Non-fiction

I've been reading Malcolm Gladwell's books. I just finished Blink. I think of the three books I've read that he's written, I have enjoyed The Tipping Point the best. However, I can safely say that I've enjoyed all three. He has another one out: What the Dog Saw. I'll have to wait until it comes into the library though.

What's Blink about? It's about snap judgements and when that's a good thing and when it's a bad thing. It includes the accounts of many psychological experiments. With The Tipping Point I was able to see an immediate application to many aspects of my life. I can't say that with Blink, but I think I need to read it over several more times first.

Snow!

I looked out my window and what did I see?

I know that's a Cradle Roll song, but it popped into my head as soon as I looked out the window this morning. Everything's covered with a beautiful blanket of fresh white snow.

It will turn slushy and grey soon, but it's sooo beautiful right now. I'm very thankful that I can walk through it to work. (And also that I don't have to drive in it.)

Problems of an Introvert

I'll come out and admit it right off. I am introverted. I need to have time by myself to recharge my batteries. I love teaching and I work with around 120 really great people, but then I come home to my apartment by myself and I love it. I have to force myself to go out evenings. In fact, I carefully manage my time so that I don't have to do that too often. Weekends are really great because I have lots of time to myself, plus church where I interact with some of my favourite people.

Having said all that, this has been an atypical weekend. Friday night I went out to school for a bit because they needed some stuff that I could get for them. Saturday morning I spent the whole morning at school, helping sell bag lunches. (The Promise Keeper's Conference was at school Friday and Saturday and this is a big fundraiser for the students to prepare for Grad.) Saturday afternoon I babysat Gloria (who is a really sweet baby). Sunday morning was church. Sunday afternoon I went to Grandpa McMillan's funeral in Kennedy. It was wonderful. There were a few less than 500 people there I think. This evening there was small group (which I normally don't go to, but I caught a ride to the funeral with Ruth and Walter and they go, and it was on the way home.)

So... I'm mega peopled out by now. And tomorrow we start again with school! I guess I need to be thankful for the grace that God gives me so that I can interact with people in a positive way when I need to.

Rider Pride?

OK, I don't have a TV; I don't know what station carries it on the radio. So I keep track of the score by going to cbc.ca/sports and then checking there. It's definitely not instantaneous, but it works.

But what is it with the Roughriders consistently trying to throw it away in the latter part of the game and then in the last few minutes trying to recover? It doesn't seem to be a very good game strategy to me!

Sleep

I have a nephew asleep in my bedroom on my bed. I have a grand-niece asleep in my living room on my couch. I fell asleep for about 10 min. while she was still up, which is why all of my rubber gloves are out of the box and spread across the kitchen floor. I think she's waking up. I'd better go.

Marking

My least favourite part of teaching is keeping up to date on the marking - which means that I'm generally never up to date on the marking. I've got a lot of it to do this weekend. I'm also being auntie and babysitting for Gloria tomorrow (there's a Riders game and guess who has to go?). I'm wondering whether Gloria will be amenable to me marking while babysitting, or if I'll just use it as an excuse not to do it. It's not like you can ask an 11 month old.

Back to an old routine

I had my first piano lesson Tuesday morning at 7:15 since some time back in March when I had trouble with my hands and arms and had to quit. Now I went for lessons for awhile after that but was strictly working on theory - not playing. It felt really good to do that.

We're working on sight reading - which means doing much easier pieces than I had been playing. One of those things where you have to go backwards before you can go forwards. So I'm playing Gr 3 stuff instead of Gr 7 stuff and training my eyes to look ahead. In many ways it's the same skills I teach my students about reading - it's just that it's for reading music instead of reading print.

Deodorant Mystery

I have collected four different containers of deodorant from around my apartment. They're all different brands. I know that none of them are mine, because I can't use the stuff. It makes me break out wherever it touches - and I use powder. So, whose are they? Do people come visit and leave their deodorant behind? Do they really miss it? Maybe it's just one of life's mysteries.

Post Lectureship

Lectureship was good. It was also good to see various family members. It was even better to see my kids, however the time with them was much too short. They arrived Wednesday night and I put them back on the plane early Monday morning. Sunday night as they were busy packing, Rose said, "OK mom, where's my passport?" I had no idea - I hadn't seen it the entire time she'd been here. So we turned the house upside down looking for it. Never did find it. But I had a copy of her birth certificate, and she had her health card, which gave her two pieces of government issued ID and she could get on the plane.

Wednesday my parents were here, and mom found the passport. It had fallen under the couch.

It was a short week at school - Monday was Thanksgiving and Tuesday was an inservice day. However, it didn't really feel like a short week. Just as busy - and there's a tournament this weekend. I need to leave right away to take tickets at it. It's also the big foodbank push on this weekend. I helped with that last night.

Deniece

I got to babysit de niece today - Abigail; Robert and Melissa's baby. They've been in Regina since Wednesday as Melissa was taking a course. However Robert and Josiah went back to Saskatoon because the radio station went down. Josiah got to go to Linea's birthday party that way - so it was a good thing. However, that meant that Melissa was looking for a babysitter for yesterday and today.

Yesterday she got her friend to babysit. This was a good thing because I was at a Bible Quiz tournament the entire day. However, today it was my privilege. It was a real privilege too. Abby is a very happy baby. She didn't really know me at all - she's seen me maybe a half a dozen times in her 8 months of life, but Melissa nursed her and sat her down and she was happy to be with me. She went to church with me, and I took her to Melissa at noon to be fed and she slept until mommy picked her up. So she got to socialize with the babies at church (we have lots there) and eat puffed wheat. (The other babies and toddlers really liked the puffed wheat too - we shared).