Christmas 2011

What a wonderful week this has been! Time spent with family, traveling, and chasing dreams as I enjoyed an extra special Christmas gift from my parents. My gift was a trip to the Upper Peninsula to go dog sledding at Nature’s Kennel near the town of Newberry. The kennel is owned by Ed & Tasha Stielstra; my class has followed Ed for several years as he’s participated in the Iditarod sled dog race. I’ve wanted to go up and visit for a while, but never dreamed I’d be able to go in the winter and dog sled myself!

Monday morning my parents and I took off and drove north to the Upper Peninsula. The weather was perfect for traveling: clear roads and sunny sky. We crossed the bridge around noon, had lunch at one of the few restaurants that were still open, and headed northwest to the Newberry area in search of snow. We finally found a thin covering of snow at the charming inn where we stayed overnight. 

We spent the next morning at Nature’s Kennel, in McMillan, where (thankfully) there was a little more snow. I learned how to harness a small dog team, maneuver a dog sled, and then drive my own team of dogs twelve miles through wooded trails (following a guide).  It was such an incredible experience – and deserves a complete blog post coming soon – I loved every minute! We also got to hold two-week old puppies. 

We took a little detour and stopped at Tahquamenon Falls on our way back to the bridge and then stayed overnight in Mackinaw City. The next morning we made a quick stop to check out the wintery beach near the bridge. This whole area is a lot quieter in the winter than during the busy summer months.

On Wednesday we met my sister and brother-in-law with their kids in Traverse City at the Great Wolf Lodge. They had arrived the previous day, so my niece and nephew showed me all around. The spacious lobby was beautifully decorated for Christmas. We had a great time at the water park going down the water slides, tubing on the lazy river, sitting in the hot tub, and getting splashed when the 1000 gallon bucket tipped over. It was great to spend time relaxing with family.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for such a special gift! What a great way to end the year!

Bethlehem

Earlier this month I attended "The Story Tour," a musical journey from Genesis to Revelation. It was a wonderful evening of worship and reflection, as some leading names in Christian contemporary music sang songs written from the viewpoint of various Bible characters (Moses, Job, Esther, Mary, Paul, etc) against amazing visual backdrops.  The songs varied in musical style, but the lyrics often provided me a new way of thinking about each character.   

One example comes from Mary's song: 

"I'll hold you in the beginning, you will hold me in the end. Every moment in the middle, make my heart your Bethlehem. Be born in me."

I love that thought. Later on the song says: "The only thing my heart can offer is a vacancy."  That's my prayer this Christmas - to have a heart open to the Savior and His will for my life. Amidst all the hustle and bustle of this time of year, may our hearts be Christ's Bethlehem.

P.S.  The video is six minutes long, but the song is well worth it 

(even the 1+ minute instrumental opening).

Puppy Love

Tigerbeat magazine - the lifeblood of teenage girls in the 70s. I’d eagerly scrutinize each issue, clipping pictures and discovering the latest news on all the teen stars. David Cassidy, Andy Gibb, Bobby Sherman, and my favorite – Donny Osmond.

As a young girl, I loved Donny Osmond. He was so cute. When purple was his favorite color, it became my favorite color. I watched the Donny and Marie Show on TV and all their Christmas specials. The Osmond brothers were great, but Donny was my favorite. He was handsome, funny, nice, and an all-around great guy – absolutely perfect in my dream world.

And then I grew up. Dumped the posters, stored the record albums, swapped my favorite color to blue, and moved on to the life of reality.  Graduated from college, became a teacher, worked in Pittsburgh, McBain, and Holland. Traveled to several countries and became involved in my church. I’m happy with my life and seldom think about my teenage pop star crush.

But when I saw that Donny and Marie were doing a Christmas show in Chicago, I couldn’t pass it up. It was the perfect way for my sister and I to celebrate our birthdays and bask in nostalgia.

So my sister and I spent a wonderful day in Chicago yesterday.  The weather was perfect: cold but sunny. We took the train into the city, enjoyed lunch at the Corner Bakery, and browsed the Christkindlmarket and Macy’s. And then we walked to the Oriental Theatre to see – in person – Donny and Marie!

The auditorium was packed - primarily with people in our age group.  Apparently I’m not the only one reliving adolescent memories. The curtain opened and – there he was!  Oh my – he’s still handsome. I actually felt a little giddy. My teenaged crush returned – for an afternoon. It was hard to believe that the boy I had spent my teenage years dreaming about was on stage just a few yards away.

Donny and Marie put on a fantastic show – geared especially to those who grew up with them. They mixed in a few of their teenaged hits and old video clips with new songs and Christmas medleys. There were numerous costumes changes and great dance sequences. They even included updated jokes, ala the Donny and Marie show. It was wholesome, lighthearted, and fun.  I loved their music; they can still belt out the songs. I might even have to check them out on itunes.

The only downside is my wish to have Donny sing Happy Birthday to me and get a photo with him is still unfulfilled. Although Donny and Marie both came down the aisles and shook hands/hugged those on the end, we were on the wrong end of the aisle. Oh well. I guess you can’t have everything. I had to settle for this photo:

(It’s amazing how lame middle-aged women can be; there was actually a line of women waiting to pose with the cardboard cutout!) 

Ah, puppy love!

Thanksgiving List 2011

I still rate last year’s list as the “Top Ten” things I’m thankful for, but here’s a few additions.

1. Variety in Creation – I love the fact that God created so many different kinds of plants and animals.  Large and small, striped and solid colors, wild and tame, vibrant and more restrained. Seeing the diversity in creation reminds me of God’s vast imagination and creativity.

