifted my tactics a bit (tighter discipline on one hand, not expecting star quality discussions on the other), and today was great!

We did a writing workshop on creating good paragraphs, and I assigned them to do a paragraph in class on anything they wanted to. I gave an example: a paragraph with the topic sentence "BMW Z3s are some of the coolest cars around." They followed suit. Here are some sample topic sentences (paraphrased according to my memory, and my own style, and my protecting the identity of students):

When Joe hits me, it hurts. (Joe is the student sitting next to the student who wrote this paragraph - a paragraph, incidentally, which was some of the best writing he's done this year!)

Hershey's kisses are the yummiest chocolates. (A story I told of rationing M&Ms while paper writing in college was an example in this paragraph!)

A paragraph is a unit of something larger, like an essay or report. (Clever... a paragraph about a paragraph.)

Elizabeth is the coolest person that ever lived. (This was written at the request of one, Elizabeth, in the classroom.)

Green is the best color. (They say sea green is very soothing...)

The students really enjoyed the assignment! At least, they really enjoyed hearing each other's work afterward. That was pretty encouraging. Maybe I'll do more with this tomorrow. On the other hand, I have a star quality discussion planned, so I'm not sure I'll have time.

In other news: I lost power steering in my car. I think I'm getting tendonitis from man-handling my vehicle around corners. Wheee - workouts while driving!

Back in the Groove

I'm happy to report that one class was all it took - I am thrilled to be back at school. I knew I would be, but I still couldn't sleep very well the night before it started up again. Sometimes I think vacations are too hard to come back from to be worth it. But then I look forward to weekends like some people look forward to trips to Europe. I guess two great weeks is worth the cost of one sleepless night!

Anyway, the highlight so far has been teaching Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians in play form. Danny had told me his students really liked it, but oy vay! My kids are going crazy! Of course, it helps that I'm teaching it to the 7th and 8th graders, who aren't afraid to be wildly enthusiastic at the drop of a hat (how could I have ever been nervous about middle school?!).

At the first murder the girls instantly burst into gasps and shudders and squeals, and the boys burst into accusations and theories. At the second murder it took some dire threats on my part to get them back to reading. I allowed a break for theories, but man! They would have kept at it all day! But of course there were those who wanted to hurry up and read, and forget all the guessing stuff. So soon they were yelling at each other to be quiet. Hee hee hee. What a success. Then they all started talking about nightmares, and I was a little nervous on my way home. So far I've received zero angry parent calls. I'm going for a no-hitter, as it were.

Sure enough, this morning one of my students told me he'd had nightmare. Sigh. But silly me - I should have known he was joking, since he's the one I describe as "probably what Uncle Paul was like as a student."

I heard from my 10th and 11th graders that my 7th and 8th graders (their younger siblings) were trying to repeat the entire story to them - and anyone else who would listen. One student's father is in Iraq. He called home last night...and was regaled with an Agatha Christie story. Well, the beginning of one, anyway. We still haven't finished. She told me that he was very interested in it. Dear man, my respect for him (which was already sky high) shot up some more.

We got another scene or so done this afternoon, and at the end of the day one of the girls told me that the entire class had talked about the play for their entire art class. There would be a lull, and then one of them (the same one every time, I think) would say "but what about Dr. Armstrong?" and they would be off again.

YYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!! I LOVE MY JOB!

They have some really clever theories about it all, too! They should be mystery writers themselves (which they will be next week, although they don't know it yet - it will be my first fiction assignment and I'm really looking forward to reading the results!). They have decided that two of them are married though they are pretending not to be. They have decided that there really is no murderer - they are all killing themselves off in madness or guilt. They have decided that Narracott the boatman must have done it. And Emily. And Dr. Armstrong. And Rogers.

In other news, my high schoolers are assembling a puppet show of the story of the Cyclops. Did I mention that I love my job?

CLAN

No, I'm not going to go into a detailed, historical look at the Murray clan here and now. Sorry. I know it would be incredibly fascinating, and you would all benefit greatly from it. I'll keep it in mind for some future time. Maybe.

Instead, I'm going to go into a semi-detailed, barely-historical look at the RI library system. I love it so much! And, having just availed myself of one of its excellent services, and therefore being filled with warm fuzzy feelings about it, now is the time to rhapsodize.

The semi-details are this: By getting one little card - a simple piece of blue plastic - the entire world of Rhode Island's books are open to all RI residents. I can get books from Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth, Cranston, Providence, North Kingstown, and Scituate, all in one homeward commute, if I want to! If I (in my usual last-minute state) need a movie to show my class the very next day I can just pop over to whichever RI library has said movie on its shelves. Side note: this is a huge benefit to living in such a small state - I could never go across the state to get a movie I needed if I lived in TX, for instance. But here in RI I go across the state every day just to get to work! Ahhh, so handy.

The barely-history is this: Today I thought I should read the book "Epic" to my dear chillins. It is an excellent example of looking at Literature in a deeper way than just words on a page (which is their sad tendency). So I popped over to Amazon and ascertained that I could get the book for quite a reasonable price. But, having decided to pinch pennies a bit more these days, I thought I'd check the library system. LO, there was a copy in Providence! And there was another intriguing work by the same author in Cranston! And thanks to the dear old CLAN system (oh, that is the name of the RI library system, by the way - I probably should have explained that sooner), with a few keystrokes I have both items scurrying on their way to my local library. Amazing! Blessings on thee, oh CLAN system.

This is not to disparage the Dublin Library, of course, which holds my deepest loyalty as a most beloved, architecturally beautiful, historical, intriguing, good-smelling, cozy establishment. But I must admit that RI allows for a bit more flexibility than a small town library.

Might I also add, that if Heaven were indeed attainable by good works, Ben Franklin (wasn't it he?) would be first in line at the Pearly Gates with the good deed of establishing public libraries. Way to go, Ben! Let's hear it for books for free!

Post Christmas Blues

I almost never get post-Christmas blues, I'm happy to report. My birthday is the day after, so there's nothing to be blue about there! And then there's always the happiness of another week (or four, if in college) of vacation. Nothing to be blue about there! And this year I even had a fantastic year-end convention to attend. Nothing to be blue about there, for sure!

But this evening I had a half-hour of post-Christmas blues. It came when I tried to assimilate my Christmas gifts into my already well laden room. As I shoved hangers over in the closet, with all of my strength, I dreamed of those huge closets that are the approximate size of my bedroom when I was a little girl. As I stacked up CDs on the floor I realized I'd have to actually invest in another car CD holder. As I drew out the beautiful framed picture of my nephews it occurred to me that I am already using every single available flat surface to hold pictures. And as I guiltily placed some items on the top shelf of my closet I realized that the simple fact is this: I need to down-size!

But how will I do it? How can I tell the faithful pictures, who have kept me company all through college, that they are going to be replaced by young upstarts? How can I throw out any scrap of clothing, when I could very well regret such a bold move in a few weeks time when I finally discover the shirt that would have matched that thrown-away skirt? How can I part with any little knick-knack that could end up a valuable archive after I become saintly and inspire future generations?

So the only solution, dear readers, is to tear down my barns and build bigger. I'm going to annex TJ's room. He doesn't really need it right now, after all. And in fact, I might even be generous and annex only a portion. In any case, I could use that extra shelf and closet space. I could have two desks and two big bookcases and another huge closet! I could buy large trunks, or even those tupperware storage containers. The possibilities are endless! When TJ comes back home I expect him to be so sanctified that he won't even mind, and will gladly move over to share a room with Amy.

Ahhh, solution found. Post Christmas Blues over.

My Golden Birthday

Thank you, everyone, for your kind comments wishing me many happy returns of the day on my birthday! The day was a singular experience.

First of all, it was the Brown family Christmas. Never a dull moment there. Whew.

And then came the most memorable part of the day. We all charged down to play volleyball, and we were having a grand time of it. In fact, I haven't played such good volleyball in ages. It really was a blast! Then there was one of those wild and high balls that could be anyone's, and I made the mistake of going for it with another, larger, taller, stronger person. My forehead made sharp contact with his elbow, and sent me flying un-gracefully to the ground. My my. I leaped up again, only slightly the worse for wear, when I felt something wet. Bother, I was bleeding. I departed the game (right across the other team's court - talk about interference!) and ran to the women's dorm upon discovering, in the gym entryway, a distinct lack of anything to staunch blood. By the time I got down there, blood was dripping off the end of my nose. What is it with me and head wounds? I looked in the mirror and saw a cute little stream of blood that neatly divided my head with a scarlet stripe from the top of my forehead to the tip of my nose. It was pretty funny. Anyway, I got some paper towel and cleaned my head and the sink as best I could before heading up to see Uncle Lewie.

