30 Days of Thankful: Day 22

Oh man. Today I am thankful for extra time.

Last night at 10:30, I got a phone call that school was delayed for 2 hours this morning. I am still in my jammies, and all warm and toasty at home. At some point, I will take a shower and mosey in to work, but at this moment I am still reveling in the relaxed schedule of this morning.

I love the unexpected gift of time, and that leisurely 2nd cup of coffee!
K

home

I am home.

And grateful to be so. This is the only night this week that I am home, so I am relishing it. Mostly relaxing, but taking a *small* break to write. :)

3 concerts and 3 rehearsals in 7 days makes for a long "hell week", but it is worth it. The concert we did on Tuesday was fantastic, and I can say that because I had no part in it! Well, I sang, but I didn't do anything else; didn't choose music, didn't play any instruments, didn't have anything to do with the planning or music or execution at all. But it was great. The Air Force Academy band did the concert and my group just sang for a couple songs. The best part is that we got to enjoy about half the concert, when we weren't singing.

This weekend is a concert with the Philharmonic. It is Verdi's requiem and it will be great. Again, I didn't have anything to do with this one either, except contribute some singing. The conductor is tough - we had a rehearsal with him last Saturday, and I had to go home and practice several sections a little more. But it will be a great concert. He loves this music, and definitely communicates it to everyone around. Plus, he is from Spain, so he has a great accent!

The music is exhilarating, but the schedule is exhausting.

Here's to one more week until summer...
K

reward

Today I got a reward: a hug from an 8th grader.

Since I teach elementary music, I only get to see the musical accomplishments of my little kids. And I DO love my job. But most often I get 1st grade hugs, 3rd grade jokes, 6th grade attitude, and everything else in between.

But today I got a reward. Several Jr. High kids came back to do a presentation for my 6th graders about band and choir in Jr. High: what it will be like, what they have to know or not know, is it possible to do band and a sport, if you have to already know how to play an instrument before starting, etc. Lots of questions, and some performances as a preview.

As they walked into the gym, several of the guys that had gone to my campus and that I had for all 6 years of elementary school, well, they lit up. The exclaimed my name, they smiled, and I got up and gave them a hug.

It was SO rewarding to see them sing, to see them enjoy singing, and to see them grown much more than when I had them. It was good to see them, but it was even more good to see how they've grown.

A much better reward then I ever expected.
K

down

Today I was down.

I had down time, watching things I had recorded on TV this week. (Survivor, CSI, and some other fun stuff.)

I laid down for a nap.

I sat down and read a book for a little bit. I only have 3 different books going right now...

I did walk down to the front door, but only to look out at the weather, and decide how much snow we got this morning.

I put the phone down, after getting the call that school was cancelled.

I called my friend Jenn and TRIED to not be down that we are off school today. :)

I actually am a little down that Mom is still sick - she sounds terrible, and I don't like when she is sick.

What a great way to be down - I will take this kind of down anytime!
K

day 6 an hour later

OK, today is an easy one. I am SOOOO thankful for the extra hour of sleep last night. I headed off to bed, then almost jumped up and down when I remembered that I hadn't changed my clock, and it was actually an hour earlier. What a lovely thing, to get an extra hour of sleep!

I hadn't changed any of my clocks, but I did change the one next to my bed, and that's the one that matters because it's the one that gets me up in the morning!

Going back to standard time is like a snow day. It's "found time". Time I didn't plan on having to myself. Time that otherwise would be spent on other stuff, like cleaning, doing laundry, working around the house. If I had remembered the time change, I probably would have planned out how to use the time more efficiently. Or, I would have stayed up later to "use" that time.

But no, it was a gift. It was a beautiful hour that was given almost as an afterthought.
But I am grateful.
K

november

Not to be Captain Obvious, but it is November! Are you as bowled over as I am??? I know I say this every year, but this year has just flown by.

My friend, Dawn, is hosting 30 Thankful Days, and I want to be a part. You can check out her blog here.

Usually I write whenever I have something to say or when the whim hits me. But I am going to make a concerted effort to write much more this month and to find things to be thankful for. So buckle up, and let the thankfulness begin!

Today is easy - I am SOOOOO thankful it is a snow day! Yesterday I was exhausted, and as I dragged myself home, I did wish in my heart that we would have a snow day, or at least a 2-hour delay. But then I said to myself, "There is no way we will have a snow day. Last week 'they' said we would, and there was NOTHING. So, I'll believe it when I see it.". Aren't you glad you tuned in for that riveting inner monologue??? :)

Anyway, I was THRILLED to turn off the alarm and sleep for an extra 2 hours. What a blessing!

I will always be thankful for those little unexpected gifts of time that come in the form of a snow day. It is so nice of God to send the weather so I can rest and rejuvenate!

