I'M DONE!

Well, Seminary is over! Seminary Graduation is over! No pranks - everything went great - great talks by the kids, a lot of hugs, etc. I know I'm going to miss teaching and miss the kids, but right now all I'm thinking is "Free at last, Free at last, Glory hallelujah, FREE AT LAST!"

ANSWER

The photo on my blog is Mt. McKinley in Alaska. Or Denali, as the Alaskans call it.

THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE

How do people live alone? My husband's been out of town for the past 3 days and even though I've been super busy getting ready for the end of Seminary, the thought has passed through my head more than once, that I really don't like the solitude. Oh sure, it was kind of nice the first day. I even thought it would be good that my husband was going to be gone for 3 days because I had so much to do. I didn't have to fix dinner, I just ate a bowl of cereal or an egg for diner. I don't know, maybe people get used to it, but to me it seemed sort of mundane. Go here, do that, work on the computer, work on Seminary, do the wash, water the tree that looks like it's about to die, go shopping, come home, eat dinner, practice the piano, read a book, go to bed. I think if my husband died before me, I'd have to do some big time volunteering somewhere. It's good that I live close to my kids. Even though I was so busy I didn't have time to go and visit them, it's nice to know that I could have if the solitude really got to me. I think another thing I would have to do if I lived alone would be to play some music really loud for awhile each day. Or leave the tv on with the volume turned up. Just for awhile.

ANOTHER GUESS

Can anyone guess what the picture on my blog is?

2 MORE DAYS

My seniors have decided that they need to come up with some kind of awesome "senior prank" before they leave Seminary. I tried to talk them out of it and threatened with-holding their diplomas, but to no avail. They talked about several ideas this morning but nobody liked any of them. Be afraid. Be very afraid. 2 days and counting....

I'M READY FOR MY CLOSE UP, MR. DEMILLE

I'm so tired of drama. No, I'm really not talking about the theater. I'm talking about all the drama I've had in my life for the past few months. I have 4 days left of Seminary - next Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. All we have been dealing with is drama.

One of the dramas I've endured was our Scripture Chase. We have been preparing for this all 2nd Semester. I really didn't think my seniors would win because they have "senioritis" so bad (but that's okay, because I have "senioritis" too). The day before the chase, I told my seniors that I didn't care if they won or lost, all I cared was that everyone showed up and that they had good sportsmanship whether they won or lost.

I told the other teachers that we would have 2 rounds. One of the jr teachers said, "Oh no, we have to have 3 rounds in case of a tie!" I told her that if the chase ended in a tie, it would be the best thing that could happen. That is what happened last year - the jrs and the srs tied - everyone was happy. This teacher said to me, "Oh, but I want to win!" (Warning! Warning, Will Robinson!)

Well, towards the end of the 1st round one of the jr girls accused the judges of being partial to the seniors because there were 2 senior judges and one junior judge. (The reader was also a junior teacher and the scorekeeper was a junior teacher - the 4th junior teacher was out of town.) When she said this, the junior judge said, "You're winning, why are you complaining?" So at the end of that round, I told the junior teacher who was the reader to change places with the senior judge - that way there would be 2 junior teachers as judges and one senior teacher (me). I asked the juniors if that would be okay and make them happy about it being more even. The junior teacher who was the reader did not look happy at being moved to being a judge. We had 3 judges so that if 2 judges disagreed on who was first, the 3rd judge would be the one to decide. We even had one time where 2 students tied. Both were given points.

Well anyway, the juniors won - by about 10 points for both rounds. Trouble is, the juniors were not very good winners. The next Monday, my class came to Seminary - everyone depressed. Come to find out, the juniors had harrassed them all weekend- told them the seniors cheated - told them their teachers were mean and unfair. Excuse me? I've heard of poor losers, but poor winners?

Like I said, waaaayyy too much drama. Problem is, I hate to end on a sour note like this. Now I feel like all my kids are mad at me. My supervisor came in dropping hints that "junior teacher" must have gone to her and complained. I've worked way too hard all year to come to this.

Four days and counting.

thoughts on "bummer"....

So I've been thinking on this quote by Delirious and I've decided that it is only pride in certain circumstances. If you are afraid you are going to make a mistake, not because of what it reflects on you, but on the outcome, then it is not pride. If you are a pianist, and you are performing in the final performance, you are nervous because you don't want to make a mistake that will throw off the choir or another accompanying instrument, or you don't want to cause any flaws in the program. If, as a pianist, you are worried that making a mistake will make you look bad, then it is pride.

Likewise, when you are planning something like an event or program, and you carefully try to plan for everything. When the event happens, then you see mistakes. You see where you should have planned better. You are not worried about how it reflects on you. You are worried about how it affected the event and how it could have gone better. I don't think that is pride.

I think certain pride is good. Pride in ourselves for living the gospel. Pride in our country. Pride in our families. It is only when thinking we are better than others overcomes that pride, that it is bad.

I'm going to keep thinking on this.