Ah the joys of a grand entrance. Most of the adults were still up there, you see, waiting for the pizza to arrive. In I walked, asking for Uncle Lewie, and the throngs of horrified faces made the perfect gauntlet. Several aunts/uncles/cousins are in the medical profession, being EMTs, nurses, etc, so some were quite interested in following the proceedings and warning me of scars (right in the middle of the top of my forehead - I hope no one gets any wrong apocalyptic ideas), and looking on with joy as the butterfly bandages were applied.

How's that for a good birthday event? I was actually kind of pleased. There's no risk of this birthday being forgotten, and it's going to make a GREAT story when I get back to school. Aunt Debbie suggested I tell some wild tale of gangsters and brawls and stuff just to make it more exciting:)

Also on my birthday I got several lovely e-mails, blog comments, phone calls, and the like which made me feel remembered and loved. One highlight along those lines was a voice mail message I got of a huge crowd singing Happy Birthday. I had some guesses, but couldn't quite figure it out. Then I heard Lisa saying it was the whole Springer clan! Now how's that for a once-in-a-lifetime experience! I loved it!! Thanks, Lisa:)

I also had a lovely time with my family, opening presents (Mama prepared 26 separate presents for my golden birthday! Wow! This meant, of course, that some were stretches - I got some canned goods from the cellar for instance - but that made for some good laughs, and I was actually quite happy to get said canned goods!), hearing nephews sing happy birthday, and getting prayed for by people who love me.

Also, I was awakened at three minutes of midnight to a banging outside of my room. Outside, as in outside the house. I was half asleep still, and couldn't figure out what it was, except for perhaps the wind blowing ice chunks against the house. But that didn't really make sense. Then I thought perhaps gangsters were trying to get in (huh? you might say - but I have been having quite active dreams lately - I've already saved Dad from being murdered by pushing him off a large yacht of some kind before the bad guy could stab him). Finally I realized someone must be throwing snowballs at my window! I leaped from my bed, and promptly knocked by newly injured head against the window in an effort to see out. Yessss. But then I got the window open and saw KATIE! I hurried downstairs to let her in. She'd gotten in from GA earlier, and then remembered it was my birthday and came racing down to see me before it wasn't my birthday anymore. We've never seen each other on my birthday. She even came bearing gifts! It was the crowning touch to my birthday, and I headed back to bed very happy.

So there, my friends, were some events from my golden birthday. Hurrah for 26ness! So far so good.

Merry Christmas from me, too!

Merry Christmas, dear friends! I had a wonderful day with my family, and I'm feeling very thankful. I wanted to give some public worship to my Jesus before the day is done. I'm so unutterably glad that we have a Savior who KNOWS -- One who came and lived a complete life here on earth, a life with all its human ups and downs, experiences and limitations, and hurts and pleasures great and small. I found this quote from Charles Spurgeon tonight that I really liked:

"Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with Him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendour."

Praise the Lord for His unspeakable gift, which we've only begun to open!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to One and All!

I love Christmas so much every year, and especially in recent years when I have begun to grasp what it's all really about. The Wonder of the season is fresh each year, most often conveyed to me through a Christmas Carol. In light of that, I thought I'd share some of my favorite Christmas Carol phrases of this year:

A thrill of Hope, the Weary World Rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
- From O Holy Night

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King!
- From O Holy Night

Son of God, Love's pure Light.
- From Silent Night

Light and life to all He brings,
Ris'n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
- From Hark the Herald Angels Sing (this year's favorite)

May the Joy and Peace and Love that is Christmas, be yours today and all year!

What a Day!

For the first time in my life I turned on the radio this morning, heard there was no snow day after all (despite the sleet, ice, freezing rain, etc), and decided that that was okay - I wanted to go to school! The day, you see, consisted of the movies I'd checked out of the libraries, goofing off on the computer (aka typing class), reading Sherlock Holmes aloud (You're so on the right track, Aaron:)!), Pizza Day (a bi-weekly tradition at my illustrious place of employment) and then having a Christmas party!

In Classical Literature I told my students, after we went over a chapter of The Odyssey: "I am about to do something that I have been wanting to do ever since this summer! We're going to fast-forward through time to see how Classical Literature influences our own culture." There were instant groans! One student made a gun with his hand and pointed it to his head! I was mystified. Didn't they catch the excitement in my tone? I asked them what they thought that meant, anyway? And they said research/report or something. It occurred to me that I usually get pretty excited when I hand out paper assignments. So I didn't blame them, but instead knocked their socks off by pulling out four movies from behind my desk!

Isaac, and others who may be interested: They were My Fair Lady (based on the Pygmalion myth), Clash of the Titans (a terrible mutilation of the Perseus myth: not only does it twist the story into something almost unrecognizable, but the acting is awful and the special effects make one laugh/groan/cry all at once - I only showed my kids 2 little clips of that one), X-Men (because of the guy named Cyclops - again only a very short clip of that...), and (drumroll) O Brother Where Art Thou (based, of course, on the story of Odysseus - very loosely - although I'm definitely picking up more parallels now than I had before!). What a fun class!

But the climax of the day came at the time of the Christmas party. The kids were all out of the room scurrying about. Then suddenly the lights went out. And THEN they came in SINGING with a CAKE AND CANDLES. It was a SURPRISE EARLY BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR ME!!!!! I was TOTALLY surprised, and SO happy. I have never had a surprise party before! And they hate singing, but were willing to sing for me! And they had PRESENTS: tons of chocolate, a tin of mints, and rewritable CDs! (Yes, they know me quite well.) They bring me such joy on a daily basis, and with this they totally outdid themselves. Bless their hearts! I LOVE THEM!

And now I am home for my nephew's birthday, enjoying the Sabbath with my family (you should have seen us break into a fabulous rendition of "Way Down Upon the Swanee River" together - KJ was quite weirded out) heading to a Christmas party with friends tomorrow, and, once again, reflecting on the incredible blessing of such a job.

Happy Things From School

* My high school kids keep on casually asking me what I want for Christmas. Ahhh, so subtle. So enjoyable.

*Two of my 7th grade girls told me they want to invite me to their Christmas Party and Sleepover! Oy vay! But very flattering.

*I'm starting to make more friends in the 2nd grade class! It's really fun to slowly build up a rapport with them. Yesterday one of them spoke to me for the first time: "Will you be my teacher someday?"

*My 7th and 8th grade class are SO into the Sherlock Holmes story I'm reading aloud to them (The Speckled Band). They keep coming up with great theories of how it could have worked, and who might be to blame. None have hit on it yet. But they keep on trying.

*One of my girls wants me to give her guitar lessons! I assured her I didn't know that much... But that I'd love to pass on what I do know! We're tentatively scheduled for Tuesdays after school.

*I am in love with the RI library system. I can get books out of any library in RI with my card. Today I went to three different libraries to get movies (when you have a commute as long as mine, that's not too crazy). The movies are for "fast-forward through time to see the effects of Greek culture on our culture" day. Which is tomorrow. Yay!

*Now I have to go read and watch movies to get ready for tomorrow's class. What a life!

The Snow Day that Wasn't

Today Katie came to school with me!

Yes. We had school. Despite the small blizzard.

It was so much fun to see her experience my world, and enjoy it. She loved my kids! And they, I might add, loved her. She told my 8th grade boys stories about first hand encounters with sub-machine guns. They were devoted from that point on. She played Hebrew Simon Says with them.

Then the last period came (in which Katie was shocked at my lack of discipline while giving exams), and the small blizzard became rather largish. The electricity blinked several times, causing the children to hope desperately for deliverance from their exam. The Newport Bridge closed. I trembled. Just in time for the commute home. I was seriously worried.

I called dear Uncle Paul, though, whose light confidence inspired such confidence in me. I was relaxed enough that I was up for a 10 minute snowball fight with my students before I left. What fun! Katie and me against 3 high school boys and 1 junior high boy. My aim was abysmal. I was ashamed. But Katie assured me I had won their admiration simply by joining in. Nonetheless, I plan on calling for a rematch next time there's a good snowfall. We shall see.

The commute home took us 2 and a half hours. The last fifteen on the driveway! But it was a peaceful time. Katie read me a story! She's a good reader.

I love having others see into my world, and especially when they are so appreciative of said world! Ahhh, I am rich indeed.

I Am Rich

Needless to say, this card pretty much made my life. Michael made it after coming in from playing, while he was feeling on top of the world and hyper...hence effusive. The results of his labor made me cry when I got it, and make me smile every morning when I see it again.

Front:












Inside:























Back:

Setting Records

I almost didn't want to post, because that would mean Tim Naehring would be booted from the page. But here I am.

I won the contest at school for most festive classroom. Actually there was no contest. But if there was, mine would win. I suddenly realized I could decorate my classroom, so now it sports a green garland over the chalkboard, with white Christmas lights. My large collection of Christmas ornaments is hanging up as well. I have snowflakes (made by my 7th and 8th graders) on my windows. I even have a poinsettia plant that Uncle Paul bought for me! The Christmas spirit is alive and well in my classroom, and I think the kids are really enjoying it.

