Made It!

Thanks for your prayers and kind words -- I survived my surgery fine and am resting fairly comfortably. Fortunately, this was nothing like the experience of having all four wisdom teeth out! That's another story altogether. But this went quickly, and I'm only on motrin right now, feeling pleasantly mellow. The most annoying part is having two holes in my mouth which are still a little bloody (excuse me if I gross you out!) and are keeping me from eating anything substantial. I'm on soft foods for several days, which is difficult when you're trying to avoid dairy. How much oatmeal, applesauce, and mashed potatoes can one eat?

Toothless Young Codger

Have I mentioned how much I dislike dental work? Sitting back in that chair and having people with sharp instruments invading my sensitive mouth is a form of torture to me. So why do I have such bad teeth?! I've had numerous fillings, a few teeth pulled when I was younger, my wisdom teeth out, and I even had my teeth whitened once. Well, now folks, it's time for braces. And not only braces, but I've got to have a couple teeth taken out! So tomorrow I'm going to the oral surgeon to have the two teeth removed. Since I have a super sensitive mouth, I opted to be totally anesthetized so I'll be sure to feel nothing. Then I can spend the day being drugged. At least the teeth are on the bottom sides where they aren't as likely to be noticed.

On April 25 I get braces put on -- yikes! Yes, at my ripe old age, I am planning to endure two years of torture and ugliness that I might eventually have a decent bite and smile. I've needed them for years, but everything's finally come together -- right doctor, right plan, money, timing -- and I decided to bite the bullet and get it over with.

So anyway, if you think of it, please pray that the surgery will go well tomorrow and I'll recover quickly enough to go back to work on Wednesday.

Tired

I think I need a vacation. I've been so stinking tired this past week. It's mostly physically, but kind of all over, too. I'm tired of cold, gray days. Warm sunshine, please. I'm tired of the pressure for perfection -- in music, in business, in relationships, in example, etc. I'm tired of getting up early every morning and spending my tired evenings in practice. I'm tired of all my friends being too far away or busy to spend time with (not that I have time, either). And I'm already tired of griping on my blog!! I've really gotta shake these tired blues.

So what are some good things right now?

• Psalm 23
• Hugs (esp. from little children)
• The prospect of going to Israel
• Blossoms
• General good health (besides the no energy part)
• I made a pretty good CD yesterday for my upcoming competition
• Understanding, loving, wise parents
• Beautiful music that touches the soul

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Here's an Irish blessing for you:

As you slide down the Bannister of Life,
May the Splinters never point the wrong way.

Ha, ha! I thought that was funny! The Irish certainly have a wry sense of humor. I've got Irish genes on both side, the closest being my great-grandfather on my dad's side. He happens to be the same great-grandfather to some other bloggers I know! If he could see us all now...:-)

Today there's no school, so I'm having a St. Patty's party tonight. Should be fun. We're going to have lots of green and even a little orange food, plus games and good times.

Snug as a Bug in a Rug

The cute and oh so cozy Cheeky McFuzz.

Whew!

Every year I think that I should do my taxes before April, like in January, but it always gets put off till the second week or so of April. It hasn't been so scary since I've been doing quarterly payments. Last year I even got a refund for some reason. But guess what? It's March 12 and my taxes are filed and the check is going in the mail tomorrow!! Yes, I have to pay out a little bit, but it's not horrendous. I'm just glad to get that load off my mind. I hate paperwork, but I've been blessing myself for keeping pretty meticulous records last year. Made things SO much easier, though it was a pain at the time to keep those meticulous records. I don't know why anyone would want to be an accountant. That's one of the most tortuous jobs I can think of. But thankfully, I have a lovely job that I love. :-) Even if I don't make much money. :-(

Life Reflections

I've come to the conclusion that being a teacher is the next best thing to being a parent. I say next best because I believe that being a parent is a high and holy calling, perhaps the highest there is. And so much work. :-) But both parents and teachers have the awesome responsibility to influence a child for life and eternity. As a music teacher, I have the power to make kids love music or hate music, to achieve performance excellence or not. I love it when school parents come up to me and say how much their kids love music class and Miss A----! Score! I can be a good role model or a negative role model. And I love the fact that so many of the things I'm learning as a teacher at a classical Christian school will stand me in excellent stead if I'm a parent someday. Oh, in case you're wondering, I plan to return to the school next year. :-) Yeah, I whined a lot last fall, but God's given me the grace to give myself the kick in the rear I needed to do better in my job. Things are going a little smoother.

Last night and this morning, the school hosted a Classical Christian conference. The speaker was from a pioneer CC school in Idaho and he was excellent. He presented principles of education, parenting, and discipline that were thoroughly rooted in experience, proof, and most of all, Scripture. It was just basic, straightforward stuff that you don't hear everywhere any more, but is so foundational for a Godly family and school.

One thing that has been percolating in my mind, and which the conference confirmed, is the vital importance of being intentional. Parents and teachers need to be intentional in training and disciplining and educating children to be faithful followers of God. Left to themselves, children don't turn out right, much as parents might hope they will. This is why God gave the clear injunction to "Train up a child in the way he should go..." Left to itself, a vine will go wild. My car will not stay between the lane lines if I don't purposefully stear it. People are the same way.

