A Collection of Passing Thoughts...in the absence of something significant to write about.

-I usually do one load of laundry a week. Saturday morning. Today I learned that skipping a week is not advisable. I am typing in my pj's because all my clothes are in the laundry. I hope no one comes to the door before about noon.

-In my classroom, I have four rules. The one I like the best is "No Whining". In my defense, I come by my severe aversion to whining honestly. I can still see my mom in my mind's eye, saying to us as kids, "When you whine I can't understand you. If you want to tell me something, say it in a normal voice."

Yesterday afternoon I was about ten minutes from the end of my Study Skills class; 2:30 on a Friday afternoon. Trying to teach at 2:30 on a Friday afternoon is generally an exercise in futility, but yesterday I really felt like we were getting somewhere. The class was working on techniques for taking good notes. We had just finished working really intently on a particular article, and I was passing out a second article, which was to be homework. There was a bit of whining. I can't say that I could really blame them. But, in the interest of consistency I said, "Do I hear whining?" There was a low mumble of defeated apology across the room. I proceeded to pass out papers and when I returned to the front of the room, I saw that Ana Julia had put her head down on her arms on the desk. Concerned that she wasn't feeling well, I put my hand on her shoulder and said, "Ana Julia, are you feeling ok?"

Ana Julia looked up at me with sad brown eyes and said, quite seriously, "I'm whining silently."

I couldn't help but laugh with the rest of the class. I love my job.

-Last spring I bought an apron. This is my first apron since the little pink calico one Grandma Nell made for me when I was maybe 6. Brittony got a matching one. I still have mine in a box somewhere.

But anyway, given my propensity to be a messy cook, and even a messy dish-washer, I decided it was time to invest. So last spring I spent $10 to buy another hand-made apron. This one was black with a pocket and trim made of a pattern of red and green chili peppers, and was made by the Women's Prison Ministry ladies. In Ecuador, you have to provide for your own food and clothing if you're in prison. A group from my church helps to train prisoners in making things like aprons and greeting cards, to sell for food money. I like to support this ministry when I can.

I do not like chili peppers. But I DO like this apron. This morning, as I set about washing some dishes...in my pajamas...I put on my apron and thought for the umpteenth time what a good purchase it was. I love it when I buy something that makes me feel satisfied each time I use it.

-Don't you think it's weird how bananas make those little black lines in your banana bread? What are those little black lines? They weren't there when I smashed up the bananas and mixed them into the batter. Weird, right?

-I've been back from my summer trip to Ohio for almost seven weeks. When I got home, of course, I immediately unpacked my suitcases. But then when I finished there was the flotsam and jetsam- a random collection of things that apparently seemed important when I was packing, but that don't really have a place to go when it's time to unpack. And so, for seven weeks, these items lived on my spare bed. Then last night I had friends over to my apartment. And suddenly, that which I never got around to for almost two months, was taken care of in about 90 seconds. Sometimes my abilities to procrastinate astound even me.

-Fin.