The other record I set was the one for longest and worst commute ever. This morning it took me 1 hour and 50 minutes to get to school. And I kept being surprised I hadn't gotten in an accident yet. It was really strange. I left the house, first of all, at the last possible moment. But Uncle Paul had just noticed that my right rear tire seriously needed air. I figured I could still make it, since devotions always start late anyway.

Ha.

I got to the place where they sell air for 75 cents. I put in my quarters, the machine started, and then I discovered that the nozzle was either firmly jammed or there was some trick to getting it to come out. I called Uncle Paul who told me where to find another air thing. I found it, and this time was successful. Interestingly enough, my 35 lbs of air tire had a mere shmere 6 lbs in it! Oy vay.

I zipped back onto the road, still not having hit 295. Kimberly called. She usually calls when I'm in Fall River. I wasn't even close to Providence yet. Ay ay ay. I chatted with her for awhile until I had almost hit a van for the second time, and then decided I needed to concentrate. Did I mention it was raining all this time?

So I get to the place where you have to quickly and stealthily cross a million lanes of traffic to get onto 195. Nothin doin. For the second time in my life I, who usually pride myself on my ability to maneuver in traffic, missed my exit because I couldn't break into the line of traffic. You should have heard the bellow that emerged from my mouth when I sailed on down 95, inexorably parted from my road. Actually you shouldn't have heard it. I would have been mightily embarrassed.

In any case, I took the next exit and realized it would not get me anywhere fast. I found my way back to 95, hoping I would be north of my exit. Nope. Definitely south. So I resigned myself to my fate, and took 95 all the way down to the Newport bridge. For those of you readers not familiar with the highway system of RI (let's see... that would be everyone except Melissa) that is kind of like going from NH to RI via Chestnut Hill. Although not quite as long, thankfully.

I got to school 1 hour and 50 minutes after I left the house.

But today ended up being a super day! Ahhh, I love teaching. I love my students. I even love Earth Science!

Elizabeth Goudge's A City of Bells

I just finished reading A City of Bells by Elizabeth Goudge. What an incredible story. It captures so many elements that make up the human existence. It covers the lasting nature of art, the duality of the pain and the beauty in life, the possibility of re-birth. Goudge is able to demonstrate the depth of these things without being heavy-handed about it. She portrays it in a way that makes the reader, however unartistic and undeep he may sometimes be, follow the pathway the story opens up, and sink and rise with the characters. The reader, therefore, experiences the catharsis - the cleansing of the emotions - that the finest works inspire. I wish I could quote half of the book right here. But instead I suggest you wheel around from your computer, dash at once to the closest library/friend/relation/bookstore, snatch the book greedily, and begin at once.

So Much to be Thankful For!

Here I am in the comfort of home, surrounded by family, and thankful for so many things. Some of the things I'm thankful for are:

*Four amazing years at PC, and the euphoria surrounding graduation.

*An incredible job that God led me to, and that I love every day.

*A wonderful home situation - I love living with Uncle Paul and Aunt Laura and Melissa. I love the fun we have, the conversations we have, the harmony and fellowship we have. I couldn't ask for a better "second family."

*Some fantastic summer excursions, including one to GA to see the Adamses with Melissa and KJ, one to Coolidge Point with my family, one to Busch Gardens with Lisa, and one to Rockport with Amy and Lindsay.

*The gift of Faith, and the lessons God has taught me about Himself this year. He is so good, so faithful, so trustworthy.

*Material blessings like my new car and new cell phone!

*My dear, dear friends. What would I do without them?! And I'm thankful for ways to keep in touch - e-mail, blogs, phones, and (best of all) get-togethers!

*And I'm thankful for my dear family. What a source of love and support and strength...and fun! Hurrah for parents, siblings, and nephews!

God is so good, and I'm thankful for these things that come from Him.

Conversations with Michael

Michael is becoming more and more verbose these days, so the occasional telephone conversation has progressed from the days of "Hi, Iah!" to actually dialogues. Today he called with some big news. His tooth had fallen out! I had forgotten (if I'd actually known) that his tooth was loose, and the news was a total surprise. This was big! Therefore I screamed and jumped around with joy for awhile. I cannot wait to see the little gap! I can't believe how old he's getting.

The phone call ended up being the longest I've ever had with him, lasting perhaps half an hour! Fortunately I had been feeling a distinct Michael-withdrawal, and was willing to spend some real quality time.

The conversation proceeded something like this:

Michael: Now I'm on the new couch in the living room.
Andrea: Oh wow! That's nice.
[Pause followed by high pitched beep]
Michael: Oops, that was me pushing the button.
Andrea: Oh, I was wondering what that was!
Michael: [Laughter]
Andrea: So what have you been doing today?
Michael: I don't know... Did I tell you my tooth fell out?
Andrea: Ya! Remember? I screamed and jumped around.
Michael: Oh ya! [Pause] Mama's laughing. [Laughs]
[Pause]
Michael: Are you there?
Andrea: Ya! Are you there?
Michael: Yes! [Laughs]

This conversation continued with some variation, but not too much. The "are you there" sequence was repeated four or five times. There were some moments when information was actually exchanged, but not too many. Information exchanges are highly overrated.

The happiest parts came at the beginning (with the initial news) and then when I told him I'd be home for Thanksgiving and he gave an involuntary "Yaaaaayyy!" Oh, and the "I love you" at the end was a day maker.

Man, I love being an aunt!

Report Cards!

Yesterday I had the joy of handing out my first batch of report cards. It was so interesting, yet again, to be on the other end of something I've experienced for most of my life. And the kids' responses were also interesting: a strange combination of anticipation and terror.

What surprised me was the astonishment that some students exhibited upon seeing a bad grade. How can you not realize when you're failing Latin? Wouldn't the succession of F's on quizzes and tests give you a clue?

Happily most of the grades I handed out were A's and B's. I did have a few C's, but only one was a C-. One of these C's was given to someone totally unprepared, however. That wasn't much fun, because she kind of crushed. I could understand that, since she's received mostly A's and B's on her tests. But it was the 38% on that one test that did it. Sigh. The good news, though, is that I went back to check my gradebook and discovered that it was really a C+! She was happier with that.

As the students all left, and the classroom was empty and quiet, I said to myself, "I miss getting a report card." I miss the excitement of opening it up, pulling it out, and doing the quick scan followed by the careful reading. I miss taking it home and hearing Dad say, "This is boring. Can't you do any better than that?" This was said, of course, as a total joke, which gave me great joy every time.

As I left my classroom to go home I saw two fellow teachers chatting in the hall. "I miss getting a report card," I said to them. There was a momentary pause as they both looked at me, and then they said in perfect unison, "I don't!"

Happy Birthday KJ!

Today is my little sister's birthday, and I would just like all the world to know that I think she is an extraordinary girl. She has such a heart for God and for her family and for her friends. She calls me up sometimes and tells me about lessons she is learning, and I have to restrain myself from saying "Oh Kimberly, you don't need to worry about that," from the biased vantage point of big-sister-who-thinks-she's-pretty-much-perfect-already. But it blesses me to see her responding so readily to the work of God in her life.

Of course, if she called me up and told me that God has been teaching her that she needs to let me poke her more often, then I would agree. There's this weird phenomenon that occurs whenever I get close to Kimberly. I am seized with the urge to poke her. I think it's because she's more serious than I am, naturally speaking, and she just brings out the most unserious side of me. So I get as goofy as possible and start poking her. She doesn't usually appreciate it, strangely enough.

Other than that, we enjoy a great relationship. For years, long before we should have been, we have been close friends. Back when we should have been constantly quarreling we were having sleepovers and taking walks and generally enjoying each other's company. That was a blessing I do not take for granted. And the relationship has only deepened as time has gone on.

So thanks, KJ, for being such a great friend, a dear sister, and a devoted fellow-pilgrim. I love you!

Today's Claim to Fame

Before Ryan Gomes was a Celtics player, he was my very own classmate at PC. I kind of forgot about the whole "he became a Celtics player" thing until this evening. I was watching the game while grading papers. This means that the game did not have my undivided attention (of course, neither did the papers...). But all of a sudden I heard the announcer say "he passes to Gomes" or some such thing. Up jerked my head! Gomes! My classmate! Look at the small town kid make it big! It was an exciting moment. He still looks tall, even among the Celtics players. But not as tall as he looked when I passed him at graduation, surrounded by happy family members. I can't wait to tell my kids about it tomorrow.

Happy Veterans Day...

And happy 11/11 day!!!

More On Teaching

Ahhhhh (sigh of glee to be back on blogger!). It's been awhile.

