Random Thoughts

We received two more "Christmas" cards/letters yesterday (Feb. 1). It's nice to know I'm not the only one who procrastinates (as evidenced by the fact that I haven't written my thank-you notes yet).

Some people get all bent out of shape by holiday newsletters. Not me. I love to hear what's going on in the lives of far-flung friends I only hear from once a year. Today I read that Andrea and Chuck's four boys are a year older, changing from cute to handsome, and the two eldest have become my brothers in the faith! Yea!

I hardly know Lisa's (Lisa my college BFF, not Lisa my daughter, her namesake) family. I've never met her husband and stepchildren and probably never will since they live in the opposite corner of our nation. But I like to see that she's happily married and travels the world to places I only dream about and teach about in my geography classes.

People who complain about those letters criticize the bragging and dwelling on mundane details. Not me. I skim the parts about people I don't know; say a prayer for my friends' aches, illnesses, sorrows and joys; examine the photos (thanks for sending those!) and lay them aside to reexamine from time to time; and am grateful that we haven't fallen off friends' mailing lists and from their hearts.

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Thursday night Bob and I watched the first game of the Mount Dora Bible girls' softball season. Ah, Florida. We sat in our camping/sports chairs in short sleeves, enjoying the balmy breeze and the crack (bats don't crack any more, they clang or something, don't they?) of the bats as the girls played in sleeveless shirts under the lights.

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How is it I have time to blog this morning? This is the first Saturday I've had in quite a long while without somewhere I need to be at some point. I'm also finding, gratefully, that my work isn't taking so much of my spare time as the previous semester: planning is a little easier since I've established a routine, grading papers can be put off a day or two without the earth ceasing to rotate, papers to be filed - well, if they haven't been filed before today, they probably can wait another day or week or month. Yes, today I need to generate a test to be copied on Monday, plan for the next week, mark three periods of tests, etc. but it's just Saturday morning. "There's hours to go before I sleep."

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I have two screensaver slideshows stored on my computers. One I've been using at school since August seemed appropriate for a geography teacher: Places I've Been. It includes photos of Prague, Edinburgh, Camp Manatawny, Maine, Lompoc flowerfields, a west Texas oil derrick and sagebrush.

Yesterday I decided to switch to Family Photos. I had such a tender feeling throughout the day as I gazed at my grandchildren, children, parents, and sibling (and hubby, of course! but I seem him every day, thankfully!!). Some of my sixth period girls wandered near the computer as they passed me their test papers and stopped to look at the photos: "Your daughter looks just like you!" (Loni); "You look like your mother," and "Aw, they're so cute." (the boys, of course)

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Epiphany: On Thursday one of my students commented (for effect, I'm sure), "You smiled!" I asked, "Don't I smile?" He said, "It's the first time today." I'm sure it wasn't, that he was just trying to get a reaction from me and his fellow-students, but it got me thinking.

I'm pretty much dissatisfied with the behavior of many in my classes. I have high expectations and, as a first year teacher who didn't have as much time to prepare procedures and things as I would have liked (since I didn't know I would be teaching middle-schoolers rather than elementary when I finally was blessed with a teaching job!), my students are often chattier than I'd like. However, that's the nature of the (middle-school) beast: sociable, show-off, talkative. And my classroom has a linoleum floor, cinderblock walls and a low ceiling - perfect for reverberating noise. Visitors (administrators) don't often come to my classroom, but I'm insecure, hoping that my students would be quietly (silently) working or better still, enthusiastically engaged (but with no side conversations!) in a lively discussion about geography or, even better, the Bible in some way that relates to geography (this IS a Bible school, after all). But subconsciously, I'm fearful that should that fateful visit occur, my students would be at their worst (a nightmare I don't want to even put into words of description here in my blog).

But I've digressed from my epiphay. I realized several things as I thought about his spontaneous remark: I am so intent on straightening out and controlling their behavior that I am without good humor; the situation I've got currently is what has evolved from August through January and is not likely to be improved significantly today or anytime soon; the behavior of my students is not as bad as I subconsciously think - it is just not my ideal and likely never will be (they are MIDDLE SCHOOL students, after all); if I want the students to enjoy and be enthusiastic about the information I have to share, I need to "lighten up;" I need to smile more and enjoy and appreciate these young people whose lives I've been blessed to share.

I'm looking forward to my new outlook.

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Bob, Loni, and I went to Disney for my birthday. I love Disney and may never get my fill. We had never been to DisneyWorld before moving to Florida and here we are in Mickey's backyard. I chose MGM Studios this time (which has been renamed Hollywood Studios for some reason) and off we went. I was afraid the weather would be cool, but it was really nice. We had on jackets which were perfect all day; we weren't too cool or too hot.

Fairly early in the day, on the StarTours ride, everyone in our (what to call it? Vehicle? Room? whatever) was gifted with a FastPass Special Pass which entitled us to go to the head of the line of every ride or show which was designated a FastPass ride. Yippee! We were excited, momentarily . . . but all the shows weren't doing FastPass that day. I felt like someone had given me a chocolate icecream cone from ColdStone Creamery, then took it back! So we tried not to be put-out (after all, it's not like something we'd paid for had been taken, or whatever) and just enjoy the day. The shows were fun. The crowds weren't too bad. And finally, yes, because we had the FastPass ticket, Bob and I decided to try a ride we probably wouldn't have otherwise: The Rocking RollerCoaster. Now, you have to realize that Bob and I aren't coaster people. And we've never been on one that goes upside down! BUT the Rocking Roller Coaster is in the dark. We were Bob the Builder, "We can do it! Yes, we can!" And we did it. Bob (DH, not the Builder) yelled, "This is great," over and over again. I kept instinctively closing my eyes, then making myself open them again (we were in the dark, after all!). It was fun. I might (MIGHT, no promises) try another coaster that goes upside down someday, but the next one won't be with dangling feet, I'm pretty sure.

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Since I had the time this morning, I spent an hour finishing a book I started before Christmas, His Dark Materials. This is the trilogy from which the movie, "The Golden Compass," was made. I decided, as a middle school teacher, to read the book so I could say with authority, and not second-hand, what was and was not true about the book. It is extremely imaginative and well-written. I can see why Philip Pullman won all the awards. And it is not until halfway through the second of the three books that the identity of the evil ones is revealed to be "God" and his angels and followers. The powerful groups of the "church" (recognizable as the RC church) are Pullman's really bad guys out to kill the innocent girl and those defending her (because somehow she is the key to who stays in control and what happens to the worlds and their inhabitants). Pullman's "god" is a fallen angel who has named himself "God." (Um, Mr. Pullman, where did angels and the rest of these creatures and worlds come from?) One of the good guys, a woman, was a nun who left the church and is no longer a Christian, but "free." Some of the other "good guys" are witches and gypsies. The story is fascinating and convoluted. I DO NOT recommend that anyone read it. I hope no one bothers. I sincerely hope that young people don't read it and become influened to his viewpoint.

I'm glad to be done with it. The book is now in the trash (minus a few pages I kept for reference) and I'll happily move onto my stash of Christian fiction and more innocent juvenile literature.

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Well, enough randomness for one day. I know anyone who reads this is amazed that there's actually something to read on my blog. You've probably stopped even checking in here. I'm glad you did.

Have a blessed day.