So intentionalism is applicable in training children, but I also feel the need for being intentional about personal growth. Again, left to wander, I won't naturally go the right way, nor improve in any way. I need to be intentional about my spiritual growth, which is commanded in 2 Peter: "Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, etc." That's a very purposeful act, and that's why I've got to be faithful in Bible reading, study, prayer, and fellowship with the saints. I want to be purposeful in mental growth and improvement of skills. Education does not or should not stop at high school or college graduation. There's always something more to learn! We need to be thinking and thoughtful Christians. And then there's physical growth. No, I do not need to grow any more in stature! It's always a challenge for me to keep up with exercise and good eating habits. It's very easy to get lazy in this area, but I think God calls us to faithfulness in this area just as much as in spiritual areas.

A bunch of words came to mind, indicating God's desire for us to be intentional: Love, add, study, serve, do, guard, keep, follow, seek, etc. NOT that we should depend on self-effort! We need the Holy Spirit to help us be what we ought, but we need to have a vision.

This wasn't meant as a sermon! I just wanted to write out and cement in my own mind what I've been learning. But I hope it's helpful to you as well. :-) Have a great weekend, everyone!

Things They Don't Prepare Teachers For

When I teach kindergarteners and first graders, I get used to the funny (and sometimes naughty) things they do. But today was a new one: I had turned my back a minute to grab something when a little kindergarten boy came up to me and said a certain girl had just kissed him! I think I must have looked a little stupefied for a moment, because this hasn't happened on my beat before. I called her over and asked if she'd kissed him. At first she said no, but then 'fessed up that she had, just a little, though I'm not sure where. Should I send her back to her teacher, give her a time out, or...? I decided to give a stern conjunction to not kiss boys and to keep to herself! She nodded with understanding, so I hope that settles it! Word, where do these kids pick up these boy/girl things at such a young age?? Sadly, I remember flirting and "liking" boys clear back in second grade, if not before. I guess it's just part of our natural makeup or something.

Movie Adventures

Let me tell ya, finding a movie that my dad, mom, and I all enjoy is a definite challenge! My dad's not into chick flicks and my mom doesn't like much action or suspense. I like all of the above! I'm happy watching a Western or Indiana Jones or Agatha Christie with my dad, but then my mom ends up in the other room with a book. She's nice about it, but I usually feel a twinge of guilt. And then if I bring home a musical or a Jane Austen or that sort of thing, my dad ends up on the computer. Part of the problem is that our TV is right in our living room where we hang out, so it's not like we can just easily go watch a movie by ourselves. So we don't really watch many movies, and when I find a movie that we all like, I feel quite pleased with myself. At least we all like something with humor! Disney has produced some winners.

So last night my parents took off for a little overnight vacation at a hotel on the ocean. My dad was desparate for a break from the stress he's under. They felt bad leaving me by myself, but I was actually glad for the opportunity because then I could have an evening to myself watching movies that I want to watch!! So after work I stopped at the video store and picked up "Legend of Zorro" and "The Prince & Me 2" -- an action flick and a chick flick. I was looking for the new "Pride & Prejudice," but they were out of all the copies.

Something odd happened while I was searching for my movies. Several times I had to pass in front of a man who was also looking at movies. One of those times, he suddenly addressed me familiarly and said, "I'm looking for a movie I think you'd like." Excuse me? He was a 40ish, shortish black man, so I don't think he was trying to hit on me, but I was indeed taken aback. He pulled a movie off the shelf and assured me I would love it and it was a great story. Then he said it was just like the plot of another one and showed me that one. I smiled and tried to look interested, but fortunately I had two videos in my hand and gave the excuse that I wasn't going to get anymore, that I'd remember them for next time. I didn't tell him that those were definitely not the type of movies that I would watch, that I almost always stick with PG or G movies (these were PG-13 for sexual situations). He was a friendly chap and I wasn't offended, but I half wondered if he was an undercover store employee trying to push movies on uncertain looking customers. Has anyone else experienced this?

Well, anyway, I came home and had a nice little evening to myself. Actually, I wasn't feeling good -- maybe a touch of the flu or something. So I nursed myself with soup, toast, kettle korn, red vines, and Martinelli's. Great combo, huh? But I loved the movies! I really liked the new Zorro, maybe even more than the first one. Plenty of dazzling swashbuckling, but also some good "values." (Has anybody back East noticed how much the bad guy looks like Chad S? Amazing!)The "Prince & Me 2" was also cute -- much better than the first one, which I wouldn't recommend.

Gangsta Dad?

Today I was sitting at a stoplight when I noticed a guy crossing the crosswalk in front of me. He was maybe 21, black, and dressed in the "coolest of the cool" (to quote a famous lady) clothes -- big tennis shoes, long red short pant things with the crotch around the knees (he had to waddle just right), loose jacket, hair in corn rows, and red baseball cap. He was obviously trying hard to look the part of a hip gangsta. Now, there was nothing unusual about this sight, except that he was pushing a baby stroller! Draped over the stroller was a baby blanket with pastel colors on it. He glanced at me half defiantly as he swaggered by, as if to see if I would laugh at him. I didn't, at least not until he'd gone by. It was a mixture of funny, incongruous, and touching. I wondered how he got the job of pushing the child around. I presume it was his. Then I wondered if maybe there wasn't really a baby in there, but drugs that he was delivering. After all, I didn't see the baby. But that probably sounds like racial profiling or too many Texas Ranger shows in my head!