Turkey, Pumpkin Pie, and . . . Pot???

Greetings all.

As it has been some time since I last posted (per usual) and as much has happened in the interim, I'm tempted to jump right into a few random reminisces. However, I hate to prolong anyone's agony of suspense over my. . .unusual. . .title. On the other hand, postponing satisfaction will guarantee that you continue to read. So, first about MY Thanksgiving. . .which did NOT include any pot other than the metal kind you cook in.

(On a side note, Kevin just brought me a wonderful mug of homemade apple cider. I have discovered he has quite a talent for making it just right. . .very impressive.)

During the course of Thanksgiving week, I baked an 11 pound turkey, 3 pumpkin pies, 2 chess pies, and 2 batches of Pumpkin Nut biscotti. The turkey was fabulous, thanks to the modern invention of pop-up timers (in spite of which convenience our small group was duly impressed). The pumpkin pies (made, of course, with freshly steamed pumpkin) were delectable. The chess pies were oh-so-sweet, although most of the family liked them (I did not). The Pumpkin Nut biscotti, also, was a family hit (albeit my slight indifference; I did have great fun freshly grating the nutmeg to go in them. Have you ever seen the cross-section of a nutmeg? Pungently aromatic, it's laced with dark brown streaks - very pretty).

It was great to have all the family together again, emigrants and immigrants alike. We played games until the wee hours of the morning, and no one ever became cross, snippety, or umbrageous (That's my new word. Do you like it?)

We returned home Saturday evening, had a fairly lazy Sunday. . .during which I did far less work than I should have, considering that I did no school work the previous 4 days. . .and returned to normal activities yesterday. Other than being rather cold, school has gone well so far this week. Perhaps the break did everyone good. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to Christmas Break.

In our small group tonight we began a book by O. Palmer Robertson entitled The Christ of the Covenants. It promises to be deep and insightful, generating much discussion and exploration of related topics. I'm looking forward to continuing.

That is all my news, I suppose, except for the long-awaited explanation of my intriguing title:
At the end of the day yesterday, I was sitting at my desk with my classroom door still open. I heard a student in the hall laughingly telling a friend about her family's Thanksgiving. They apparently had a bonding session, sitting around smoking marijuana together. Hooray for healthy family traditions!


Oh, I can't end on that note. It's dismal. One last random tidbit. . .
this Saturday, my grandparents are coming up with their seniors group from church to visit some sites in Tulsa, after which they're coming over for coffee and biscotti. I'm terribly excited. . .I get to play hostess twice in 5 days this week! (Next week is our week to host our small group.) Biscotti is my new area of baking exploration. There are so many different kinds; they keep very well; they're not extremely difficult to make; they afford an excellent excuse to have gourmet coffee! I haven't chosen a recipe (out of my 50 Biscotti Recipes book) for this weekend yet. Perhaps I should try 2 varieties. . .to provide for people's differing tastes, of course. I need to get some real creamer (we usually use milk) and some sugar substitute. And I think I'll draft Kevin to make cider for the non-coffee drinkers. That should do it.

Okay, I'll quit. I really must do a little work before bed.

Not knowing when the dawn will come. . .

I open every door. (Emily Dickinson)

This quote was on my daily calendar today, and I liked it.

All in all, it wasn't a horrible day. There was a steady stream of annoyances that eventually added up to exhaustion and a headache, but no major crises. My grading is. . .not done. Progress reports are due tomorrow, so I need to be finishing that now. On the bright side, the Vo-tech people are giving presentations in all the 10th and 11th grade English classes tomorrow, so I should be able to get a lot of work done during the day. Perhaps my desk will even find its way to cleanliness!

Sometimes I wonder if I'm being selfish and need to be more ministry-minded. Then I open a literature book and see my name and person desecrated in the cover. Not to take it personally, it still makes me question why people do this. Then my better side argues back, declaring something about the longsuffering of God's servants through history. If service were always easy and pleasant, would it still be service? Does my discomfort and frequent distaste make my task less holy? Or, perhaps, more so?

I'm rebelling against my own better judgment. Let's pretend I didn't just make any of those arguments.

We're still shooting for a free weekend, followed by a free Thanksgiving Break. . .which means I should get busy and grade now. Perhaps that dawn Emily spoke of is just around the corner.

The prospect of endless catching up is not inspiring.

I didn't grade at all this weekend. I completed cursory lesson plans and finished a test key for something that should have been graded 3 weeks ago, but that's it. It would be a lovely sensation if it weren't Monday morning with all those ungraded papers now hanging over my head at the start of another week. The prospect of endless catching up is not inspiring.
Honestly, if my first priority is to make our home, and my current job substantially interferes with the fulfillment of that task, it is only logical to do one of two things: change my first priority or change my current job. Since I can't conscientiously change my first priority (and, besides that, don't in the least want to), the logical course of action is to change my current job. Right? At least, that's the way my obviously biased and perhaps currently not-so-rational rationale settles the issue. I have not, ashamed to say, made the matter one of serious prayer, so I should stop trying to rationalize what I want and just ask for open (or shut) doors and windows.
Well, as it is Monday morning whether I want it to be or not, and as my afternoon classes have a test scheduled today that does not yet exist, I must betake myself to test-writing.

P.S. - How many errors did you count in this post? I should not try to write before 7. . .either my fingers or my brain (or both) rebel.

Be such a woman

Be such a woman, live such a life, that if every eoman were such as you, and every life like yours, this earth would be a God's paradise.

This quote from Episocopal Bishop of Massachusetts Phillips Brooks is in my newest book. . .a book with a decidedly feminist perspective, above quote notwithstanding. Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her traces the history of the Nancy Drew series from the man whose idea started the spark through the various women who have been Carolyn Keene over the years. I find it interesting, if somewhat amusing at points. The quote. . .I liked it, so I had to share.

Randomicities

Eight minutes left. . .

It's Wednesday of a 4 and 1/2 day week. . .much better than Wednesday of a 5 day week. Of course, I have to work Thursday evening, so it's really just a modified 5-day week. We have parent conferences tomorrow night and Friday morning, then we get Friday afternoon off. I'm planning a knit/crochet session with a friend who's on bed rest in the hospital.

I'm supposed to give my AP classes options for their research papers tomorrow. Oops. . .forgot to prepare that list. I guess I'll be doing that tonight. I hope I can come up with enough. Their papers are going to be researched argumentative essays, so I'm wanting topics that have to do with current events. I want these to force them to survey and research something about the world around them. Examples would be: Evolution v. Intelligent Design in the Science Classroom, America: Democracy or Republic?, Affirmative Action, etc. If you have any bright ideas--or not-so-bright-but-it-will-do ones--let me know. I have 20 students, so I need at least 25 ideas. Bah.

Down to three minutes. . .

I've almost finished the grades for the 1st 9 weeks that ended last Wednesday. Luckily, our high schools don't give 9-week report cards, or I'd be late. At least, I'd have been forced to pull some later-than-usual nights to finish them by a deadline. The grades are looking better than they did at progress report time, but not too great in general. For that, however, I refuse to accept responsibility. I cannot force people to turn in assignments.

Time's almost up. I must go open my door to the populace.