2011-a year in review

I don't normally do a meme for the new year. As I reflected on this past year, I though I would.

January: The year started reasonably enough. Tom and I had the NPD car show at Silver Springs and had a nice time. Didn't win anything but my '67 got a lot of attention. Started a new semester at work and that brought a new batch of kids. Had one of the best English 3 classes I've had in years. Had a small English 1 grade forgive class. Struggled with the "dump all Drama classes into one" the school keeps doing to me. Ended up deciding to do an incorporated project for Drama and we studied "Our Town", I think that project went fairly well. On the 27th my brother and sister-in-law (and Amelia!) welcomed Knox Richard James into their family.

February: Valentine's Day, my Birthday, FCAT. Worked a lot. Cast the spring show and started rehearsing. Had some blood work done and the endocrinologist thought we had my thyroid levels under control with medication. My GP wanted me to start taking some additional medication but I resisted, I just wasn't comfortable with taking it then.

March: 3rd quarter exams. Spring Break (where I basically slept the whole time). Rehearsals continued. Adopted a new Black and Tan coonhound (Annabel Lee) and she is amazing. We knew we would know when it was time to get a new dog and God sent us Bellee

April: Rehearsal increased and the show was the end of April. Tom and I celebrated our 13th anniversary. Got word Uncle Bill (Dad's brother) had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Granny fell and broke her other hip, requiring surgery. During the Spring show I got work Uncle Bill went home to be with the Lord. Continued to have problems with DE the AP (she walked out of the spring show twice and trash talked me and my kids).

May: Went to Uncle Bill's Celebration of Life. Graded research projects. Officially learned I was losing my classroom and black box theatre. Got torn to shreds in an evaluation and after 5 years of DE the AP's 'issues' addressed the problems with 'The Boss'. Learned DE the AP had been reassigned to the Renaissance Center (school for 'problem students') and she was getting her 'wish' to be a Principal (this is a bit of a 'be careful what you wish for' situation). Had the Broken Leg banquet and said good bye to another group I cared deeply about. Went to another graduation (in the miserable heat). Started packing and moving my home on campus (death #2). Ended my 12th school year at CRHS.

June: Tried to recover from the school year. Wasn't feeling well. Spent at least a week working with Cate on the 'sooper seekrit' project. Met people in Dunnellon. Karen contacts me about Mom and Dad's address. She wants to send Dad a plant for Father's Day. (this is a big deal) Mom turned 68(?)

July: went to St. Maarten for a week with Mom and Dad. Wish I could go back to that condo on Simpson Bay at least once a year. It was such a beautiful place and I really loved sitting on the balcony (either the small one off my room or the big one off the main section) and reading or looking at the water/boats/planes take off or land or watch the sunset or watch the rain showers move. St. Maarten was a wonderful experience. Started getting ready for a new school year. Got my hair trimmed and colored (note to self...don't wait 10 months between trim and coloring) Dad had a cancer scare.

August: started school year #13 at CRHS. Stuff was missing that was supposed to be moved. The new construction isn't everything it was 'supposed' to be. My room is very small and doesn't begin to meet the needs of my subject. They forced me to teach 2 English 3 classes and only 1 Drama class. Was given no time to move out of my old space and lost about 85% of what we owned, the program will never recover from that. Was given a number of challenging students (an autistic, an ESOL, several very low learners). Started having lunch with another teacher and one of the aids. Have to start going to training mandated by the county. Lots of changes going on. Got closer to Bri after knowing her for about 2 years. Going on a Spring Break cruise with Mom, Dad and Karen. Tom working on SD A LOT. Planning to have the car done by October 2012. Angela turned 34. Granny turned 92.

September: Granny passed away on September 10 while Mom and Dad were in Italy. Amelia turned 3 on the 13th and had her first 'real' birthday party on the 16. Mom and Dad came back to the states on the 15 and I took 6 days off work to help. Went to GA with family to have Granny's funeral during that time. Very different experience from Uncle Bill's. Returned to work to Homecoming week and then end of the first 9 weeks. Exhausted most of the time. John turned 33.

October: End of the first 9 weeks. Tom turned 51. Mom and Dad celebrated 47 years of marriage. Started working on Districts one act and tried to get the kids working on their IE's. Work feels off so much of the time. Anji has a birthday. Started formulating a project for next semester for the production, going to be a production and a community service project.

