another week...

...another form filled completed!

I'm on a roll! This one I've been putting off for 4 years.

I am now a member of APRA. I will get paid when people perform my songs!

Joel's Easter Acrostic

Easter is a time to remember
As Jesus died on the cross
Sad to me. Is it to you?
There is the cross he died on. See two beside him.
Easter is good
Remember, remember

Easter eggs are good but
God is better.
God raised Jesus from the dead.
Sad to remember. It is if you think about it.

JR 2009
(age 7)

twist away

Early Bird rate closes today. Be quick!

more YouTube fun!

Axis of Awesome 4 Chords

Auto-Tune the News

Tragedy sounds better, auto-tuned.

Watch it, it's funny.

ht: addison road

"i am a recording artist and song composer, so i should know."

No, not me!

An anonymous commenter down here. Have to draw attention to it.

I still think I'm right, of course!

I hate teaching...

... if what I did today was actually teaching. Didn't feel like it.

Today 6'X' at ESh School learnt that Mrs. Richardson is a bitch. That's what they were saying, at least. And I was. But they were revolting. And they were revolting first. So it wasn't my fault.

on chocolate cake and sin

I love chocolate cake. Truly love it. But it's bad for me. If I eat it, it'll be on my thighs tomorrow and will take weeks of hard work to make it go away. It's so bad. I won't eat it. I won't. But it looks good. I wonder... See that little bit of icing hanging off the side? Maybe if I just broke that off... Such a little bit can't hurt. Mmm. That was good. I wonder if the cake's as good as the icing? I really need to try both to get a feel for what I'm not having. Just a crumb. Oh. Looks a bit obvious that I've broken off that bit. I'll just tidy it up with a knife... Such a thin slice is like having nothing at all. Mmm. Better take some off the other side to keep the same angle...

It's not that bad. It's not like I had the whole piece... But since that I've had that much I might as well finish it off.

For me, the easiest crumb of cake to say no to is the first. After I've had that first bit, there's no stopping me. I've gotten a taste for it and will most likely keep going till all the cake's gone.

I was lying in bed the other night, imagining sin looking like a piece of chocolate cake. My dealing with the two is much the same. I know that x sin is bad. It's bad because God says it is, but it's also bad because it will lead to y and z undesirable consequences. So I decide not to do it. I just won't. Easy. But that tiniest, smallest sckeric of x's icing... I look. I think. I smell. I touch... My mouth is watering... I taste! My senses are euphoric! They cry out for a fuller experience! X, X! (Y and Z are, for the moment, out of sight.) X! The cry is deafening. Resistance useless. Defeat inevitable. I have x and x has me.

The trouble with sin (and chocolate cake) is that very quickly we develop a taste for it. Having had a little bit, we discover that we like it and we want more. There are cakes in the shop window that don't appeal to me. Baked cheese cake, pecan pie... but I'm confident that if I put the time in, I could acquire a taste for these. Similarly with sin. There are sins that I've had no particular inclination towards... but after a few crumbs and a bit of icing, they are putting fat on my soul as chocolate cake adds weight to my thighs.

In fact, I don't think there's many sins I couldn't acquire a taste for if I gave them a go.

So, what's the answer*?

1. Don't buy the cake. Don't even look at it. Don't smell it. Don't touch it. If someone else has brought it into the house, put on your gloves and bin it.

2. Say no to that first crumb and don't break off the icing. It does matter. The first crumb is the easiest to resist.

3. If some (somehow!) reaches your mouth, don't swallow! Stop. Spit it out now. All of it! And bin the rest of the cake.

4. So you've already had some? Don't make it worse. Stop now and bin the rest.

5. Work out what you're really craving. Chances are, it's not chocolate cake. Go fry up a steak.

* To sin, that is. Chocolate cake doesn't matter. In 100 years time, we'll all be thin.

hair cut and colour

I had my hair cut and coloured today (first cut in 6+ months, first colour in 3 years). So far, no one has really noticed. Not the kids, anyway - even #2 who is usually very observant. Wondering if I wasted my money.

Wait and see if Andrew comments.

Oh well.

I like it. And it smells nice.

[UPDATE: Nope. Andrew didn't notice.]

Randolph's comrades are here

I wish them all a slow and painful death.

Seriously, who needs a pope...

...when we have Mark Driscoll and the Houstons?

900 AV men for Jesus?

Nathan speaks about it here.