Guess what. I love teaching so much. I'm already depressed about retiring. Okay, not quite. But I was driving home today and had this weird moment where I was thinking sadly about how great it had been to teach, when I remembered I'm not done teaching yet! Strange, yes, but it's the end of the week and I think I'm entitled to momentary lapses in my short-term memory. Or yes, even severe cases of amnesia. Either way, I'm happy that I get to teach again on Monday! But meanwhile, thank the Lord for weekends (LONG weekends, especially!).

Today was red, white, and blue day at school! I found an excellent quote about patriots from John Milton, which I quickly tore out of its original context and used on the chalkboard with red, white, and blue chalk. Two girls took pictures of it. I AM NOT ALONE!!!

I am now studying The Hiding Place with my 7th and 8th graders. I was worried at first that it was too deep for them. But they are doing quite well, even if they don't get all the nuances. And I get to bring some of my outside knowledge in, too. Yesterday I taught them the song "By the Waters of Babylon," and today I taught them the Hora! They loved it!!! Ahhhh, what a way to start the weekend.

I just love those kids so incredibly much.

Of course, there are the ups and downs... Last Monday afternoon I was so irritated with them I just wanted to let loose with a mighty scream. I refrained, however, and the rest of the week went very well.

And now I have Veteran's Day off, and a nice long weekend to look forward to! Hurrah!

Visiting History

I had my US Government class reenact the Constitutional Convention today! Chad, you would have been proud. It was kind of like one of those mystery dinners - I gave each person a piece of paper that told them who they were, what they proposed, and how they voted. Then I moderated and led them through the process. It was so much fun! Some of them got into it more than others (I asked the rep from New Jersey if he was drunk when he started mumbling his part without standing up). But I think they all enjoyed that more than they would have enjoyed a lecture.

I also held two classes outside today because the weather was INCREDIBLE. They did pretty well at paying attention, although I did have to follow through on my threat and make them go back inside when they got too distracted. Fortunately that was only for the last ten minutes of the day, so I got to save face while still getting lots of nice outside time. Yay!

This morning I was at Dunkin Donuts and glimpsed a nun working behind the counter. I did a massive mental double take before realizing that it was Halloween. To celebrate I think I'll go do a lesson plan and grade some papers... And maybe eat some candy.

The Newport Bridge!

Inspired by Melo's insistence that I really can have a picture if I want one (see Oct 14 post), I went on line to find some great shots. Here are the fruits of my labors:

beautiful



beautifmdsul

Friday!

After a couple of days of being so edgy I wanted to run screaming from the study hall because the kids KEPT making NOISES, I had a laid-back and energy-filled day today! I'm not sure why. Maybe it's just some weird psychological trait that refuses to allow me to have three edgy days in a row. Anyway, it sure made for a fun day today.

In government class we were talking about the George Washington bridge (it was only vaguely related to our class), so of course I had to sing the "George Washington Bridge" song to them. I was bellowing it out and looking down the row of kids, and was pleasantly surprised to see the last one, a boy whom I would consider the hardest to connect with, laughing really hard! I could have been offended, of course. It's not as if he was laughing at the sheer talent of it all. But actually I was quite pleased - it was a connection. And then he kept insisting that I must have made it up myself. I protested that such was not the case. I just don't know it very well so I kind of fill things in from my own mind. And the only lyrics I know are "George Washington Bridge," so I repeat them over and over. But I did NOT make the song up!

At lunch I went into the gym/auditorium where the kids eat lunch, and I played "knock out" with them! I don't think they expected me to have any kind of athletic ability. Thus, the little basketball skill I have was a big deal to them. I felt almost as cool as Chad! But not quite.

Yesterday I started "The Hiding Place" with the junior high. I wanted to lead them to the realization that she had started her story with a happy party, instead of in the middle of some suspenseful moment, in order to show how the war was a horrible interruption to a normal life (I'm not sure if this is really the reason - it's hard to prove motive - but it is an interesting parallel anyway, so I wanted them to notice it). To show this, I said to them, "Imagine you have been through WWII, and have a really gripping and suspenseful story to tell. Pull out a piece of paper, and write the first three sentences of your story." As I had hoped, almost all of them started with Germans storming in or bombs falling. We went on to have a good discussion about how the war broke into people's lives. The cool thing was that four of the students were so excited about it that they finished their stories that night, and read them today in class! I was quite impressed at what they knew and what they were able to convey.

A happy thing: I have a student who repeatedly does very poorly on science tests, and I was worried about her. But I just gave a literature exam - all essay questions - and she aced it! It was just a matter of finding out her strengths! Yay!

Uncle Paul says hi.

In the Zone

Today I was leaving school, and took the shortcut through the auditorium/gym. There I encountered three young boys who were brandishing hula hoops. I smiled at them and stuck to the edges of the room while I exited. Half way through the room one of the boys cautioned: "Watch out! You're in an empire war zone." I don't think empire was the word he used, but alas I forget the real one. In any case, it was reminiscent of Star Wars, and whether the connection was in my head alone or a legitimate one I do not know. I thought it completely charming, whatever it was, and continued merrily on my way.

Once outside, however, I discovered more truth than fiction in the idea of some kind of danger zone. I was driving up over the Newport Bridge (yay!) and noting how unusually green the water was, when I was suddenly without control. My car was going right, and I was not making it do so! And then I realized it was the wind! I slowed right down, and crept the rest of the way, still incredulous at the force of the gusts.

The water showed it, too, by being choppier than I've seen it before. It was so choppy, in fact, that I stopped to take pictures. I tried to open the door, and realized I had accidentally locked it on myself. So I hit the unlock lever and nothing happened. The door wasn't locked - it was the force of the wind against my door that made me unable to open it without an unusual amount of force!

Ah the joys of remnant hurricanes/nor'easters.

Now, though, I am happily ensconced on the couch, ready to do lesson plans, and reveling in chocolate and beautiful music (um, by the way Craig, we have your John Rutter CDs. Heh heh heh, thanks!). Thank the Lord for a warm, dry, comfortable house!

The Phone of Power

At last I have officially entered the 21st century. I have a real cell phone, with a real plan, and real ring-tone options. I have arrived!

Nate, bless his heart, helped me for about an HOUR as we went through the process of finding the right phone and the right plan. He found me a sweet one that was on sale, and we snapped it up. I would feel quite remorseful at his working for so long on my behalf, with no benefit to himself, except that he mentioned that he enjoyed spending other people's money. So I guess I only need to feel a little bit remorseful. In any case, I am certainly grateful.

When the phone arrived in the mail the next week, Nate came up and we spent about half an hour or so just checking out all the possibilities. And what possibilities! It takes pictures! And 15 second videos! And you can assign pictures to people in your phone book, so that when they call their picture comes up on the screen!

Katie, I assigned you a scene from the shooting of "Sahara." :) And Lisa N, you have a lizard picture! Hee hee hee. I had so much fun.

I spend pretty much every waking moment with the phone in hand or nearby in case there is an opportune moment in which to play and figure things out. Aunt Laura wondered if I slept with it in my hands, but I can assure you such is not the case. It stayed alllll the way down at the foot of my bed.

So far I still get incredibly excited whenever it rings, so if anyone wants to make my day, you know how! Of course, not being an old hand at cell phone usage I might do something like forget I left it on vibrate (sorry Fritha, you with the Florida sunset picture next to your name!) or not know what that weird beeping noise is when I'm using it and thus miss a call waiting. (And now that I've figured out the weird beeping noise I still don't know how to pick up a call waiting without losing the first person.) But otherwise I should be able to get your call. And if not, I still get incredibly excited whenever I have a voicemail! So go ahead, call like crazy!

Some Happy Things

*This morning I had a cinnamon stick from Dunkin Donuts! I was so sad when they were discontinued - and so elated that they've been brought back.

*Today a mother came in and said "I don't know what you do, but my kids keep talking about you!" (I'm appropriating this into my happy things list, in the assumption that the talking is positive.)

*I think my 7th and 8th graders did really well on their Lit tests today, even though the test was an essay test.

*I had opportunity to go into a tirade against Hollywood today in class - something I always find enjoyable.

*I had so much fun putting pictures with each name in the phone book in my NEW CELL PHONE (entire post devoted to new cell phone to follow, no doubt)!

*I opened the fridge and saw grapes!

*The guy at the video store remembered "Brown" without my having to tell him.

*I have been enjoying the incredible stress-free-ness and rest of a Sabbath spent with friends.

*And I got calls from Lindsay, Gretchen, and Fritha today!

Whew, what a day...

Changes...

Gasp! It has happened to me! I have become the teacher who gets the "new student!" I've never thought about the whole new student concept from a teacher's perspective before. I've thought of the class, and I've thought of the student. But the teacher?

Yesterday I got the teacher's angle. The new student is one who'd been at the school before. I knew this because we prayed for him a few weeks ago. We prayed for him because he was missing for several days. It turns out he'd run away from home.