November: Finally had a holiday and then a week off. Working on research papers. Sarah and then Dad and Aunt Jane have a birthday. Karen making gestures to become close to Mom, Dad and me. Karen needing to get away from her Mom. Karen admits to us she is an alcoholic (we knew but she told us) and is recovering. Judged an event for Cate.

December: Districts where the kids did better than the scores reflect but I got to know a couple wonderful parents and one of the staff from work. Districts also kicked the kids into wanting to change things. Am hopeful this will follow through. Had a Christmas party with the kids. Another set of research projects due. Jeff, James, Jimmy, Luke, Savannah and Derek all have birthday's. Second quarter exams. Losing an English 3 class I really likes (2 in one year!). Losing an English 3 class that wasn't that good (with all the problem students). Finished a Drama class with all sorts of problems. Spent 2 weeks recovering from the year. Went back to the endocrinologist and are trying a different mix on medication. Weight has crept up and am going to try to get back into my exercise regiment next year. Had hair cut and colored. Got bedroom set from Mom and Dad (but Tom would only take the bed frame and night stands...ugh). Mom and Dad moved into a 'retirement community'.

So it felt like a year of stress and loss. There were some bright spots but it felt like more valleys than mountain tops. Glad to have it gone. Praying 2012 is better. Praying for doors to open and for opportunities to afford themselves. Maybe I'll write out some goals for 2012. There are some things I am excited about happening in 2012...honestly, don't know I could handle many more years like this one!

Howard Jones interview

One of my friends sent me this link because they remembered HoJo was one of my favorite artists!

SQUEE!!!

Ramblings from earlier this week

It's been too long since I posted here. I need to be better about writing. The following is some ramblings from earlier in the week. Posting it here so I don't 'lose' it. Some thoughts I want to ponder:

I thought I saw myself this morning. For a moment the mirror appeared out of focus and a face from the past peered at me. When did I lose that part of myself? I long to become reacquainted with the girl of my past, she has strength, ideas and energy I would love to rediscover. She has fears I would love to discuss and try to allay. I would love for her to know how to avoid a few things. That there are times when life will appear dark and dismal but to keep going as those times don’t stay forever. I would love to be that girl again. I would love to awake in my bedroom and be 16 or 17. To get ready for school and spend the day with old friends on the campus I love.

for today...

Training Through Chastening
Hebrews 12:1-11
If you are now going through testing, there are three things you should especially remember.
First, God's way is the wisest way. Training is always accompanied by some type of hardship.
Even athletes realize they cannot properly train without giving up some of the pleasures of life and enduring the hardship of training. God trains us through chastening.
Second, God's time is the best time. God was working out His purpose through Joseph. It was impossible for Joseph to realize it at the time, but later he could look back and see that God's time had been exactly right--everything had worked out.
But imagine the lonely years of waiting. God does not act too early nor too late. He is never in a hurry but accomplishes things in His own time.
Too many of us either lag behind or run ahead of God's time. But we need to remember that the clock of divine providence keeps strict time. Because of our circumstances it may appear to be slow at times and fast at others, but the all-wise God knows precisely when to act.
Third, God's grace is sufficient. He will give us the grace we need to be patient.
James 1:4 says, "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." The word "perfect" means "mature" or "complete." God is seeking to teach us valuable lessons so we will be mature believers.
"Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty" (Job 5:17).

A thought for today...

Had Joseph been looking at only the circumstances during his 13 years of trial and wrongful imprisonment, he would have despaired of all hope, but his trust was in God.

God's ways are mysterious; they are beyond man's comprehension. As God sovereignly works, man is often unable to understand why he is being led down a certain path.

"Man's goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?" (Prov. 20:24).

For today...

This really spoke to me this morning:

He Will if You Will
All through the Bible we see the interworking of the will of God and the will of man. It was God, Creator and Sovereign, who conceived freedom for man--the glorious likeness to Himself in "the dignity of causality," to use Pascal's phrase. All things are so arranged in God's universe that He may work his will through man's exercising his gift of a free will. It is a gift, and one which, while it confers staggering power on us humans, also limits the Almighty. Here lies the tremendous mystery--that God should be all-powerful, yet refuse to coerce. He summons us to cooperation. We are honored in being given the opportunity to participate in his good deeds. Remember how He asked for help in performing his miracles: Fill the waterpots, stretch out your hand, distribute the loaves.
This little word of Paul's to the Corinthian Christians contains the whole kernel of that truth: "He will deliver us if you will cooperate by praying" (2 Cor 1:11).
Is there something you are hoping for today? Perhaps there is a condition you must fulfill before the Lord can grant it. He will if you will.

Funny!