Similarly, I listen to Mark Driscoll but can't help thinking this is revoltingly egotistical and idolatrous.

How can this not end badly?

post-modern spelling?

I taught year 3 today. We started the day with spelling. I expected kids to misspell 'until'. Many did. We talked together about how it has only one 'l'. Good. When I was recording their results, one (unlikely) child told me he had all the words correct. I asked him to bring his book to me. As I suspected, his 'until' had two l's. He had given it a tick. When I pointed this out, he said, "Oh no, that's okay because, like, everyone in my whole entire family spells it that way." He spoke so confidently that my first thought was that he must have some special allowance to operate under an alternate spelling regime since his family has declared independance from the rest of the English speaking world...

Five seconds later (after a long pause!) I got a grip!

"Well. Everyone in your whole entire family is wrong." And I gave him a cross, corrected it, and changed his result.

Um...

I've written quite a few frustrated posts about a song that has given me trouble. I've described it as dumb and stupid and have condemned all theological words, particularly those with 4 or 5 syllables. The particular lyric is now finished (after around 15 re-writes) and I'm pleased with it. The offending words which I pulled out a couple of weeks ago, have been put back in. And I like it. It seems that not only is it unstupid now, but it actually might even be good.

Pretty soon I'll be erasing (or disguising) all the posts I wrote about this particular song. What I thought were it's most offensive words may turn out to be the title of the cd!

Today is my bloggiversary!

My blog is one year old today! Hip Hip Hooray!

Leave me something nice in a comment. Go on!

interesting

Today I was at church but not available to play piano (I was teaching Sunday School). No other pianists were available either. So there was no piano - just guitar and drums. As a congregation we sang better than we've sung for ages. More volume, more enthusiasm.

[Trying not to take it personally.]

Maybe we try too hard.

RIP Randolph

Our friend Randolph died this week*. Maybe 5 days ago. On Thursday night we thought we smelled something in the lounge room. By yesterday morning there was no doubt. Yesterday afternoon it was unbearable. At 10pm last night Andrew pulled apart the piano and found Randolph's remains. He was lying on the key hammer thingies. I had wondered why the A was sticking.

RIP Randolph. Actually, I don't care whether your resting is peaceful or not. So long as you and your comrades don't come back, ever.

*technically speaking, we killed him.

things I like #3

My new font - freestyleScrD.

Not for everyday use, of course, but it's worked for headings with avenir text.

I know that too many cooks spoil the broth....

...but I'm going to enter the kitchen anyway.

Because my ingredients will make better soup. Pull out the potatoes. Let's give it a rice base. And chicken would be nicer than beef.

Okay? Great. Do it.

David the righteous sinner

The other night I listened to a lecture on 1 Chronicles 21 (David's census, God's judgment, and David's repentance) and Psalm 51. The lecturer (Douglas Green, professor in OT at Westminster) argued that both passages are about David's righteousness. Sin is inevitable and David was being the perfect Israelite modeling heart repentance as the law required it.

⁸ Then David said to God, "I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."

⁹ The LORD said to Gad, David's seer, ¹⁰ "Go and tell David, 'This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.' "

¹¹ So Gad went to David and said to him, "This is what the LORD says: 'Take your choice: ¹² three years of famine, three months of being swept away ^a]">[a] before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD -days of plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.' Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me."

¹³ David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men."

1 Chronicles 21:8-13

An interesting idea. Heartwarming. Anyone come across it before?

rat rat ratty

Andrew put baits out to try to kill our little friend. No sign of dead rat except a smell. Not good.

I want to move house.

satisfaction

I've just finished a desktop publishing job for a conference this weekend. It wasn't heaps of work - a couple of hours behind the computer, a couple of hours printing, stapling and folding. But now I feel hugely satisfied. I have 85 sixteen page booklets stacked nicely in a box.

You should try it.

I have lots to do today...

lots and lots.

Conference tomorrow that I need to do stuff for.

I start teaching Sunday School on Sunday - with brand new material that I've not quite writing yet... And I'm wanting to make t-shirts and posters and other things to make it look happening and exciting.

Still one song to be re-written again... (yes, the stupid one. It's the 11th hour and 59th minute...)

The washing is out of control.

No time to go to work.

Hope the phone doesn't ring.

I love teaching because...

...today I got to:

• be a netball coach
• be a group trainer (I made those kids hurt! Run faster! More push ups!)
• Read and talk for an hour about the 2nd World War
• Wander round in the autumn sunshine
• Send my kids off to LOTE, library, and RE

A great day with only a couple of difficult customers.

