Goodbye, 2010

2010 has been a good year. I think the high points outweighed the low points by a long shot this year. I have many blessings to count. I don't know what 2011 will bring, but I hope I'll be able to meet its challenges with a fighting spirit. Blessings to you all in 2011.

Christmas in a Nutshell

Dec. 22: Last day of school. Kids dismissed at 2:30.

Dec. 23: Frantic cleaning, shopping, wrapping, and cooking.

Dec. 24: Snowed all day... the perfect Christmas snow. Finished last minute things around the house. Repairman tried to fix fridge... still leaking and not dispensing water. Part ordered. Was smart enough not to drive down into the cemetery, but hiked down in the snow to take flowers, diet coke, and chocolate covered cherries. Matt & Omara got here around 8:30. Andrew joined us for dinner (pickled ham, shrimp, chili, cheese bread, Christmas goodies, and cranberry tea). I went to church at the 11:00 service at the Methodist Church. It was the perfect Christmas Eve feeling.

Dec. 25: Matt & Omara & I went out to Dad's. We took a breakfast pizza. Opened gifts and had a fantastic lunch. Andrew & I had our Christmas that night. Watched The Departed and got a wonderful call from the McLeods.

Dec. 26: Took Andrew to the airport and exchanged a gift at the mall in Coralville. Found good deals on next year's Christmas cards and a few other things.

Dec. 27: Tracy arrived! Had a long talk, exchanged gifts, and went to Vivo for dinner.

Dec. 28: Tracy & I putzed around town, checking out all the stores around the square. Coffee at Revelations. Watched Eat, Pray, Love and had a snack. Played Mario Kart and Dance on Broadway on the Wii. Went to see the Rock Paper Scissors concert at Cafe Paradiso. Had pizza at Torino's.

Dec. 29: Tracy went home. Quiet, lonely house. Going to take it easy today before digging into a month's worth of school work that needs to be done in 4 days. :)

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday... I know I have so far!

Real Intimacy

I was sitting wrapping presents today and turned on the TV. I watched an older episode of Oprah with Jane Fonda as the guest. She was talking about intimacy, and her words really made me think. Maybe my relationship with Andrew is the first time I've had true intimacy in a relationship. It's about so much more than physical closeness. It's about being able to really be yourself with someone without holding anything back. I'm so lucky to have found someone who loves me for being myself. I know I don't have to hold anything back and that I can say whatever is in my heart, even if it's scary. That's an amazing blessing. And I highly recommend it. :)

Fridge Joy

So, it's NOT a Christmas present, but my spectacular boyfriend is getting me a refrigerator which will be delivered on Wednesday. My ice maker went kaput a few months ago, and it's not worth getting fixed. Generally, my current fridge is kind of a piece of crap. It's just old, and it's done its time. Andrew has been keeping an eye out, and he found a used side-by-side fridge with ice & water in the door. I'm excited to get it installed before Christmas!!!

What Do You Think?

Do you think it's appropriate to discuss the vote to overturn Don't Ask, Don't Tell from the pulpit? I'm just wondering what you all think out there. I got really upset at church today over this very thing. I see Don't Ask, Don't Tell as a civil rights issue. I don't know why it was really brought up at all. I'd say, in general, I can't stand it when politics are brought up in church. It doesn't matter to me which side it is... I just don't think it's the place. Am I out of line? Let's discuss...

Merry Christmas!

MICHAEL BALL.

I AM SEEING MICHAEL BALL IN CONCERT IN JUNE. EAT THAT, WORLD!

Weekly Update

Random Thoughts for a Friday Night...

* I just saw a cat circus. I'm still processing it.

* We found out this morning our school district will be cutting the budget by $800,000 next school year. That means cuts everywhere, including teaching jobs. That thought alone is enough to make my ulcer flare up. No details yet. Instead, we get to fret about it for a few months. Sigh...

* I'm singing in a Broadway benefit concert at the Sondheim next weekend. What turned out as a small commitment has grown into something rather large, but it's for a great cause. The money will be split 1/3 to the Crisis Center which is a shelter for women and children in southeast Iowa, 1/3 to a local Jefferson County organization that helps needy people pay their electric bills in winter and also helps families during the holidays, and 1/3 to an organization helping children in Haiti. I'm sorry I don't know the specific names of these organizations, but the organizer of this benefit, Jonas Magram, has been doing this for many years. I feel lucky to be helping out this year.

* Andrew is narrating a very interesting Stravinsky piece at the Sondheim tomorrow night. It's called A Soldier's Tale, and it combines narration, acting, and a chamber ensemble of 7 instruments. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

* We had a lovely Thanksgiving with Dad, Alice, Matt, & Omara. Andrew survived his first holiday w/ my family. He lived to tell about it!

* My baby brother turned 36! Crazy!

* I was again reminded today why I love teaching middle school talented & gifted. After school, one of my students was telling me all about his research for his independent project. He chose to research viruses, and he was telling me all kinds of stuff that was way over my head about nucleotides, horizontal evolution, and experimental gene therapy. He has a very good grasp of all of these things. Pretty amazing. I proceeded to ask him what he wanted to be when he grows up, and he emphatically stated, "a geneticist." I smiled and nodded. He then added, "I want to grow new things with octopus tentacles on them." I love it.