Unexpected

That 'Journey to the Center of the Earth'  by Jules Verne has me laughing. (I'm at chapter 10)
That resumes have so many rules
How flavored ice-cream tastes wonderful when you've only been eating vanilla for months. (Especially chocolate and mint)
That third graders love indoor recess
(that the 'schedule' option on blogger wouldn't work, and this post wouldn't post on Thursday like it was supposed to  ;)  )
That as I take over control of the classroom in student teaching, I would request having math first.
Homemade, dairy-free pizza.
That the third-graders would look at me enthralled as I recited a poem, and that they would ask for more.
That you can still text fairly well when the phone's screen is shattered. And that packing tape holds shards of phone-screen in place.
That possessive pronouns are more difficult to explain than you'd think
Adding mint extract to the decorative frosting-flowers on a birthday cake
How much of a difference it makes to greet students by name in the morning
Not having time to read.
That the lessons I teach seem to take more than their fair share of time, even when we start off ahead of the game. Grr.
Being told I have a bubbly personality. Me, the introvert.
The impact colored pens make. (It's a big one.)
That I actually found so many unexpected things in the past week...

There is a line in the chorus that stopped me in my tracks this week.
"Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos somehow there's peace"

I don't have that chaos feeling. I have had it several times, and however annoying it is at the time I miss it. I suppose I miss the implications of it more than the feeling itself, but all the same I miss it. I miss knowing that God is working on something in me, miss knowing I'm on the brink of something, because it was how I knew I was growing.

And I want it again.
Soon.

Third-Grade Smiles

What's making me smile this week?

A desk of my own in the classroom I am student teaching in
Getting into a new routine
Writing with ink and a dipping pen
A full night's sleep
Warm leftovers for lunch, instead of a cold sandwich
The third grade
Music
Wearing dress-clothes all day, and then changing into sweats when I get home
^don't miss-read that one. I like both parts equally.
My Kindle (although my reading time has been drastically cut)
That whole new perspective of school with a 'plan period', knowing the answers to the assigned questions, and lunch with other adults.
The reaction the third graders had when they found out I'd be with them for a couple months, instead of a couple days. (We'll see if their reaction changes once I start teaching ;) )

Thinking

I've been reading Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and I'm struck by how much time Jane spends thinking. She sits down and thinks things through so often, before acting. And she thinks about bigger-picture things a lot, too.

I've also been reading a bit- and thinking- about solitude  and taking that time out to pause. So, I suppose it's become a sort of new year's resolution to spend more time thinking. To stop being so busy. To think things through and not be so rash. And possibly to write or journal about my musings.

Atmosphere

The prospect of anything may induce excitement-- but it is not because of the place or the party itself that you become excited. It is because of the memories of the past, the hopes for the future, the people who will be there. And contrarily, the memories, the people, and our attitude can make it something we dread. It is not the event itself that creates the atmosphere, but what we bring to it.  

Atmosphere is not substantial. The music, the decorations, the people; they do not create an atmosphere. Instead, it is our own reactions to those things, those triggers, that create it. Our feelings about them, our memories tied to them, our attitude towards them inspire the atmosphere.

Consider what atmosphere you are creating.

smiles

the friends I've made these last three and a half years of college
sitting down and reading for a few hours for the first time in months
keeping a journal, even though the class requirement is over
having things to do, people to see, places to be
new tea pots and knicknacks
crafty Christmas presents
going for a swim at my school's new recreation center
sketching in new notebooks
sketching on new pages of old sketchbooks
Sunday pot roast
an idea for an unusual Christmas play
Christmas party after Christmas party
singing Karaoke, even though I can't carry a tune

In A Very Large Nutshell

I. Love. Les Miserables.

The first time I really heard of it was when I watched it on TV with my dad. It was the 25th anniversary version, with Alfie Boe as Jean ValJean. We came in part-way through-- at On My Own. I watched in awe. I really had no idea what the plot was, who the characters were-- anything. But multiple times I was nearly moved to tears by the music and lyrics. When it was over, I bought two of the songs on Itunes.

Since then, you could say I'm obsessed.
After several false starts reading it, and upon the recommendation from Noel, I got it on audible. I finally finished it (60 hours) last week
Just about a year ago, I saw it in London, at the Queen's Theater. What an experience!
I saw a high school production of it, too.
I went to a voice recital on campus and it was wonderful just to hear it sung.
I plan to see it in theaters. Maybe more than once...

The story itself, though, is so sad. So 'miserable'.
Jean Val Jean just keeps acting opposite how everyone expects him to. He honestly cares about many of the other characters more than himself. And he has the strongest conscience of all the characters. And things from his past just keep looming in front of him. I think its a beautiful story about rising above expectations, about doing good even to the extent of sacrificing self, about what is right, and what is wrong even through it is socially acceptable...
It is just wonderful. 


For some reason I just can't find it in me to like Cossett. Listening to the whole book actually reinforced this initial dislike. I think it is because I find her childlike, petty and annoying.

And my favorite characters would have to be Enjrolas and Gavrosh. By far.

Hint

I was hearing mentions of Mother Theresa nearly every day. after a week of it I got some biographies from the library, and still it continued for another two weeks. I'm amazed that Mother Theresa made the decision to leave her family and country to become a nun when she was only 18 years old. I don't know if my 18 year old self had the courage. I don't know if my 18 year old self was focused enough on God to be sure if He was really calling me to anything or not. Reading about her life, the bits and pieces that led up to how she transformed the world, her childhood homelife was vital to who she became. Really, the things we know her so well for her family was doing when she was a child. Don't underestimate the impact of parents.

Also, I've been reading Prayer by Richard Foster. It is reawakening a longing within myself, deep within myself, in a place I didn't know existed. I crave the intimacy and prayer life that Mr. Foster writes about, and I'm reminded of the times when I had it. But then life continues and is persistently distracting. And I get my priorities all inverted and suddenly I'm replacing my prayer and meditation time with getting my make-up just so, and getting a few minutes more sleep, or watching a movie, or crafting -- or blogging. It's an interesting way to learn that I can do no good in myself, that I need God to move in me. But I've actually got to be open to Him moving. I've got to put myself in positions where He has free reign.

A few weeks ago I found a book that stopped me in my tracks. The title wasn't at all familiar, but the cover art seemed to be. Just by seeing it I knew I had read it before. I had read it over ten years ago, and had been trying to think of the title for quite some time since then. When I saw this book, I knew I had found it. I did not even open it or read a synopsis. I was sure. So I bought it. I will read it soon, and I'm hoping it was one worth remembering.

Mother Teresa: The Early Years, by David Porter
Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, by Richard Foster
The Art of Keeping Cool, by Janet Taylor Lisle