I'm on top of the world!

I just filled in a form I've been putting off for months!

It's all enveloped up, addressed and stamped, and Andrew has promised to put it in the post box for me.

I've achieved this task and now I feel like I can do anything!

[Incidently, while looking for the things I needed to fill out the form, I found $500 worth of uncashed cheques and medicare receipts. Bonus!]

I am a political animal.

Didn't realise it till now.

Watch out.

Mike Bird lecture

I listened to this lecture at a meeting tonight. PCQers out there might be interested to watch it too.

Good stuff, of course, but can you go wrong with the royal Psalms?

Things I know

1. Wasabi Peas clear the nasal passages.
2. The Eras fonts were cool 7 years ago.
3. God sticks his finger up at the strong by choosing the weak.
4. The BBC can be trusted to choose the next doctor.
5. It's important to know when to stop.
6. Knowledge, faith and passion are a compelling combination.
7. Baldness can be excused.
8. A hairy face must be forgiven.
9. Presbyterian men should shave more.
10. Glory is hidden in the dirt.
11. It will be worth the wait.
12. Ties with large or irregular patterns should not be worn.
13. After the second hour, I start passing notes.
14. After the fifth hour, everyone starts passing notes.
15. After 11pm it doesn't matter.

[written during a long meeting]

something I've learnt this last week

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." Matt 6:24.

I cannot serve both co-writer and producer.

A whole week of blogs to catch up on...

A Little History of the World

I've been reading this book to the kids. It's a beautifully told, [humanist] account of the history of the world. If your kids are history buffs, you should take a look at it. We're up to the fall of the Persian Empire, but I've read ahead!

Gombrich incorporates biblical events into his overall historical picture, which is quite interesting. He speaks highly of the bible and even encourages us to read it ourselves, though he says we shouldn't be in any hurry to do this! As you'd imagine, Gombrich has no idea that it was God acting behind all the political events.

I can't wait to keep on reading it to the kids. Will be harder now that we're back into the grind of everyday life.

Back from holidays

It was great.

Here's what we did:

• daily jog along beach
• visit to the capricorn caves
• horse riding
• swimming in pool
• shell collecting
• dvd watching (Dr. Who, Clone Wars, A Series of Unfortunate Events)
• sleeping
• driving between Yeppoon and Rockhampton (far too much!)
• church here
• reading

Thankful for a generous sister. Can't wait to go back again.

Finally...

Stupid song no longer quite so stupid.

Hoping for a studio miracle whereby this no-so-stupid-song becomes a good-song (the tune is already good).

Things I've learnt from this particular endeavour:

• 5 syllable words suck (unless you're Chris Tomlin)
• 4 syllable words aren't much better
• Big theological terms make for bad songs
• Nothing rhymes with 'unlimited'. Nothing that you'd want to sing, anyway.
• No song should ever use the word 'unlimited'. Even if it doesn't need to rhyme with anything.
• I need to know what I'm talking about and feel something for it before trying to write it into a song
• Opening up a doctrine text and reading a couple of lines is bad writing prep
• Some lyrics should never be sent to your tune-man
• tune-men who can normally be counted on to reject terrible lyrics occasionally let something slip through
• tune-men expect a re-write of dreadful lyrics
• re-writing is so much harder than writing from scratch and no fun at all
• God is kind and can make the okay come out of the terrible.

Unless it dies in the studio (which is possible) this song will be available in June on emu's Dr. Rocktrin 2 cd (or whatever it may be called). See if you can pick it.

I'm off on holidays...

There is no comment moderation on this blog, so you can play amongst yourselves till I get back.

We're off to see my sister in Rockhampton. We're staying right on the beach in a lovely big house - apparently we can sit on the deck and watch the kids swim. The boys are going on a 3 hour long horse ride. Andrew and I hope to get to do some conversation, watch more Doctor Who, eat some steak (Rocky is the beef capital of Australia), swim and run. I'd like to beat Andrew at this exercise circuit (actually, I'd also like to beat him at running, but considering that he can run a marathon and I can run...well... not that far... it's unlikely.)

Hope you have a good week. No fighting while I'm gone and I expect any mess cleaned up before I get back!

See you Monday night.

things I like #2

www.dictionary.com

www.thesaurus.com

www.rhymezone.com

what I hate...