So here I am in the teacher's lounge (me? in the teacher's lounge? It's still hard to believe sometimes) hearing the headmaster say he was coming to our school. And the teacher next to me lets out this heart-felt "Ohhh nooooooo," in a long and plaintive kind of way.

GREAT!

But the headmaster told us that there had been a significant change of heart - one that had been verified by multiple sources. And said headmaster is very determined that no undermining influence get into the student body, so I knew he'd taken the process seriously.

Today the new kid showed up. And he was as sweet as can be - full of manners and a helpful and willing attitude. Hurrah! He has somebody's eyes, but I can't quite figure out whose. I'll try to remember to keep you posted.

In the first class I made him laugh (a sure sign of compatibility in the classroom) in that perfect progression: the look of surprise, then disbelief, followed by laughter that causes the head to go right down on the desk. Yes! I had him.

So my first "new student" experience has been a positive one. Thank the Lord!

Strange Happenings

I woke up yesterday and stared curiously at the odd glowing of my blinds. Then it dawned on me. Sun! I'd forgotten (in a little over a week, which shows the amazing powers of my short term memory) what the sun looks like when it shines in the window. I was happy to be reminded.

Today the mother of one of my students came in - she is definitely my favorite of all of the parents I've met - and chatted for awhile. She began asking questions about my church, and whether it was Baptist of Pentecostal. I said we sang hymns and rarely raised our hands - although the occasion branch waving was not unheard of. It soon came out that her daughter had said to her, "Mom, something's going on with Miss Murray. You need to talk to her." I stood there in fear and trepidation. What in the world was going to come next?! What had I done? And then more of the story came out.

The "something's going on with Miss Murray" was, fortunately, a good thing The school I'm at is very traditional, and doesn't do the Pentecostal thing. But this particular family is Pentecostal. Apparently I had said something in class which my student interpreted as "God spoke to me and said..." This had caught my student's attention, since it was something she believed in, but knew that the school in general didn't endorse. Not only that, but my student said it also caught a fellow teacher's attention - evidently his head suddenly popped up from his studies.

Ay ay ay. I have no idea what I said. I know I didn't say "God spoke to me," because I've never had that happen to me. But I must have said something close (God showed me? God indicated to me?) that both the student and teacher took to be the same. And now I'm beginning to wonder if the headmaster's impassioned sermonette (during prayer time) about the canon being closed, and people not hearing God's voice anymore, was directed at me!

Hooo boy. Have I plunged myself into deep water? I haven't heard anything from the headmaster yet (except when he said they were glad to have me there!), so I'm guessing it's not going to be a big deal.

It's such a tricky thing to walk the denominational line! I'm not sure which subjects are taboo and which are talk-about-them-or-be-considered-a-pagan. Ah well. If I get fired, I'm sure you'll hear about it.

Photo Fetish

Whenever I do something especially neurotic Melissa laughingly threatens to blog about it. With this particular neurosis I'm going to beat her to the punch by telling on myself.

I take pictures of everything. And I'm not even exaggerating that much. I took a picture of presents I wrapped. And then there was the piece of paper I decorated, and the food I made, and the bowl of ice cream... Actually, that last one was a joint effort with Kimberly. But still.

My latest subject has been my chalkboard. Yes, chalkboard. But how can I help it, when my kids draw such charming things with colored chalk?! I simply can't erase them, condemning them to non-existence forever. So I now have at least 6 pictures, if not more, of things my kids wrote on the board.

Incidentally, I think colored chalk is in the genes somewhere. I remember Dad being enamored of colored chalk when I was little, and now I am amazed at how much pleasure I derive from a well chalked-up board.

Back to the photography - this deep desire to capture the fleeting is thwarted on an almost daily basis. Every afternoon I get to drive over the Newport Bridge, and every afternoon I am treated to the incredible view from that locale. It is now firmly entrenched in the "one of my favorite places on earth" list in my mind. It is repeatedly stunning in totally new ways. And there's that one little section that you know is the opening to the ocean, which goes on forever. And the cloud formations there! Wow. And yet I am constantly reminded that there is no break-down lane on the bridge. There is no way I can stop to take a picture.

But perhaps it is just as well. A picture couldn't do justice to that view. So instead of whipping out the ol' camera, I drink it in every day, knowing there will be another such view the next day. Then I try to think deep thoughts about why the ocean affects me the way it does. Then I quickly swerve back out of the incoming traffic into which I have drifted while thinking deep thoughts and absorbing beautiful sights.

And hey, if anyone wants to see a chalkboard picture, stay tuned. I'm hoping to post one sometime in the future, after I get this role of film developed.

Classical Lit Exam #1

Just in case any of you are getting the idea that my teaching style is all play and no work, here is the exam I'm giving my high school students tomorrow (and if any of you ARE my high school students, stop reading right now!):

PART ONE: IDs (1 strong paragraph each)
Choose 5 of the following themes about which to write. Discuss each theme’s importance in Greek Literature, and give two examples of the theme’s presence in our book [Edith Hamilton's Mythology].
-Fate
-Man’s Relationship to the gods
-Self-Sacrifice
-Arete
-Hospitality
-Leadership
-Justice
-Hubris

PART TWO: ESSAY (4-5 strong paragraphs)
Genesis tells us that God created man in His own image. However, the ancient Greeks created the gods in their image, so to speak. They invented the gods based on their own understanding. How is this shown in Greek depictions of the gods’ power, authority, and relationships to man and to each other? How does this affect the way the Greeks think about their gods? In other words, what are the ramifications (or consequences) of creating gods in man’s image instead of the other way around?

And there you have it, my high schoolers' exam. I got the idea for the essay question from Amy Beth - I believe she came up with that idea of the Greeks creating the gods in their image. Brilliant, eh? Ah, she's a smart cookie, that Amy.

When Life Gives You Lymes...

...make Key Lyme Pie. Thanks for your clever advice, Craig. It was too good to pass up as a blog title, so I stole it. Yes, dear readers, I have Lyme Disease. At least I'd better, since I'm taking antibiotics for it. Oh the places I've been in the past week... I woke up Tuesday feeling Rather Odd, and upon finding a thermometer, I discovered I wasn't faking it! I had a temperature of over 100 -- an automatic stay-home-from-school-free pass! Woo! So, a nice, happy little fever, right? Well, no. It came and went, but it got as high as 104.4 (impressive, eh?), at which point my eyeballs felt like the fiery furnace, post Nebuchadnezzar's rage. Everything ached... for days. What was going on? Who gets random fevers suddenly? Evidently people with Lyme Disease do, but I didn't know at that point that I had it. So... I drank Many Liquids (I hope I learn to enjoy orange juice again) and watched tv for hour upon maddening hour, since I couldn't really do much else (such as move or think). The problem is, NOTHING is on during the day, except soap operas, Martha Stewart, and kids' shows. I did watch Mr. Rogers at one point, and was filled with happy memories from that golden era of children's programming. In this episode, I learned that real giants (such as the kind Daniel the Tiger was afraid he saw) are not real; they're just pretend. The objects of such fears are likely to turn out to be kind-hearted singing and dancing schoolteachers. So think of the lessons I would have missed had I not been sick... Andrea would still terrify me! Thank you, Land of Make-Believe!

ANYWAY, yes. I fulfilled my tv watching quota for the next 14.7 years. And I went to the doctor at one point, too. He asked, based on my address, if I was related to Grandpa (only he didn't call him that). Said to tell him he said hi. Good old Rhode Island. Of course, my fever was gone when I saw him (probably shivered it away during the 45 minutes I sat in the waiting room...), only to soar back to 103 that night. At the height of my malaise, my head and neck were so stiff and sore I could hardly move them. And my head felt like it was covered in bruises -- sore to the touch rather than muscle ache -- and my forehead felt numb. Isn't that weird? I think it's weird. Maybe the numbness has something to do with the large bowl of ice-water (emphasis on ice) that Andrea rigged up to allow me to remoisten my washcloth. Actually, I was just used to the past tense, but my head still kind of feels bruised and such. I'm not out of the woods yet. Wow, what an ironic statement, since it was the WOODS that got me into this mess in the first place! Stupid ticks on stupid deer. I probably got it while drawing in fields for hours. And now I look forward to an Everest of work for the same class! I'm not too panicky, though. It'll get done; it always does somehow... And if not, it's not the end of the world (if only it were that easy!).

So, now you are informed! I would appreciate continued prayers for healing; the antibiotics seem to be doing their thing, but I need to get a lot of strength back to do what needs to be done. And if anyone wants to volunteer to make me that Key Lyme pie, that would probably help things, too.

Great Moments in Literature

I was just chatting with Dad and Mom on the phone, and remembered two excellent Literature classes which I'd forgotten to report in blogger-land.

