It's my first thankfulness post submitted from my newly-arranged office chair. The latest tool in my crusade for better posture and joints, this desk sits next to a breezy springtime window that reminds me with each deep breath that good times are ahead.
I realized this week that I have two Jewish neighbors, two Jewish students and a Jewish classmate. I've never been so close to the community, and even though there's no religious context in any of these relationships (except the fact that they were available to be tutored on Easter), I'm a fan of religious diversity and pleased to know these people.
Cupcake's first half-birthday is around the corner, and she continues to impress me with her politeness and affection. We trust her to sleep in bed with us, and she never wakes us up in the middle of the night, though she does give me a good-morning poke around 7 a.m. often once Dena's moving about. We've also gotten her a leash and taken her outside, where many types of reactions are possible such as wandering over to the units where dogs live. But nope, she's perfectly content strolling near our front stoop doing some light claw-based landscaping, or sitting quietly on a stoop. In short, she's a good kitty and we are lucky owners.
Our band was missing a drummer and guitarist today, and it reminded me how blessed we are to have the talent we do, how each plays a key role, and how versatile we are to cover for things (like Mike stepping in to play today). It was a Mass filled with other distractions - song sheets missing, delayed arrival times, morning sickness, babies needing to be carried back to their grandparents - and we still put out an uplifting sound. Age teaches me when to recognize when we've got it good, and we've got it good. The band is devoted not only to the musical mission, but also to reaching out to guests around us who may be attending for the first time.
The Blackhawks and Bulls are both rallying in their playoff series. On behalf of my fantasy baseball teams I am really enjoying the sizzling starts of White Sox Alexei Ramirez and Jose Abreu.
I've rediscovered Sudoku puzzles and Facebook Wordscraper games, fun ways to keep my mind sharp when I'm not tutoring actuarial mathematics.
It was another 25-hour tutoring week, putting me on a pace to sail past my 2014 goal of 300 hours by the end of the first semester! I also received several random affirmations from Heartland students and staff about the quality of my work. "You're the man" when it comes to statistics and such is part of God's way of validating the path I'm on. I will potentially be averaging 6 hours a week in the month of June as well, pure gravy on top of anything I reasonably could have expected.
Meanwhile, I submitted my application to become a substitute math teacher at Normal Community High School. So far, so smooth, and as long as I pass a few checkpoints I should be able to stay involved with NCHS even if I'm no longer coaching.
We finally have fully operational light fixtures throughout the house. Hard to believe it's been like 7 years sine we could say that, but Dena got the job done.
We've also been digging the trailer-park-set "My Name Is Earl" as our newest Netflix comedy staple, having finished "How I Met Your Mother."
Finally, you know my favorite season is getting closer when I start wearing T-shirts to work, and starting the day with a morning run around the neighborhood. At this point my life feels completely pointed in the right direction, and not only that, but completely fulfilling today. A year ago I couldn't say that.
May the rains be gentle wherever they fall, and remind you of the green grass that's here and to follow!
No comments:
Post a Comment