... spending 8 hours re-writing 3 lines of a lyric that took me 40 minutes to write originally.

And today is also the deadline for this especially trying one. (Also written about here and here.)

circuit class

I just did a circuit class at the gym. Thought I'd write down what we did - could use it at home with Andrew.

Warm Up - jogging

Work with partner and do three sets of each:

1. Push Ups and Wall Squats
a. Push ups (partner counts) start on toes, move to knees when nec. Keep going till you fatigue.
b. Wall sit squat (both people together). One leg at a time. Watch clock for each leg.

2. Walking Push Ups and Crunches
a. Push ups, face to face with partner, on toes, walking to the right (moving arms and legs) push up, walking to the left, push up. When one person drops, fall to knees and push up from side to side, till someone fatigues. Keep count.
b. Sit ups. Partner holds legs at 90 degrees and counts. Crunch till fatigue. 25 would be average first time.

3. Lunges and Shoulders
a. Lunge, knee 1cm from ground, 2 counts up, 2 counts down till leg till fatigues (should 40+ first time). Repeat with other leg.
b. Shoulders. 2.5 - 5kg weights in each hand. Raise arms to front. If make 20 without fatigue, pulse at top till fatigue.

4. Reindeer run - Towel around waist of one person. Other holds towel from behind. Front person runs, back person tries to stop them. Till fatigue. Swap.

Little child

Little child
who taught you
to block out today
and strive for tomorrow,
swimming in front
of waves of dread
[ahead! ahead! always ahead!]
with memory's teeth
snapping at your heels?

Little child,
Who muted your senses
and severed your soul?

I feel your heart race,
your hands shake.

Today is a carton that cannot be sealed
Yesterday's lid is waiting to open
The past is a jack-in-the-box
springing to life.

Little child
hold this day
examine it.
Fling it against the wall
catch it
and wash it with your tears.

Weep, little child, stop running and weep
Lay your head on my breast, I will hold you

so sleep.

sar 2009

Doctor Who is pro-life

hello...... hello......

a bit echoey in here....


in here....


in here....


in here....

spur 09

I'm going to this ministry conference in a couple of weeks. I've been asked to help run a seminar for women thinking about full time christian ministry. Any ideas about what should be said in such a seminar? I'd love suggestions, particularly from women who are or have been in christian ministry. But also from everyone else. Email me or comment anonymously if you'd prefer.

I've never worked for a church or anything but have talked extensively with women who do. I think they have the hardest job in the world (well, maybe not quite...) Maybe I'll write a post sometime on why I think they do it so tough.

sexual purity and community

In the subsequent, post-New-Testament era of the Church, whenever Christians took on vocations of celibacy, they did so most often in community—in monastic orders, for example. Those committed to a life of sexual abstinence recognized that such a commitment would best be undertaken not in isolation but with others and would be sustained by the rhythms of corporate worship and the mundane tasks of providing for one another’s daily needs. [from here]

I'm thinking about this... particularly in relation to those struggling with sexual temptation and loneliness... Does anyone know their church history? What was the original thought behind monastic communities? Was celibacy the first thought and monasteries a way to make that easier? Or was it the other way around? Are there any applications today?

school holiday dvds

Excited about the dvds I've just borrowed.

3 x Doctor Who
High School Musical 2
A Series of Unfortunate Events

I like the Doctor Who dvds and HSM. Joel will love them all. Micah will like at least the Doctor Whos. Nathan is our difficult customer. He pretends that HSM is too sissy for him and says that Doctor Who is stupid (but not because he's scared!). I'm hoping he'll like ASOUE. But, like me he struggles with movies and books where things keep on going wrong, and surely that's the formula for ASOUE!

I'm going to start my Doctor Who marathon tonight. Saving HSM 2 till Sunday. I'm looking forward to it too much to share it with scoffers. So it may just be Joel and me.

The More Loving One

Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.

How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.

Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.

Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.

W.H Auden

another thing teachers hate...

.. kids letting fluffy off his chain.

Puma

"just like a golf buggy. Only crapper."

Nathan tells it how it is. His commenters do too.

Click for a laugh.

“A Few Like You”: Will the Church be the Church for Homosexual Christians?