The first was with my 7th and 8th grade class. We had just read about Milo's discovery of the orchestra that plays the sunrise, the music of which provides the world with all of its color. So to illustrate this idea, I brought in three music samples and crayons. As I played each one I had them select appropriate colors for the mood of the music, and color on a piece of paper. They loved it! The first piece was a very mellow, renaissance (?) piece. I chose grays and dark blues. The next was a Baroque trumpet piece - very upbeat. I chose yellow and orange and red. And THEN came Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto #1. You should have seen their reactions! I chose bold colors, with streaks of gold. But some of them were reacting to the crashiness of the music by grabbing huge clumps of crayons and scribbling at will! It was so much fun:) We then went around the room and explained why we'd chosen the colors we'd chosen. I'd planned on the activity taking about 10 minutes, and it ended up taking up the entire period (45 minutes), but it was well worth it. I don't think they'll forget that any time soon!

The second great literature moment was with my 10th and 11th graders in our discussion of Greek Tragedy. Ahhhh I love it. We discussed such incredibly deep themes as "redemption through suffering" and "catharsis" and "order." And all of this was enhanced by the fact that I got to write those quoted terms on the board with colored chalk (thanks, Dad, for instilling in me a love for colored chalk!). And I think they were really getting it. The more I get to know the stories of my high schoolers, the more I'm realizing that they have known far more suffering than I did at their age. We talked about some deep issues, and included references to what the Bible says about suffering. It was a rich time. Who wouldn't want to teach literature?!

So ya, I still love being a teacher - especially being a Lit teacher.

A Blustery Day

I got up this morning and was so happy it was raining! This was kind of a strange reaction. But I was feeling so incredibly cozy being in this nice warm comfortable house, without having to step foot outside unless I wanted to. I did end up making two trips to the car today, but that was it!

Inside, where it was warm and dry and safe (not that it was particularly unsafe outside) I spent a most enjoyable day with Melissa, reading, chatting, and watching a movie. It was quiet and relaxed and all that a Sabbath should be.

And all of this was enhanced by the windchimes on the porch (the inspiration for this post). The windows were open, and I could hear them all day, along with the rain on the roof and the wind in the trees. And what a sound they made!

These are special windchimes. My big sister and her family gave them to me for my graduation from PC. She wanted to buy me windchimes, because every time I leave her house I ring the ones she has on her porch. And so she and I went to Keene together to choose some. The whole day was a great one, but those windchimes were the crowning touch. They were made by a man whose goal in making them was to create the most beautiful windchimes in the world. I'm pretty sure he succeeded. My particular ones are called "Gregorian Chimes in A" or something like that. They are so melodious and pure sounding. I've never heard windchimes like them! And all day long they were ringing, creating a beautiful background to the rest and fellowship that the day had.

So next time anyone is in RI, make sure to stop and listen to my windchimes!

Teachers' Workshop

I have now discovered what it's like to be on the other side of "teachers' workshop" days. Ah the joy of them as a child. And even though they now mean something different than a day off, they're still pretty cool. I got to sleep in until 7 this morning!

As a whole the day fluctuated between the excitement of a new, very practical strategy to implement, and the incredible boredom of that mid-afternoon, wicked tired, I-can't-take-any-more-of-this feeling. During the former I was jotting down notes. During the latter I was torn between letting out a Howard Dean-esque yell and putting my head down on my desk and bursting into tears. But the day ended, and I got home early. So all in all, it was a good experience.

I missed my kids though. I kept thinking of things I wanted to tell them or discuss with them. And then I remembered they wouldn't be there. Ah well, Tuesday is coming (no school Monday! Thanks Columbus!).

Good news: ALL of my kids got A's on their Government tests!!! This was especially good since NONE of them got A's the last time around. I must admit, I made their way a bit easier this time. My hints tend to get a little obvious sometimes. But their essays showed some real genuine improvement, which was very heartening.

And now it is the Sabbath, and a long weekend, and I have books and movies from the library. Yay!

Thy spirit ere our fatal loss
Did ever rise from high to higher;
As mounts the heavenward altar-fire,
As flies the lighter thro’ the gross.

But thou art turn’d to something strange.
And I have lost the links that bound
Thy changes; here upon the ground,
No more partaker of thy change.

Deep folly! yet that this could be,–
That I could wing my will with might
To leap the grades of life and light,
And flash at once, my friend, to thee.

Tennyson, In Memoriam XLI

Today's Adventures

I brought my camera to school today so that I could quickly shoot a role, get it developed, and have pictures to show this weekend! The differences in student reactions were intriguing. My high school girls groaned a little, but then proceeded to give me an adorable pose, which I think will turn out great. My high school boys were cooperative, but not exactly riveted by the idea of having their pictures taken. One refused to smile, although a little smirk did escape. The junior high girls were quite enthusiastic by round two, while the junior high boys were mostly delighted with my willingness to take pictures of them making faces and hitting each other. Then there were the second graders who happened to be in the area and begged me to take their pictures, too. So I'll have some pics of random youngsters whose names I do not know. Sigh. My greatest teaching weakness, so far, is my inability to remember names, and sometimes faces, even. Ah well. No one seems to hold it against me yet.

Happy teaching moment: I'm doing The Phantom Tollbooth with my junior high kids, and today I was talking about the old woman Milo found in the dungeon. She told Milo a story about the Princesses Rhyme and Reason (this is such a great book!). So I decided to reenact the scene. I put my glasses way down on the end of my nose, and put a scarf over my head, and borrowed a pencil and pen for knitting needles. I was so thrilled when one of the girls slipped from her seat to sit at my feet. And then another. And then came my trouble-maker! I love him so much. He is hard to keep under control, but we have quite a rapport, and this was such a sign of support and solidarity. Pretty soon almost all of them were there, gathered around my seat, listening to the great tale. What a great teacher moment!

And tomorrow... Fairwood! With Pictures!!!

Actually not all about teaching

The phone rang, and the caller ID said "unknown." Uh oh. I picked up, expecting that pause in which I would quickly slam the phone back down, knowing long pauses are usually telemarketers (once in awhile they aren't, but for the greater good I take on the occasional risk of a puzzled friend to avoid the greater evil of unrelenting telemarketers).

There was no pause this time, but there was definitely "call center" noises in the background. Usually this is still okay, since they ask for Paul or Laura and I say they aren't home (which is true, since I almost never answer the phone when they're here).

But lo and behold, the woman did not ask for Paul and Laura. She said she was conducting a public opinion survey, and wondered if she could ask me a few questions.

HIP HIP HOOOORRRAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!!!!!!

I LOVE public opinion surveys! I gladly settled down in the office, blithely forgetting about the reading quiz I had been creating. She proceeded to ask me questions about whether I was liberal or conservative, what I thought the most pressing issue facing America today was, whether I worked for a newspaper (?), and whether I was favorable or unfavorable towards Bush. I answered these with firm conviction, and rising spirits (which were already pretty good following a great walk w/ Melissa).

Then she asked what I thought the most pressing issue facing RI was. Um, RI? (Is this the time where I confess I'm not even registered to vote here? Naaaaaa.) I said I didn't know. Then she asked me all these RI names, and whether I was favorable or unfavorable towards them. Luckily Melissa was in the room - I would quickly whisper the names to her and she would tell me whether they were good or not. They were mostly not. This is RI, after all.

But part way through the phone call, I realized that one of the names was running against another of the names in the Republican primary. Aha! Anyone running against Lincoln Chafee in the Republican primary HAS to be more conservative that he is! So I quickly began changing my tune, and answering my questions in a way that amounted to singing his praises.

She finished with: "If the Republican primary was held today, would you vote for Chafee or Laffey?"

"Laffey!" I responded with the conviction born of extensive study and wild-eyed activism, despite the fact that I'd never heard his name until about 3 minutes previous.

So now, all you readers who live in RI (yes, listen up all three of you!), vote for Laffey!

Throughout the conversation, I kept having this little niggling doubt in the back of my mind. What if I was answering all these questions about my political views and religious philosophies and such (yes, they know that I'm protestant and pro-life and conservative - they asked), and then was coming out in rabid support of some flaming liberal? That would throw some strange curves into their survey!

Rest easy, gentle readers. I looked him up on line and he is indeed more conservative than Chafee.

GO LAFFEY!

(PS. I still love teaching! And today one of my students actually brought me an apple! Hee hee hee)
(PPS. I've always loved apples - another indication that I'm in the right place.)

More Teaching Moments

Newsflash: I LOVE TEACHING! (That was for anyone who has not read my blog before, and thus hasn't seen the other 74 times I've said that.)

Weird Teaching Moment of the Week: When the students didn't know who AM was on the schedule - thinking surely it would say "MM" (for Miss Murray) if it meant me.

A First: Today was picture day! A photographer came in and got group pics and individual pics. This school is much cooler than my high school about picture taking, because in this school we got to have the pictures taken outside with a rustic New England background. I imagine this is the difference between 900 students and 49 students.

