Heather

Happy Thanksgiving season! I'm still happy and busy, as usual. I'm not quite as stressed about my new responsibilities at work any more. Teaching math and reading still takes too much time out of being a librarian, but I'm more used to it, now... the math program we use at Mountainville Academy (Saxon Math) is really good - it's a lot of fun to teach, and very appropriate for 1st graders. I would enjoy it a lot more, if that's what I’d been hired to do in the beginning...

The PE teacher at school invited the staff to take the 'presidential challenge' to have 30 minutes of physical activity, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks. I decided to take her up on it, and I've been doing pretty good. Luckily, we have 8 weeks to do it (that adds up to 30 days of exercise within those 8 weeks.) So, I don't have to give up after only 4 days of exercise for this week... To help me keep my goal, I decided to sign up for a Zumba class held at Butler Middle School one evening a week. If you don't know what Zumba is, picture the aerobic dance class craze of the 80s, and add Latin music and dance steps (move those hips!). Oh, and pronounce it "Zoomba." It has been a lot of fun! I think I'll look into the cost of the community rec center next to the school, so I can go to Zumba two nights a week. Hopefully by the end of this community class, I won't look too foolish next to those who really can move their hips. (I do NOT have Latin hips...) I still try to go Big Band Swing dancing Friday nights, so that has helped with my goal, too. I just have to be sure to dance at least 9 songs to get the 30 minutes in (I figure the songs average 3-4 minutes...)

I have a computer of my own to use, now! Thanks, Jennifer, for giving Grandma your old one... The set up (windows xp) is too different to what Grandma is used to (windows 98, I think), so Grandma offered it to me. Thanks to Grandma (for clearing the desk in her computer room, buying a new power strip, continuing to ask if I got everything needed, and helping me get it!), Uncle Rick (for changing the 2-prong outlet to a 3-prong), John Anderson (for ordering a router, getting me a copy of Office, and getting his nephew to help get it all running), I am all set up! THANK YOU!!!! Now I can fulfill my calling as editor of the Ward newsletter from home, instead of staying later at work, stopping at the library, or driving out to borrow Mom's computer.

Hurray for the upcoming season! I love Thanksgiving and Christmas - lots of family time, and lots of focus on things that REALLY matter in life: appreciating the bounty we have, passing that bounty on to others through service, celebrating the birth of Christ, spending time with family, and just being happy. I love this time of year!! (and now to face the challenge of maintaining this positive feeling through the stress that can also come this time of year...) I look forward to seeing some of you sometime in the next several weeks.

Enjoy the season! Love, Heather