In this moving and challenging testimony, Wesley Hill talks about his struggles with homosexuality, loneliness, Auden and Christian community. A taste:

I am drawn to these haunting confessions of Auden’s because I, too, am a homosexual Christian. Since puberty, I’ve been conscious of an exclusive attraction to persons of my own sex. Though I have never been in a gay relationship as Auden was, I have also never experienced the “healing” or transformation of my sexual orientation that some formerly gay Christians profess to have received. But I remain a Christian, a follower of Jesus. And, like Auden, I accept the Christian teaching that homosexuality is a tragic sign that things are “not the way they’re supposed to be.” Reading New Testament texts like Romans 1:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 through the lens of time-honored Christian reflection on the meaning and purpose of marriage between a man and a woman, I find myself—much as I might wish things to be otherwise—compelled to abstain from homosexual practice.

As a result, I feel, more often than not, desperately lonely.

...

In the subsequent, post-New-Testament era of the Church, whenever Christians took on vocations of celibacy, they did so most often in community—in monastic orders, for example. Those committed to a life of sexual abstinence recognized that such a commitment would best be undertaken not in isolation but with others and would be sustained by the rhythms of corporate worship and the mundane tasks of providing for one another’s daily needs.

Worth a read.

perfectionists and starters again

My perfectionist and starters posts a few posts down may have been offensive to perfectionists out there. Sorry if it was unhelpful. It wasn't meant to be.

As a starter I often feel inadequate for not being a perfectionist. For not having the patience to sit down with a piece of music till I can play it 100%, for not finding joy in completely finishing tasks... The post was meant as a celebration of me being me and not having to be what others more naturally are.

I think perfectionists are wonderful people. Most of my closest friends are perfectionists. I spend much of my life envying them. If you are a perfectionist, I probably envy you. I envy your thoughtfully researched, insightful and well written blog posts. I envy your full pantries (I'm about to make my daily visit to the shops!), your organised linen cupboard, your paperwork abilities... and most other things. And I wish I could play the piano like you.

Parent /Teacher interviews...

Caveat: This post contains advice for parents. Blog posts with parenting advice get on my nerves. This may get on your nerves. Don't say you weren't warned!
Anyway... Parent/Teacher interviews...

...are a game that we play.

And a not-so-fun game. For anyone.

Teachers have to be so careful about what they say. Parents don't like being told that little Johnny is a socially inappropriate, whingy, pain-in-the-neck. Mum has no problems with him at home. He plays quietly in front of his x-box all afternoon and causes no-one any troubles. Why is he so different at school? Maybe it's just that he clashes with this teacher.

Teachers have to phrase everything so carefully. Make it understood that they see Johnny's good points. 'He eats his hotdog and chips so well at big lunch and he never leaves anything behind in his lunch box. He has a lovely smile. I saw it twice last month.'

Yet they have to go some way towards explaining the comments and results on the report card. 'It's not that Johnny can't do his work. I believe he probably can do it. It's just that he tends not to. You have to see it from my point of view. I can only grade him on the work that he does...'

Teachers generally hate confrontation with parents. If a parent complains to other parents (as they very often do) things quickly become unpleasant. For everyone. It's very hard for the teacher to be understanding and sympathetic towards a child when they know the parent is making trouble. And the child will not be motivated to work in class if they know their parents are fighting with the teacher. If a teacher brings up something about your child that you don't want to hear, listen anyway. They don't say bad things for fun.

If you have a child who is difficult or complicated or struggling, chances are you will not enjoy parent teacher interviews either. You've poured your heart and soul into this child for 5 years and the teacher tell you that all is not right. You feel like a failure. You feel like the teacher doesn't understand the full picture of what's going on. And they probably don't.

I was listening to a pretty awful bitch session between teachers today about some parents. Thought I might post a few thoughts on interacting with teachers: (I'm assuming the teacher is female.)

1. Say nice things to the teacher to show that you appreciate the work that she is doing.

2. If there are issues, let the teacher know that you want to work with her to solve the problems.

3. If the teacher says that your child is having issues with something, assume that she is right. Don't contradict. She is with your child 6 hours a day and (normally!) won't invent a problem. If you don't agree or don't understand, ask for examples of situations where the problem occured. Ask how she expected Johnny to behave or to perform in such a situation or with such a task.

4. Once the problem has been identified, ask what steps you can take together to address the situation.

5. If you think that your child is having issues with something that the teacher has not brought up, bring it up yourself. Find out if the difficulty that you see your child having is normal for their age or if it's worth giving some special attention to. If the teacher hasn't noticed the problem ask her if she could particularly watch your child's for the next little while. Check back with her in a couple of weeks. If you still have concerns, follow it up with a specialist yourself.