Happiest Teaching Moment of the Week: Today I was telling my high school about something that happened in middle school science. "I wish you were our science teacher," said one kid. "And math," he added. "And everything else!" said another. Did someone tell them I was a words of aff person and would give them better grades on the exams they were about to take if they buttered me up a bit? Because it probably worked.

On second thought, it probably didn't. I found something to work on: essay writing. They are very juvenile in their essay responses on tests. Don't worry - I'll whack 'em once, and they will start learning fast:) Oh, and comma usage. YIKES! I didn't know it was possible to use so many commas in one sentence.

Happy Realization of the Week: Just because you wake up in the morning more exhausted than you've been in months, it doesn't mean the day will be a bad one! In fact, it might get better and better as it goes along, and end up your favorite day of the week.

Looking Ahead: After watching my 7th and 8th graders perform a play of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil" (the mauling of the subtleties of the story probably had ol' Nate spinning in his grave), and seeing how well they did (I was SO proud - we'd never had an uninterrupted/unprompt-filled rehearsal, and the actual play went flawlessly, if you don't count one brief fit of giggles), the headmaster asked me to entertain the idea (just entertain, he assured me) of directing a play at the end of the year. He'd like something that demonstrates the classical model, has costumes and set, and involves everyone from 5th grade up with parent participation. AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! All this after I was saying to Melissa that it was going to be a LONG time before I attempted another play... But, strangely, I was quite captured by the idea, and will probably be sending out invitations sometime around April or May:)

Happy Sabbath everyone! (And let me tell you - I am sure relishing my Sabbaths these days!)

Where Will it End?

I've found myself going to unusual lengths for the sake of education...

It was pretty normal when I was stopping at Wal Mart to buy posterboard and crayons.

But soon I was in Michaels buying modeling clay. Somehow that seems a little more strange.

That wasn't much compared to going door to door in the "Brown Compound" collecting milk jugs and turn tables for a science experiment.

But all of that was left far in the dust when I found myself CUTTING THE LINING OUT OF MY SKIRT so that I would have a black veil for the class play!

Chiaroscuro In the Cellar

I'm seeing compositions everywhere. I've got 16 drawings down, 14 to go by Monday. Yes, that would be 30 drawings -- and we were given one week to complete them. (This is Melissa, by the way... no, Andrea hasn't been roped into teaching art on top of everything else at that crazy school). Of course I'm blissfully and restfully not thinking about work right now, but calm reflection is okay. WHY WOULD ANYONE EVER CHOOSE TO BE AN ART MAJOR? 30 drawings is pretty crazy (in all fairness, they're only supposed to be 10 minute drawings, but with preparation and proper psyching-up, that's still a whole lotta time and energy), but I'm learning a lot, and I think this art stuff is starting to sink in. I'm starting to see why some compositions work and others don't, why something on the left side of the page has more visual weight than something on the right, how large shapes catch more attention on top than on the bottom, since the viewer subconsciously expects heavier things to be grounded. Cool, eh? A lot of it really breaks down to a science, and learning the tricks of the trade is kind of like learning a secret language. All these things that I could see vaguely before, but now I know why they work... it's kind of exciting. A little weird too, because I'm learning to appreciate art that, to the average Philistine (hehe), just looks like a bunch of lines or scribbles or confusing shapes drawn by a five-year-old. It may not be all that aesthetically pleasing on first glance, but it makes SENSE! The artist knew what he was doing! And it's all pointing more and more to an Artist who most certainly knows what HE is doing. I feel like I'm starting to catch new glimpses into the mysteries of Heaven as I increasingly notice how amazing light is, and what an infinite number of shapes and colors and perfect compositions are contained in God's creation. WOW! I know the God who thought all this stuff up! And all these insightful but often extremely worldly artists haven't even scratched the surface of the Beauty that will someday be revealed in its entirety.

Oh, and...Mind-Expanding Blogging Quiz!!...anybody know what that fancy art word in the title means? About the cellar part -- I found out (after a not-so-encouraging critique) that I can focus neither in my room nor in the middle of humanity downstairs (not that there's much humanity left around here these days...), and my art prof suggested that I really need to do something different, like come in and draw at school. Ew. Instead, I have sequestered myself in the basement. My garret, as it were. Though "garret" brings to mind words like "high" and "airy" and "bright"... instead of ones like "underground," "musty," and "dark," which much more aptly fit the space. Oh well -- whatever works. Dungeonlike or not, it's a change of scenery with plenty of room, away from distraction. And I can adjust the light; before, I was waiting until it got dark enough to draw without having to deal with natural light (not really a great time-management technique). If I keep working down there, I'm hoping to jazz it up a little by putting up inspirational posters with slogans such as "CONTRAST BUILDS CONFIDENCE!" and "LIGHT MAKES RIGHT!" Hope nobody was hoping to play ping-pong or pool anytime soon... the charcoal is flying.

Yup, Still Awesome

This morning began just right - with bagels from Panera. For my Classical Lit class I had them telling Greek myths so they could learn the stories the way the ancient Greeks would have - by hearing them, not reading them. And since bards can't really work very well without banquets I brought Panera bagels and juice (which I called ambrosia, much to the students' confusion).

They did fantastically on their storytelling, and they seemed to enjoy it! The only problem came between stories, while they were washing bagels off their hands, and Mr. Bailey came in. Here is the principal of the school, expecting rigorous learning, and finding a class full of kids goofing off and munching on bagels! It's not what you think, Mr. Bailey!

And then, to make matters worse, in he came at the end of the day, right after I realized I had time left over in class (after their exam - the first exam I've given - and current events) and allowed them to use it by eating the left over bagels. Ahhh! Here we were goofing off and eating bagels again! I'm surprised he didn't fire me on the spot. Fortunately his son is in my high school class, and his daughter is in my junior high class, and they have apparently been giving positive reports at home. Phew!

I wish you, my reader, could know my students. What an amazing group they are! So unique, so interesting, so funny, so enthusiastic. Ahhhh, what a joy they are. I was already thinking about how they had jolly well better come back and visit after they graduate.

My Classical Lit class asked if I'd be there next year. I said I hoped so. They said they'd almost never had a Lit teacher stay for more than a year. I asked what that said about them. They laughed. I LOVE TEACHING!

Weird Teaching Moment #5 (or so)

Student: Have you seen Napoleon Dynamite?

Miss Murray: Yes!

Student: Did you like it?

Miss Murray: Yes, it was hilarious.

Student: It seems like nobody's parents like the movie. They all think it's dumb or pointless.

Miss Murray: Ya, it seems pretty generational.

Student: What does that mean?

Miss Murray: Only people in a certain age group like it.

[Pause]

Student: Then why do you like it?

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! How old do these people think I am?! I'm being classed with people's parents!!! Natural, I suppose, but still a weird moment:)

Another First: Grading Papers!

After a quick call to Danny, when I realized that I had no idea how to grade papers, I sat down and delved into 7th and 8th grade book reports. I've been pleasantly surprised at their writing abilities, although I must admit to laughing out loud a few times. Here are some of my favorite passages:

[On The War of the Worlds] "Unless you like to read books that have too much detail I do not recommend this book."

[On Mr. Jekll and Mr. Hyde] "The main problem is Mr. Hyde lurking about and committing evil because he murdered someone and stomped on a little girl."

[On Treasure Island] "The theme is don't turn to piracy or you will find your self on the gallows."

[On Perelandra] "The only way to stop this spirit was to beat the stuffing out of Weston and thus knocking the spirit out of his senses."

[Also on Perelandra] "Altogether, this book was suspenseful, imaginative, and thought-provoking although it does lack accurate knowledge of the make up of the solar system as Venus is made up entirely of volcanic activity."

Have I Mentioned Lately that I Love Teaching?

Saturday morning. I wake up. I think about school. I look forward to Monday.

WEIRD!!!

Other weird things:
-Having students call me Mrs. Murray (Miss Murray is weird enough!).
-Having Ethan (my 10th grade boy) ask "Is that your name?" when I typed Andrea into the computer. It turns out Andrea is also his grandmother's name!
-Having students respond to my attempts at "the look."

And now for some awesome teaching moments:
-My 7th grade Lit class embodying everything I pictured when I thought "English teacher." They came to class brimming with questions and ideas about the reading (Hawthorne's The Minister's Black Veil, which will hold a very special place in my heart from now on...). And they went through class with excitement, and by the end, awe, as they uncovered what the story was really about.
-Lively discussion in my Government class. I have a double period Gov't class on Fridays, so we're going to do current events. It turns out there is a Democrat in my class! But the other three are pretty rabid Republicans, from what I could gather from one class. This made for invigorating conversation, and a real excitement in the air at some points. They all (even the poor lonely Democrat) sounded really positive afterwards, and agreed that they wanted to continue with the current events. Woo hoo!
-Also invigorating discussion in the teacher's lounge. We started on Hawthorne (someone asked me for the Cliff Notes version of The Minister's Black Veil) and we moved to Puritans and, yes, churches with closed communion and churches that think the Bride of Christ is an exclusive group. I, needless to say, kept a low profile by the end of the conversation... Ah the excitement!

