Geographist

This turned into quite a musical week, and not just for me.  It seems like more and more around our house is revolving around music - lessons, rehearsals, band, and choir. Sunday - I really do enjoy teaching 5th grade, especially during years like this one as Curly and her friends have all made it into our class.  These kids are something else, and I'm glad the adults in charge have allowed me to stick around this age group for the past seven years.  Now that we're back in person, I was finally able to pull out one of my favorite lessons - "What does the Bible say about itself"?  Each year during the first few weeks it's my goal to share a memorable lesson that'll serve to ingrain something into their minds while also helping establish raport with the group.  This topic is perfect - I bring a backpack full of items that Scripture compares itself to, including a hammer, lighter or matches, honey, silver, flashlight, and seeds.  But the one thing they love be...

This week's entry is fairly significant for me, because it marks the 100th published post on this website.  Whether you've seen every single one of them or this is your first time hitting the site, thank you!  This week was quite a roller-coaster, full of ups and downs, beginnings and endings. Sunday - This was a day we've been waiting for: the return to teaching Sunday school in person!  We had nine 5th graders join us this week in person, while a few more opted for the online option to remain virtual.  It was so incredible to see these kids in real life and to take the time to teach them properly.  It's been my opinion that in the scramble to keep everyone physically healthy we've done a major disservice to the spiritual well-being of those who needed a church family the most.  Speaking of physical health, I got to address my own after returning home from lunch.  My foot still wasn't feeling right, so I went on a visit to the ER.  A few X-rays l...

The final week of the first quarter is upon us.  Hard to believe we're already halfway through the first semester!  Sunday - My last time playing the cello on stage for a few weeks was also my first time to attempt playing with a face shield instead of a mask during church.  I found the results to be better physically, but it was necessary to shift it around to the right to keep from running the thing into my fingerboard.  Once we returned home it was time for our final online-only Bible study with our 5th grade class - next week we go back to teaching in-person for the first time since March 1.  The older two girls are heading into exam week, which turned out to be a great time to have Curly practice her clarinet for us in advance of her playing test.  I love hearing these kids make music! Monday - There always seems to be an extra bit of early morning chatter among the girls when big tests are in queue (especially Girly when she thinks high school is out ...

In the greater Houston area, there's one day that seems to get people excited and in a good mood like no other.  That's the day after a long, hot summer when we finally walk out our front doors and get a chilly breeze.  And this was the week it finally happened! Sunday - Mrs. Geographist started off the week on stage at church, singing with our choir.  After a Texas Roadhouse lunch, during which I tried to catch some football but without much success, we headed home to meet virtually with our students.  Coming off a very successful 5th grade retreat we had pretty solid attendance at the weekly Zoom meeting.  At our church, the 3rd grade and 5th grade classes are vying for the unofficial title of largest class, and our crew has been pretty active so far in their limited time at the summit of the elementary school pile. Monday - Everybody was back to school for the beginning of the week, and Curly would finally get another five-day school week like she'd been hopi...