6. If the teacher suggests you see a specialist for something, see the specialist. It is not a sign of failure to take your child to see an OT, speechy, physio, psych, optometrist, doctor whatever. Find out what is available for free through the education system.

7. If things just aren't working for your kid at school, ask for a guidance officer assessment. Guidance assessments can give a good picture of your child's overall intelligence so you can see if they are working to their potential.

8. If your child has been mistreated by the teacher, find out all the facts before you accuse her of anything. Then, if you need to, raise the issue with her gently but firmly. Let her know that you are on her side and you support her, but advocate for your child. We had a situation last year when our 7 year old was punished (most unjustly) by being shut in a classroom by himself for most of lunch time. We were appalled by the teacher's treatment of him (he was very upset) and I immediately wrote a nasty email to the school. Thankfully I never sent it. When I was calmer I saw the teacher. I told her how our child was feeling about what happened, heard her side of the story (apparently it was all another teacher's fault(!)), and was able to say 'I understand that you were just carrying out a threat that was made, but it's unsafe and inappropriate [not to mention illegal!] to leave a child unsupervised in a classroom for half an hour. It can't happen again.' She apologised. There were other issues that we then moved on to - better ways to help our struggling child with his work.

9. Say nice things to your teacher whenever you can.

10. Say nice things to your child about the teacher whenever you can.

And to finish: There are some babyish habits that our kids have that are cute at home. Such things my not seem so cute at school. In the early school years, teachers will find the following really annoying:

• lack of Independence - not being able to put on their shoes, get themselves dressed after swimming, pick up after themselves

• interrupting

• stupid or irrelevant questions and comments - any question or comment that's not about what we're doing right now (eg talking about your dog during a class discussion on space. Children will get into trouble for doing this.)

• whinging - 'I'm thirsty' is a whinge. 'May I please get a drink?' is a question. 'My fingers are sticky' is a whinge. 'May I please wash my hands?' is a question.

• telling tales

• drawing attention to themselves - calling out, answering the roll in a funny voice etc.

• needing to go to the toilet - kids need to learn to manage their bodies. Remind them to use the toilet at morning tea and lunch times even if they're not desperate to go.
  

• not sitting still

All of this is, of course, bleedingly obvious. But given the staffroom talk today, I thought it worth writing.

recipe for a headache

Ingredients:
100 9-10 year old
100 descant recorders
small classroom
rainy day

Method:
1. Divide children into 4 roughly equal groups
2. Place one group of children into classroom
3. Give each child a recorder
4. Close classroom windows to keep out the rain
5. Tell children to play recorder (kids should work individually or in groups on whichever piece they are up to)
6. Endure for half and hour
7. Dismiss group 1 and repeat with groups 2, 3 and 4.

Headache guaranteed.

busy busy

no time to write anything...

hope you have an incredibly productive, exciting and brilliant day.

I don't like popping pills...

... even fish-oil capsules. But I persevere. Kind of. Every second day.

working girl...

I'm working monday to thursday this week as a primary music teacher.

Tomorrow I'm teaching:
-3 year 6/7 classes about the repeat sign
-2 year 3 classes about ta, te-te and doh, mi, soh, with the song 'fuzzy wuzzy was a bear'
-1 playground duty and
-1 year 2 class, where I get to do whatever I want.

All good. Hope the kids are.

I've not worked 4 days in a row since 1998.

spam comments

A got this encouraging comment a couple of posts down.

I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Ruth

Then there is a link to some how-to-play-the-piano site.

Ruth, Nancy, or whoever you are. I'm not stupid. My stats counter tells me that you did indeed 'recently come accross (sic) my blog': about 2 seconds before you left the comment! It also tells me that you found it by googling 'piano blogs'. I don't expect you will 'keep visiting very often' unless you're trying to sell me something else. I noticed you were trying to sell computer bags to Ali's readers a couple of days ago.

Go away.

The Unlucky Imperial Officer

My kids think this is very funny.

would you marry someone...

... who called you his bitch?

I heard this in a staffroom the other day. Tried to interpret it in the best light. Couldn't.

Wonder how long it will be amusing for.

questions

Why can't we all assume the best of each other?

Why do we always think that we are right?

Why doesn't everyone have balanced opinions like me?

Why do brilliant men have egos as big as planets and as fragile as glass?

Why can't we all just get along?

Why hasn't the earth stopped spinning?