What are you thankful for?
K

the changing of the guard

Today is the big wedding. William and Kate got married this morning, with all the pomp and circumstance that an occasion like this requires. This morning I did not get up at 2am to watch said event, but I do remember getting up with my Mom 30 years ago to watch Diana and Charles get married. If it didn't involve that special 2am time, I probably would have gotten up to see at least some of it, but I am pooped. Just could not make it out of bed that early, and still work today.

I've seen the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, and it is pretty impressive. Today marks a big change in the line of succession for the British monarchy. It also happens to mark that we only have 4 weeks of school left. This, I am celebrating! I feel the changing of the seasons, even though we are in the middle of Spring, and Summer is officially a long way off. We are starting to talk about the things we are going to do this summer, such as planning for trips, and making lists of supplies for VBX at church.

I love that feeling of having something to look forward to - something to anticipate. I love the eagerly waiting before a trip or vacation, of seeing if it meets or exceeds what I have been expecting. I also love anticipating summer vacation. But I am also acutely aware that this means that time is passing as well. Time is fleeting, and flying by faster than I can handle sometimes.

I'm not sure that I am taking advantage of the time that I have, or if I am using my time wisely. As I get older, it occurs to me that time really is precious, and if I'm not making the most of what I have then I'm not being a good steward. Good stewardship applies to time, and not just money. Just as we should carefully consider how we use our money, we should carefully consider how we use our time.

I sure wish I had known or realized this when I was younger, and had more time! As I get older, and hopefully wiser, I realize how valuable time really is, and how my decisions about time matter.

Here's to the changing of the guard, and the seasons, and life...
K

the gift of time

What do you do when you are given the gift of some unexpected time?

Do you feel obligated to make it "worthy" time and do something great with it? Or do you see it as a gift, and spend it relaxing when you wouldn't otherwise?

I was thinking about this today, because it is a snow day. Now I LOVE me a snow day, because it is a whole day that I spend at home relaxing, when I wouldn't otherwise. But I was thinking that maybe I should see this time as a special gift, and do something worthwhile with it, instead of "wasting" it sleeping in and relaxing.

I'm torn between feeling obligated to do something excellent with this time, and using it to catch up on sleep and some vegging out that I NEVER would do otherwise.

Does this mean that I don't have enough margin in my life? That I'm too busy usually and don't have enough "catch-up" time built in?

I don't know that I have the answer. I was just thinking about it today, and wondering if a change is in order.
What do you think?
K

thank-yous

I've decided to apply a little "WWRD" to my life today. For those of you who are NOT company girls, that's "What would Rachel Do?"

Today at school is the last full day before Christmas Break. Praise the Lord!

Anyway, I always get some nice gifts from my students for Christmas. Today I decided to bring a stack of thank-you cards to school. As I had a moment or two, I wrote a thank-you note for a gift. As of this moment I am proud to say that I have written 17 thank-yous so far, which is 17 thank-yous that I DON'T have to write over Christmas Break.

Don't you think that this will make my break much more relaxed???

I do. :)

Here's to having a break, and to being thankful.
K

wwrd?

I just want to publicly say how much I appreciate Rachel Anne and her Home Sanctuary blog and e-mails: http://www.homesanctuary.com

This week I was disgusted with my house, and how unorganized and unclean it has gotten. Now, if you came over, I don't know if it would leap out at you, but I see it. And I hate it. To be fair, I had a huge trip a week ago, and a 3 hour rehearsal this past Monday night, and a concert Tuesday night, blah, blah, blah. So I don't think I've been shirking my house-ly duties, but in any case, I still hate it.

So, this week I was walking around the house and literally thought, "What would Rachel do?"

And I applied some minimum maintenance to my house. I worked for 15 minutes, and it totally made me feel better. I got some cleaning and straightening done, and was able to have a nice evening without feeling guilty. Plus, there's some kitchen table I couldn't see before and now I can. And my upstairs bathroom got some love too - a clean toilet makes a huge difference!

Anyway, I appreciate her. I appreciate that she give me a place to start when I feel overwhelmed. And that gives me the motivation to dive in this Saturday and really get down to business.

Thanks Rachel Anne!
K

requiem

In the traditional, historical and religious sense, the word "requiem" means a church service or mass for someone who has died. It is a time to reflect, and remember the person who has passed on and get some closure. It is also a musical piece, written for just such a service, and it incorporates the latin words of the Requiem Mass into song.

The literal translation of the word requiem is "rest". I know this because I sing. The Chorale is doing the Sanctus from Verdi's Requiem, and it is beautiful. I really enjoy singing this piece, and it is a little respite from some of the other pieces that I don't enjoy so much. Each week when we get to practice this beautiful piece of music, it is like a little oasis of calm and tranquility in a sea of otherwise agitated musical pieces.

