Hard to Believe

It's really hard to believe that it's been two months since the last retreat. I know I've told everybody (almost) that, but I still want to say it again. I thought it was so fun seeing friends again and making new ones. I've e-mailed them and even seen some of them since then, but somehow I figured it would be a long time before I saw any of them again. Maybe it's because four months have passed between every retreat I've gone to before this one. The first one I went to was in June 2004 (Camp Curry), with the next one occurring in October of that same year in Sterling. I didn't go to the Christmas one last December because it was in CO, and I think we were busy that weekend anyway. I did attend the retreat in February; it was in Minneola, and I met a couple new people. That was really fun! There was no retreat in April, but I went to Camp Curry in June of 2005. After that, the next retreat was in Shawnee in October, and now I'm preparing to attend the one in Clay Center.

I can remember every retreat I've gone to; my favourite has probably been the one in Sterling. At that retreat I learned how important it is to let your faith shine in your everyday life, whether you're a lawyer or a high school math teacher. I especially liked the prayer time when we divided into small groups of threes and fours. I wish the other retreats have had that, but I guess there's always been that at Camp Curry. I appreciate that!

76!

How am I supposed to choose a book when I've read seventy-six books this year! Oh no! However, I do have the capabilities and resources to handle this with calmness and ease. I will choose a book and write a review for all of you.

Now since you all are probably tired of hearing all about "the book of the year," I'm going to stop. You shall not hear the results until after the retreat, probably next Tuesday or Wednesday. I promise not to talk about it until I announce the results. :)

oooooookay

This is a better template, but right now it's kinda green. just kinda, tho. i'll change it later when i get bored. :)

i'm enjoying myself. i practiced an hour and half today. i think if i keep working on my music at this rate, i will have it ready in time. oh, and i have "Scherzo" memorized-- finally.

grandma's in sabetha as of this afternoon. i think everyone here was kinda shocked; dad said she wasn't gettin out today. i guess he was wrong! mom and lydia met them on oregon street this afternoon as they were headed to the hospital. i guess the nurses got tired of grandpa or something. just kidding! i think this is good that grandma is showing improvement.

our phone line is fixed. yay! however, that means my thoughts are usually interrupted by the shrill ring of the telephone. it's never for me, so it's kind of annoying to listen to it. oh well. i guess i don't mind too much.

Seereuslie!!!!!!!! (Okay, so I'm not really)

The year is almost over. In fact, there are a total of four days and about seven hours-- give or take a couple-- until it is time to turn the page of the calendar. Actually, I need to do more than that: I need to put up a totally new calendar. I guess I need to think about that. Pretty soon it's going to be January, and then I'm going to look at my wall and wonder if anything's happening. I won't know because I didn't write it down because I didn't have a calendar. So there is a reason why you should get a sixteen-month calendar. It's so you don't get hung up without those precious little squares when the clock chimes midnight.

However, that's not why I'm posting. I'm posting because nobody has voted on the book of the year. I think I know what I'm going to choose, but I'm not announcing it until I have a whole paragraph written up, including author, and series of the year. In choosing the author of the year, should I go with the one whose books I read the most or the one whose books I enjoyed the most? I want your opinion! (note: it probably won't change my vote, but that doesn't matter :P)

The Beginnings of Vacation

I really like Christmas breaks. They're fun. The only bleak spot on the calendar is that I have to do chemistry sometime today. :( I wish I could just do my own thing and follow the book. I never know whether or not I'm supposed to believe what the book says. I also feel like I'm suppose to know that and instantly understand the material, regardless of the fact that there's a week between classes. Also, I really don't know how to pace myself. There's a lot of new material there, but I don't know how to work my way through it. I wish I could just follow the day-by-day and just read several pages per day, gradually working my way through the course. After all, this is supposed to be a self study (or whatever it's called).

Wanna know something really cool? My grandma walked 100 feet this morning. We all (except Mom) went down to see her last night for a couple of minutes, and that was really nice. I know Grandpa appreciated it. Eric took his violin down and tried to play "Son of the Puzta" that he's really actually supposed to have memorized, but it was obvious that he didn't. The bad thing about that it that he will have it (mostly) memorized, and he'll do very well for the contest. I hate that! I wish I could do that. I always practice more than he does, but he always does sooo much better than I in the actual contest. It really stinks. Anyway, the point is that Grandma is slowly improving, and that's a good thing. Even the fever that she had last night is gone!