Why does God put up with us?

Why is Luke Skywalker so uninspiring?

Why is there only one series of Firefly?

Why don't we make any progress?

Why does wickedness taste so good?

Why is the finish line so far away?

Why do I go to bed so late?

Why am I writing this post?

Some of my best friends are perfectionists...

...but I'm not.

I'm a starter. I love the adrenaline rush of a new activity, a new project. Sitting down and completing the task? Making it perfect? That's just hard work. I'm trying to polish up 7 songs for emu's next kid's cd - it's killing me (hence this post). Why can't I just start work on songs for the next one? I'm three-quarters of the way through writing a term of Sunday School lessons. Guess how much I want to do the last quarter?

But it will be okay. I'll get the songs written and I'll get the lessons done. Other people (perfectionists!) will impose their deadlines on me and I'll meet them.

I'm glad I'm a starter. Starters (well, starters who have a social conscience and don't like to let the side down) get things done.

Starters write more blog posts. They might not be thoroughly researched, drafted and re-drafted then published word-perfect, but they'll get them up there reasonably frequently.

Starters play music in church less stressily. We don't care about getting it note-perfect. If the chords are right, she'll be okay. Need it played in a different key? Hey I can do that! On the spot transposition will be a buzz! And new songs? Bring them on!

Starters don't balk when they're asked to do something. In fact, being asked to do something is like being given a gift! (So long as we get to do it our way!)

Starters are fine with making mistakes. We get our buzz from the initial idea more than from the finished product, so a few mistakes along the way are no big deal.

Perfectionists, on the other hand, don't get stuff done so easily. And it's not because they can't finish tasks, it's because they can't start them.

If a perfectionist is asked to do something, the first thing they ask themselves is whether they are able to do it well. It's a silly question to ask because mostly you don't know if you can do something till you've tried. And can you do it 'well'? What does 'well' mean anyway? Perfectionists tend to not start things, just in case they might not be able to succeed. I think they miss out on all the fun in life.

Perfectionists play the piano very well. Much better than me. Or they would play it well if they actually played it at all. They tend not to play in church because of the high likelihood of making a mistake. They are also annoyingly committed to the dots on the page. Reading the dots on the page makes learning a new song an enormous task.

And blogging? Perfectionists update their blogs once a day or once a week or once a fortnight. You know exactly when the post will pop up. Pin point accuracy! 3, 2, 1... We have a blog post! And it's a great read. Measured. Considered. A perfectionist blog challenge: tomorrow, don't proof anything before you post it, and write an extra two posts, just to surprise us! (Perfectionists, if you take up my challenge, I'll try to let a post sit on my computer for 10 minutes before I hit 'publish'...)

Starters and perfectionists live on opposite sides of the world. We don't understand each other. We annoy each other. But we shouldn't. Any task that I've ever done really well, I've done with a perfectionist holding my hand. I've dragged her through the initial 2 meters (and believe me, she was heavy!) and she's dragged me through the next 2kms.

Are you a starter? Or a perfectionist? Or something else?

[True to my personality, I just made all of that up. I don't have any real definitions that I'm working from here. I based it all on observing myself and a couple of friends... Shoot me down!]

In the new creation...

In the new creation, will we no longer feel itchy because the itch will have vanished or because the itch will have been well and truly scratched?

In the new creation, will we no longer feel hungry because the hungry feeling have gone away or because we've been fed a good meal?

In the new creation, will we no longer be sad because we've been given some un-sad drug or because the reason for our sadness has been happily resolved?

I hate impassive pictures of the new creation where people are painted as emotionally and sensually numb.

In the new creation, our hungers, thirsts and itches will not simply vanish. We will experience them being profoundly satisfied. And this will feel good.

Psalm 30:11 "You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy"

I'd post something right now...

... but I have nothing to say.

domestics

Andrew and I are having a little disagreement over here. Come over and join in if you're on my side.

something fishy

Okay. So I've had fish oil twice now and I don't feel any lighter. I just feel... fishy.

It's meant to be odorless. I'm not convinced.

On the up-side, I don't feel like eating anything sweet. Cake wouldn't go well with the fish.

world dominion

Nathan's writing about how to take over the world. Profound stuff, as you'd expect.

fish oil trial begins

So I've bought the fish oil and taken my first dose.

Here's the research.

It's the only supplement I've ever taken - except for a bit of folate and iron when I was pregnant. Let's see what happens.