Today is a snow day. I was thinking about this as I dragged myself out of bed at 7:30am this morning. What a wonderful opportunity for rest. For tranquility. For recharging. This phenomenon of the snow day is such an amazing thing. When I get that call in the morning, it always strikes me a a present. Now I know that the district leadership does not consider me, personally, when they decide to call off school for the day, but it still is a gift. The sleeping in, the lazy getting ready, the lazing around the house in PJs.

I'm so grateful.
K

space

I don't think I have enough space.

Not space in my house - I love my house. Well, it's a condo, but it is perfect for me.

No, I mean brain space. I think I need some more space to think, to plan, to be prepared. I had a nice talk with my boss today. Last year we changed the schedule at my school, and now I have 4 pretty hellacious days, and not much on Friday. This is great when it actually happens, but for the past 2 weeks we have had either to teach on Friday, or meetings that were required. I understand that this will happen sometimes, but it's really taking a toll.

I didn't realize how much until one of my parents asked me how I was today, and my answer was that I was tired. I wasn't sure where this came from, especially considering that I got 9 hours of sleep last night. But I am thinking that I'm metaphysically tired. I don't have enough "rest" in my life.

One consequence of this is that my desk at work looks like a Kinko's exploded on it. Another is that I don't have time to plan creative lessons, and just rely on the same thing I've always done.

I hate this.

Don't hear me wrong - I love my job. The past few days have been the funnest I've had in a long time. I enjoy great relationships with my students, and as a result we have fun in class, even when we are not "doing" fun.
This morning I got the song 6th grade is doing stuck in my head for most of the morning. They caught me singing it as I was walking down the hall, and started singing it to me, really loud! It was funny.

But I don't enjoy fighting the organization, the planning, the work of doing work.

I'm ready for Spring Break.

I'm off to play some electronic Yahtzee. Maybe that will let my brain turn off for awhile.
K

not so new years

Confession of the week: I really don't like New Years. Yes, I've cheerily said "Happy New Year!!" to several people this week. And I don't hold a grudge. But, I really don't feel like this time is the NEW YEAR. It still feels cold. There's no change in the weather. The school year is not even half over. I am still sneezing from packing up the fake tree and putting it back out in the garage. And, yes, I still have lights up outside.

Even though it technically is a new number I write on my checks, I don't FEEL like anything is new.

This week I was thinking about newness, and longing for the real beginning: Fall. Even though I'm not Jewish, I am totally down with the idea of Jewish new year. In Fall, there is a delicious change of seasons. In Fall, the school year is new and laid out in front of me like a blanket full of possibilities. In Fall, it's my birthday. Fall is the best part of the baseball season.

I've been on the Fall=new year schedule for my entire life: first in elementary and high school, then college and grad school, then teaching school. I think at this point that the new year is wired into my being as starting in the Fall.

As much as I love the tantalizing possibilities of the NEW YEAR, I think I will still celebrate in the fall. Maybe from now on I will do New Year's resolutions on my birthday. A new year, a new age, a new resolution to start fresh.

Happy New (middle of the) Year!
K

time

I've been thinking a lot about time lately, and how blessed I am to have so much of it right now. For as much as I really love my teaching job and the kids I get to see every day, I equally love that it comes with built-in time off. This Thanksgiving week has been a great vacation. I've spent time with family, decorated the house a little bit, had some friends over, took some time to get over the cold I had for the past 2 weeks, and so many other things.

So, even as I've been thinking about how grateful I am to have some extra time right now, there are some who have run out of time. Today I went down to the hospice in-patient unit to visit with a friend from church who doesn't have much time left. She has been fighting cancer, and fortunately her fight is almost over. Good because she's in a lot of pain, and the amount of medicine she's on makes her pretty out of it. Not good for her husband and her 2 young kids. As I sat there with her and just held her hand and prayed for her and her family, I was thinking about how we all end out time here on earth at some point. I was thinking about Grandma Bev and when she was in Hospice care. Thinking about what it was like to care for her in the last few weeks of her journey. Thinking about how sad I am for the husband and 2 young kids. Thinking about how blessed my time on this earth has been, and if I ended my journey today, that would be OK. Thinking about my sister and how sad she will be when her friend finally passes.

This whole week has been a gift of time, and then at the end of it I got a reminder that our time IS limited. We just don't know how limited it may be. As the thoughts of gratefulness and sadness and mourning and determination to make the most of my time all swirl about in my head, I hope that from now I choose to make my time worth it. Worth something. Worth talking about after I'm gone.

Serving at the Rescue Mission's Thanksgiving Dinner for the Homeless was a good start. But maybe I should not just focus on others once a year, but find ways to do that kind of thing more often.

Time is so precious.
K