Mishaps

Sunday I yelled at my students. (Yes, we were in school on Sunday.) Today I yelled at them again. It would be so nice, if when I say "Please be quiet." they paid attention. Usually, the noise gets slightly less deafening for about ten seconds. December might be the worst month to be a teacher. Check back in May for a final verdict. Sometimes I just want to punch them in the face. And simultaneously cry. I think the problem is that the weekend before last I was on supervision and this weekend we had our student worker Christmas party at our house and then Sunday school, then taking some kids into town on Sunday night... I haven't had much of a break from them lately. And I'm starting to hate them. Well, not all of them. In fact the vast majority of them I like very much. But there are about ten who I could easily do without. Christmas break begins tomorrow. I'm past ready for this one.

Good books

This year I didn't try to read a book a week. Instead, I focused on trying to read award-winning books and books that came highly recommended by others. So here is a list of some of my favorite books of the year. I hope it helps you pick a good one.

The Good Good Pig-true story of a family and their pig. Heartwarming animal story.
The Known World-novel about free blacks in the pre-civil war south who owned slaves. Pulitzer prize winner.
People of the Book-historical fiction about the Sarajevo Haggadah, a valuable Jewish book which was saved by Muslims and Christians.
Grace Eventually-the newest memoir by Anne Lamott.
Year of Wonders-Historical novel about a town in England that is hit by the plague.
I am Asher Lev-I love Chaim Potok, one of my favorites of his.
First They Killed My Father-memoir about the Cambodian genocide.
Gathering Blue-Juvenile fiction - Lois Lowry's companion to The Giver
The Center Cannot Hold-memoir about living with Schizophrenia
The Law of Similars-novel about homeopathy and the choices we make in extreme circumstances
March-historical novel about Mr. March of Little Women, Pulitzer Prize winner, don't read if you want to keep your Little Women vision intact (but a very interesting book)
So Brave, Young and Handsome-novel by the author of Peace Like a River. Adventure and redemption.
The Lost-memoir/history, the author tries to find out what happened to six of his family members during the Holocaust. Kind of heavy and fact-laden, but very interesting to me.
Messenger-Juvenile fiction - companion to The Giver and Messenger
The Almost Moon-novel about family ties and mental illness. Pretty dark, but intriguing.

So those are my favorite books of 2008. There are about eight more that are in progress, you know how that goes... So I'll update if one of them makes it onto my favorites list before the end of the year. This post was especially for Kristina. =)

Negligent blogger returns to cyberspace

I know. It's been awhile. I have the semi-excuse of the broken keyboard, but truth be told, I have a work computer and Michael's computer if I really wanted to blog. Also, I can't find my camera cord, so I can't post pictures. Which is irritating me. I know it's been missing for at least two months... but where could I have put it? I've turned the house upside down, but no luck. In any case, life here continues in it's usual busy, generally good way. It all feels more routine this year, and yet I'm busier than ever with Junior class sponsorship (ugh) and Business Math. We're starting to look for jobs in Nashville for after this school year. I'm anxious to move home, and unsure that God will allow me to do that.

Some other things that have happened lately: We went to Louisville and Nashville for Thanksgiving break. I helped Michael's mom do some wedding planning, (she's getting married at the end of March), and I was with my sister when she found "the dress", (she's getting married at the end of May).

We went and bought a Christmas tree at the tree farm down the road. I decorated it and am feeling especially jolly this week. I love Christmas ever so much. Strange, for a girl who hates winter so much. Maybe it's because Christmas makes winter seem more bearable.

I've been off birth-control for a few months now and feel like maybe my depression/anxiety/sluggishness is lifting. What if that were one of the big contributing factors all along and I never knew it? I've been on birth control since shortly before I started college because of the ovarian cysts... which is right around the time I started having serious problems. I'm trying not to think about those seven years of struggles, and yet hope that it could be true, so that it would maybe ease the struggle. And no, I'm not pregnant. But yes, someone asked me again last weekend at church. That was pure joy.

This year for Christmas, my family is going to Gatlinburg. This will be the first Christmas without Grandma, and my aunt and mom were finding it a little too difficult to try to do normal Christmas without her. We're very glad to have something to look forward to this year (Christa's wedding) instead of more death, like last year.

And lastly, for this post, I'm reading The Shack right now and I would like to recommend it to all of you. I'm finding it very mind-opening and hopeful. I'll try to be a better blog friend.