Some Firsts:
-I gave my first quiz yesterday! The kids did not do very well, I don't think. We'll have to work on that...
-I have my first batch of papers to grade (gulp). They did summer book reports. Fortunately, I think I have leeway to grade non-stringently at first.
-I went the northern route on my way in, and discovered it to be shorter!

Bonus:
-My entire 7th and 8th grade class is made up of Red Sox fans!
-Everyone seems to enjoy the wild tangents that I frequently pursue.
-My kids have good senses of humor! There is one boy in particular who can make me laugh really hard.
-I like each of my students! There are none that I feel like I'll have to endure till summer. They are unique and fun and interesting.
-Daddy was able to come visit my school, since he was in Newport on other business!

In Conclusion:
-Thank the Lord, thank the Lord, thank the Lord!

I still love teaching!

Day 2: So far so good!

Today was even better than yesterday! Learning from my mistakes, I had more material to present in a more interesting way, and thus got my high schoolers on board. The 7th and 8th graders were just as on board as yesterday, if not more so. I'm thinking that I'm going to love teaching all day long, and be a little more skeptical when preparing at night.

I got to write on a chalk board today! And write I did... I covered the thing.

And I got to share my #1 Literary Fact: Wherefore means why, not where. Thus, when Juliet says "Wherefore art thou Romeo?" she is asking "Why are you Romeo?" as in, "Why did you have to be from the family that hates my family?" My 7th and 8th graders were fascinated:)

Another great day!

Now I'm Really a Teacher!!!

I'm taking a quick moment from my lesson plans to let everyone know: I LOVE TEACHING! I came bounding into the teachers' lounge at lunchtime, full of enthusiasm. The other teachers gave me tolerant smiles and told me to hold onto that for around the middle of the year. But how could I help being excited, when my first class (7th and 8th grade Literature - a fabulous group of kids!) ended with one of the girls leaving a note behind that said "We love Miss Murray!" Ahhhh! I'm such a teacher! I was elated:) And yes, she is getting straight A's.

This morning I had the realization that the day had arrived for which I have been waiting for years, to one degree or another. I always used to say I wanted to teach, and now here I am. Amazing!

But man oh man, it's tons of work - and I need to get back to it...

I'm Pretty Much a Teacher!

I have a grade book. And a lesson plan book. And I ate lunch in the teacher's lounge. I'm at staff meetings, and talking about kids' needs, and discussing corrective action.

I'm a teacher!

I didn't write yesterday, partly because the main thing I thought of was Buttercup's declaration "We'll never survive" as she and Westley are entering the Fire Swamp. I even tried it out loud to get the accent right. Very effective.

But actually I wasn't all that gloomy yesterday, and I certainly wasn't gloomy today. Tired, yes. Gloomy, no. For one thing, I love the people I'm going to be working with. They have wonderful senses of humor, and are ready to help at the drop of a hat.

So now all that remains to be seen is what the kids are like. And what teaching is like. And if I will or will not actually survive.

But really, my courage is quite good. I know the year will be hard. I will have no social life to speak of. I will be tired all the time. But I will be TEACHING! And teaching LITERATURE.

I will also be teaching US Government and Earth Science (scratch the New Testament survey class). I never thought I'd see the day when I would be teaching science. But it's coming. Try next Wednesday.

So folks, while this is an update on events of late, it is also a bit of a farewell. Remember that part about no social life? That pretty much meant no free time (i.e. no blog time). Sigh. And Melissa just started college and has three self portraits due by next week so she'll be out of it too. My best guess is that there might be an update each weekend, but I'm not even sure about that. It's been fun while it lasted! And who knows, maybe teaching will be a breeze and I'll have oodles of time for sitting around writing fascinating tales of the world of education. But I'm not counting on it.

New Feature

Just so nobody is confused, allow me to explain the new step required for leaving comments. You have to type in the little word that you see in order to insure that you are a real person and not some nefarious blog spammer. Clever, clever Blogger, coming up with a way to thwart the dark side! Go ahead and try it out everyone. It's fun!

Teaching Nightmares

Last week I was wondering why I hadn't had any yet. But it has happened at last: teaching nightmares. I dreamed about getting up in front of a classroom with no idea what I should say or what I should make them do. I had done zero preparation and was desperately watching the clock, wondering if I could fill the time with small group discussion. Terrifying.

I also had college nightmares before college began, acting nightmares from drama, and even wedding nightmares on Gretchen's behalf! As I recall she didn't have any. I took care of them for her.

The reassuring thing about this kind of dream is the realization when you awake that there is no way it could really happen. I will most definitely be more prepared to teach than that. And I figure, what better way to take care of stress than while you're sleeping? It's multi-tasking, for one thing - so productive. And for another, the waking moments aren't so frenzied because you know it can't be as bad as the dream, and you concentrate on making sure of that by planning/studying/memorizing/etc. And the dreams stop once the reality of college/teaching/wedding actually takes place. The only draw-back to the whole dream thing is that horrible out-of-control feeling during the actual dream. But that never lasts too long.

I go in tomorrow for my first day of teacher training!

Smug and Superior

Once upon a time, there was a huge offense perpetrated against lovers of literature everywhere. I was walking through the kitchen at Fairwood, back in the day, and glanced over at the white board to see what illuminating quote had been placed there this time. The board read:

"To thine own self be true." -- Oprah

OPRAH?!?! Try Shakespeare.

How dreadful that some icon of popular culture would take a line straight out of Hamlet (it's from Polonius' speech to his son) and twist it to mean some liberal, feel-good "be true to yourself" catch phrase. Besides, when Polonius was saying this, he meant look out for number one. He was giving pragmatic, if not selfish, advice. Oprah, forsooth!

Something similar happened recently. Melissa and I were trying to remember who said "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." We decided, as is our usual m.o., to google it. Up it popped as a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt. I don't think so. I scrolled down farther and sure enough, it was Milton. Another hero of literary history being robbed of his right by some lesser mortal. Of course, Eleanor Roosevelt seems like a great woman and all, but still...

All of this brings to mind a book Dad was reading a year or so ago. It was an adventure story, part of which took place in Jerusalem! He was reading along about this guy in his getaway car in the Old City. He was a little skeptical, but decided it was possible to have a car in the particular place described in the book. But then he read as the car turned and went down the street to exit through the Damascus gate. At that point Dad was unable to suspend reality any longer. The Damascus gate?! Clearly the author had never been there, and was basing his descriptions on some street map. You see, street maps don't show the fact that that street, leading out the Damascus gate, is impossible for cars to maneuver, due to the fact that it is a series of steps! And don't forget the masses of people and carts and goods for sale (that was the low point of my Israel experience - I've never been so glad to get out into an open space...).

Dad was telling me about this, and I was laughing about it, and commenting about how cool it was that we knew first-hand that this author was out in left field somewhere.

Dad understood, and suggested that perhaps the words I was looking for to describe my feelings were "smug and superior."

Thoughts on the Disengagement

Israel's recent move to pull out of the Gaza strip was a confusing situation for me to evaluate, as a distant, non-Jewish American. Of course I'm an avid supporter of Israel, but at the same time I know there is a serious Palestinian need. I don't trust the Palestinian leadership at all, but there are legitimately needy people there that have nothing to do with the Palestinian government or the terrorist activity. Nonetheless, I hated to see Israel giving up territory to people who despise them and want nothing but their total destruction. It didn't seem very logical to me. But the problem has gone on so long that perhaps some new tactic is what is necessary.

These were my vague thoughts - a bit wishy washy. But recently my thoughts took a slightly different bent. I thought of the incredible spirit of those settlers who were willing to risk everything - their lives, their children's lives, their livelihood - and go to live in the middle of hostile territory. I thought of their vision, their purpose, that amazing drive to fulfill their destiny. I found myself wanting to emulate their spirit in my own life. They are heroes. And they are watching as their own nation - the people for whose future they were laying down their lives - turns against them. Their mission has seemingly failed. They weren't even defeated by enemies, but by friends. Their sorrow at this time must be overwhelming.

Recently I was listening to a broadcast on the Internet. A man who had lived in one of these settlements was talking about the devastation of leaving - and yet the prevailing Jewish spirit that was refusing to be defeated. Even as the settlers knew they would have to give up the protests and leave (not wanting to jeopardize their children with violent resistance) they were dancing and singing the revered Jewish song of unity. The man spoke of his faith in a God who who would take this devastation and make something good come from it.

I tend to think the pullout is a bad idea - it is a concession to outside pressure and a seeming concession to terrorist activity - but political issues aside, the human story there is heartbreaking. I honor those men and women for their vision. And I'm believing for a day when they will see that vision realized beyond what they could ever imagine.