2. Emotions – The joyful sound of laughter as well as the release that tears can bring are gifts from God to help us navigate through the joys and sorrows of life. I’m thankful for a sense of humor that I can share with my students and the times we can just laugh and enjoy life together. But I’m also thankful for the sense of community when I shed tears along with friends and family as we struggle to make sense amid difficult situations.

3. Sun – Besides the fact that the sun is necessary for life here on Earth, I just feel happier on days that I can see the sun shine. I love the feeling of warmth on a sunny spring day and the beauty of snow and ice-covered branches on a sunny winter morning.

4. Books – Reading is probably my favorite free-time activity. I love escaping into worlds of fiction where characters seem so real. I’m also thankful for the way my thinking can be stretched through the thought-provoking questions and differing viewpoints a good book (both fiction and nonfiction) addresses.

5. Time with God – My life, especially during the school year, tends to be so busy, constantly trying to stay one step ahead of each deadline. I’m thankful for times of quiet – both on walks through nature trails and when I’m just sitting quietly on my comfy couch – time spent praying or meditating.  I need these times, and I’m thankful for God’s love and presence in my life.

“Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.”

1 Chronicles 29:13

Racing

I tend to live my life the way my dog takes a walk. One of my goals this fall is to take advantage of the various local county parks each weekend and walk the hiking trails with Tosca. It’s been wonderful to enjoy the autumn colors and simply revel in the beauty of creation. Tosca loves going for a walk and is always eager to get out of the car and set off on the trail.

We went to Hemlock Crossing this afternoon, just north of Holland off US 31. After being cooped up all week because of rainy, windy weather, Tosca was raring to go. She took off on the trail at a run; it’s a good thing I was holding her leash tightly! She’d occasionally stop here and there for a second to sniff and then dash off again, only to be frustrated by my attempts to slow her down to an actual walk. She paid little attention to the beauty surrounding us; she just wanted to go her own way. At times she tried to veer off the path toward her own shortcut before being pulled back to the path by me.

We finally stopped at a clearing overlooking the Pigeon River. At first glance there was nothing to see. But, as I stood watching quietly, I began to observe the life in the meadow surrounding the river. The gently swaying leaves, small birds flitting among the cattails, the river slowly meandering along, and a butterfly dancing in the air all brought a smile to my face. A rustle among the leaves finally revealed a little chipmunk making a leap onto a tree trunk as he explored the woods. A peace filled my soul as I stood watching the river and meadow. I loved the life found here in the stillness.

My dog, however, paced around, anxious to be on her way again. And I realized how often I act like her in my daily life. I’m usually hurrying along, wanting to go off on my own path and moving toward the next thing.  I seldom stop and just enjoy the moment, being still and trusting God to steer my path. I’ve purposely tried to relax at school this week and just enjoy the moments with my students instead of stressing out about everything that has to be done. It’s been a good week, and we actually accomplished a lot.  I guess that Bible passage about not worrying (Matthew 6) is really true.

Be still and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

A Time To Remember

Sometimes we forget. In the busy-ness of life and the efforts to complete all the to-do lists and just getting through each day, we can forget the original purpose for why we do what we do. I’ve been feeling the struggle of this lately. Working with a new writing curriculum, a new literacy management system, more technology tools/integration, extra committee work, as well as trying to find the time to fit in everything I’m supposed to teach has been overwhelming this fall. A lot of good stuff, but all at once. By last Sunday evening I was almost at the breaking point. I couldn’t do one more extra thing. I wondered if this was really where I was supposed to be. What I was supposed to be doing.  In the stress of all this “stuff,” I’d begun to forget the why. Why I became a teacher. Why God called me to this profession. 

Thankfully God, in His perfect timing, reminded me during these last two days at our Christian Educators Association convention in South Bend, Indiana. I am so thankful I was there to be reminded of the reason I became a teacher: to make a difference in the lives of children.  Building relationships with my students, helping them develop a Christian world and life view, living out the difference because of Christ, and showing grace and love – all of these are important life lessons that extend beyond literacy, math, science, and technology. I want my students to learn the academics, but most of all I want to show them Jesus. And when I return to my class next week, although all the extra “stuff” will still be there, it will not overwhelm me. Because I remember again. I remember why I am a teacher. I love my kids. 

Breaking an Addiction

My name is Melanie and I am addicted ...

to a game called Pathwords.

I've played this game on Facebook for a couple of years and justify the many hours time spent each week with the thought that I'm exercising my brain. I absolutely love this game. I begin and end each day with it; just a couple games (10-15 minutes max. - usually). At first it was fun just to see how many words I could find in the 5 minute time limit. But then I saw the scoreboard on the side and my competitive nature kicked in. I wanted to beat my friends in this game. I experimented with getting as many short words as possible (with fewer points per words) vs. searching for the longer (more points) words. The really long words are worth 130 points; get a few of those and you're doing really well. Anyway, ten minutes gradually turned into an hour (or two) and then I caught myself saying "Just one more game and then I'll stop" over and over each night. When I reached first place I was ecstatic! And also fearful that I would lose my top spot to someone else. I finally realized I had a problem but was powerless to stop it. I love my routine. And I need to keep working to remain in first place.

Until now.  I'm breaking my addiction tomorrow, but not by my choice. It's a harmless little habit that I really wish I could continue. But, alas, Zynga, the company who developed Pathwords, is shutting it down tomorrow. They sent a very nice note telling about their other games and inviting Pathwords players to join those. They apologized for shutting it down. But my beloved game will no longer be available after September 30. 

I'm sad.

I've been playing a lot this last week to try and reach a score of 2200.

But it's over.  I'm breaking this addiction, and I'll have to develop a new routine.

Great timing ... I just got an iPad. I'm sure there are some apps that could exercise my mind...

And it's all right as long as I go out still in first place!