November 7: A Breath at Last!

Well, I have finally completed my second big school law paper (this one on special ed. "best practice" with a million subsections and 21 pages), mostly completed my grades and comments for first quarter, helped organize two big Student Council events in two days (girls flag football and the blood drive), and met my personal (still fit in my 6/week workout goal) and professional (have been rocking the RTI Writing block and being a good classroom teacher too) goals! Then I did sleep till nine this morning, which felt pretty darn good.

BRING ON NOVEMBER!

A and I are heading down to Lewiston to see Nate in this play, as the Nutcracker, and again stay in a hotel booked cheaply through Hotels.com, and visit with my well-healing mama and see the matinee of the play with my dad and stepmom. We'll come back late on Sunday, so I am trying to relax but also pull together loose ends for school, which might not happen 100%, but I'll try.

At the same time, I am longing for time to knit and create and sew and bake and cook. Kate Davies is so inspiring, and so are the Liesl and Co patterns and Quince and Co. has just released a bunch of new colors and . . . . so. And I keep thinking about what I am interested in "doing next", which deserves some thought, but there are still areas that fascinate and delight me in teaching, not least the essence of kids engaged in learning, apart from all the grades fixation and technological immersion crap that is making teaching so un-fun.

So, there is much percolating. L is in Portland, excited and a bit scared, but also learning how great it is to be really at the center of things, as when our b'fast gathering last weekend was about 2 miles from his apartment. And with N having a car, and L having an apartment and a car of his own, A and I are feeling a bit. . . . free and open. And delighted when gatherings like this one occur:

(Nate, bro Tom, Dad, JB, Ellyn, Ann, Lyle, Andy, me)!

We're entering the more centered part of the year, and this year especially I think the holidays will be fairly focused and calm (cue ominous music. . . ), so I am trying to breathe deeply and be aware. 

And possibly finish a few knitting projects, like Nate's socks and a few pairs of booties and maybe even a hat for our Syrian refugee efforts. 

Hello, November. 

That's Nate, before the evil spell is broken!