Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Things weighing my mind....

Here are just a few things that are weighing on my mind....

  • the staff cuts that our school board has decided on again...the loss of our middle school counselor...
  • the possibility that she will be able to "bump" me and I'll lose my job...
  • the 5K on the 9th that I'm not ready for yet...
  • the 180 mile bike trek that I'll be doing in June that I'm hoping that I'll be ready for...
  • the quarter coming to an end and my class finalizing things at the last minute...
  • the cost of heating....$$$
  • the master's program that I've been working toward...
Sometimes I just need to vent.  I know that my issues are so small compared to what others have to deal with, but these are my stressors.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

What about the book?

I have recently succumbed to the appeal of reading electronic books rather than real books.  I've said for a long time that I could never give up holding a book in my hand, smelling the "new book" smell that I enjoy, and feeling the pleasure of turning the pages and seeing how much of the book I've already read.

What changed my mind?  Hmmm....possibly the books piling up on my night stand, bookshelf, end table and coffee table, and on the floor and in totes in the basement.  I personally didn't have a problem with my growing collection, but it was becoming a little too much for our little house.  I began researching the options out there.  Barns and Noble Nook, Amazon Kindle, and the readers you can purchase at discount stores all seemed appealing.  Finally, a couple of weeks before Christmas, I announced to Hubby that I wanted a Kindle.  I ordered one along with a leather case with a built-in reading light, and instantly fell in love when I received it by the end of that week.

I love how I'm able to keep it in my purse and take it out when I'm waiting at appointments.  I'm getting spoiled by the convenience of being able to download a book no matter where I am, and at what time of the day, or night, it may be.  I also like being able to change which book I'm reading when I'm wanting a change, and not have to deal with lugging more than one book around with me. 

What about the smell of a new book?  I love the smell of its leather case.... How about seeing how much I've read?  There's a bar at the bottom that shows how far along in the book I am, and I can see what page number I'm on too.  Whenever I come across words that are new to me, I just have to put the cursor on the word and I get a definition right a way.   When I come across phrases that are meaningful to me, I can instantly share them with my friends on Facebook. So many pluses about my ereader that I don't want to ever be without one.  As for reading real books???  I still have some, and not all books are available on Kindle, so I haven't given up real books altogether.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Patience and Trust


I tend to go through life with blinders on, hoping that everything will just work itself out.  If I let things get to me, they’ll only get me down and become a distraction.  If I stress, I become frustrated.  If I leave it in His hands and roll with the punches, everything falls into place.  Is it wrong for me to be like this? Everything has always worked out in the past.  God may help those who help themselves, but sometimes I have to leave it completely in his hands and trust that He knows best.  The hardest parts is being patient and letting go.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Rediscovered my blog

Yeah, well a lot has taken place since my last post this past fall.  I started taking graduate classes last spring towards my masters.  Between my classes, correcting and planning for my students, getting a workout in, and just every day life, my blog has slipped away into the hidden crevices of my brain.  I've only recently starting getting back into reading and have been mentally preparing myself to begin writing.  But that's another blog another day.

These are some of my more memorable moments of this year...
  • I did the Edgar J. Paradis Tour de la Vallee bike ride this past fall.  While Hubby rode 63 miles, I rode 25.  I was very proud of myself!
  • So far I have a 4.0 GPA in the master's program I'm in.
  • I've signed up to run a 5K on April 9 and I'm not quite ready yet.
  • I'm doing the Trek Across Maine for the American Heart Association, which consists of 180 miles in 3 days!  Yup, I'm crazy!!
  • I've resigned to purchase an ereader that I just LOVE!!  I've become spoiled to buying books instantly and downloading them on my Kindle and reading until the wee hours of the night.
  • Became a great-aunt to a beautiful baby girl. She was born 7 weeks early, but is such a strong little girl that she was home by the 3rd week.  Tomorrow was suppose to be her due date!
This past year hasn't exactly been too eventful, but has been quite busy with life in general.  We're almost done the 3rd quarter at school, so I'm looking forward to wrapping up the school year, and welcoming spring.  Just wish it would get here!!