Book Reivew - A Rush of Wings

I was curious about this book because I have read others by Kristen Heitzmann and have had trouble getting into them. This was not the case with this book. I was hooked from the first chapter right until the end. The story centers around Noelle St. Claire who is on the run. From what is learned in the first chapter, a reader would question why she would run. She has a loving father, a seemingly loving fiancee, and lives a comfortable life in New York. She gives all this up and runs to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

It is in these mountains that we learn of the fear in her life and Noelle learns to finally trust again. At her final destination, a ranch owned by Christian Rick Spencer, Noelle must learn to face her fears. She does this and more as she learns to face her past, learns to love again, and look towards God and the future.

This book is for anyone who loves suspenseful fiction. There is plenty of action and romance in the novel and it is a page turner to the end. A great novel about love, forgiveness, and God's faithfulness.

DISCLAIMER: Bethany House provided no monetary compensation for this review. I was provided with a copy of the book to review. These thoughts are my own and have no connection with Bethany House publishers.

Hatteras Girl

I eagerly awaited the arrival of this book from Bethany House author Alice J. Wisler as I had enjoyed her previous book How Sweet It Is. This book is an intimate look at Jackie Donovan as she prays for two things. A man to marry and her own bed and breakfast to run. Along the way she has to deal with many blind dates that her well meaning family set her up on and the realization that God knows exactly the right time to bring someone into your life. In the time before God gives an answer to her prayer of owning a bed and breakfast Jackie works at a local magazine on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Jackie feels God has answered her prayers when she meets Davis, who holds the key (literally) to the property she dreams of owning. Through the course of the novel, God shows Jackie, through her friends, what trust in God and waiting on His timing is all about. As she is learning to trust in God, He brings the right people in her life not only professionally but personally to help her realize her prayers have been answered, just in a different way than she thought.

This is a great book for anyone who loves a good love story, reading about God's grace in our lives, or people who love the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Disclaimer: I received no compensation from Bethany House publishers other than an advanced copy of the book in return for this review. The opinions in this review are completely my own and not associated with the author or Bethany House.

It's been awhile

I know its been awhile. I will try to do better. I am almost fully recovered from surgery. I go for a six month checkup on December 3rd and hope to be cleared for good.

Work is going well,counting down the days until Thanksgiving Break next week. Then we only have 3 weeks until Christmas Break. Where has the year gone?

One Month

Today is the one month mark from my surgery. To say this was WAY more than I anticipated would be an understatement. I had no idea how hard this was or how involved it would end up being.

I am making good progress though in my recovery. I am now able to live by myself. I have been living alone for the past week. I am so thankful that my mom has the summers off and was able to stay with me. I am thankful I have the summer off as well, I could not imagine having to work and try rehab at the same time. I am exhausted from the smallest things. I have a doctors appointment in two weeks and hopefully will be cleared to drive then. That is 2 weeks before I have to go back to work. My therapist promises me that I will be ready for school when it gets here.

It's HOT out there

but, thanks to last Wednesday's surgery, I will be resting comfortably in my house for the next several weeks except for my "field trips" to physical therapy.

I have the Avion (I think that is what its called) procedure on my right knee last Wednesday morning at the Hughston Clinic in Columbus, Georgia. Actually, the hospital is across the river in Phenix City, Alabama, but who cares. We came away from this MOST impressed with the hospital. These doctors at the Clinic KNOW how to run a hospital. My pre-op admit on Tuesday lasted less than 30 mins. because they CALLED me on the phone to take my medical history. Wow, what a concept. We were told to arrive at 6:30 Wednesday morning and come in the emergency entrance. When we got there, the people gave me a wrist band, my paperwork and took me upstairs. When I got off the elevator, my pre-op nurse was waiting at my room door. I had been there less than 15 mins. and they had me changed, an I.V. going, had taken my vitals and we were waiting.

Met the medial doctor and he cleared my chest, met anesthesia and they listened when I said I get sick and gave me a patch and some amazing drug cocktail and I was off to sleep. They came to get me just before 9:00 and mom had talked to the doctor by 10:15. According to the doctor, the surgery went better than expected. I did not have as much arthritis as the x-rays made it look, so I should heal better and this give me great relief. I got great relief from the nerve block I got in recovery!! Never felt anything the rest of the day or night. My nurses the entire time I was there were AMAZING!!!! They are trained in orthopedics and were the nicest people I could imagine. Plus I got to keep the same ones day after day. It only changes at shift change or if they are off.

Then came Thursday morning and PT. Those people are brutal, but they had me walking that morning and by that afternoon I was walking 100 feet at a time. The only issue comes with bending. But that is because I have 36 staples in and the trauma to the knee. They promise it will get better, but tomorrow at PT will be murder.

We got home Saturday afternoon and I have been hanging on the couch and in my bed hooked up to my torture device ever since. I have a machine that came home with me that I have to be on 2 times a day for 2 hours at a time. It bends my knee in a motion that don't have to do anything with. Right now we are at 59 degrees and have to get to 127 by July 1st when they come to get it.

All in all this was a good experience and I had to do it, I just did not realize how involved it was going to be. I had blocked the previous surgery from my mind. Hopefully, I will be getting better each and every day and the pain will get less and less as I get more and more movement.

Is it June yet???????

While the students are anxiously counting down the days of school left.. 13 days and 3 days of exams, their weary teacher is counting them as well. I will miss this year's group of graduating seniors. Several of them hold a very special place in my heart and I will be sad to see them go, but I am excited about what God has in store for them. But, I am counting for another reason.

Last week I went and saw my local orthopedic doctor who has been treating me since I was 14. After consultation with him about my pain in my knee, it was determined that I needed a new MRI and it was probably time to discuss surgery. There is a new procedure out where doctors can replace the kneecap on a person instead of the entire knee. Well, my kneecap is the messed up part. Problem is, this is really new surgery and the only person remotely close to Macon that does them is a doctor at the Hughston Clinic in Columbus.

So we waited for the call, and today, Mom and I made the drive to Columbus to meet with the doctor there. While driving through the beauty of west central Georgia, my phone rings and its the doctors office calling to let me know the doctor is sick, I would be seeing the PA. I was fine with that as long as I got some answers to my pain. Since the plans changed, my appointment time changed from 11:30 to 1:00. Just enough time to have lunch with an old friend of mine and her two adorable kids before they move to Rhode Island this summer... life of an Army Wife.

Back to doctor's appointment. We got to the clinic, and this place is nice. I guess they are world famous orthopedists for a reason. When we were called back I was put in a room and we waited on the PA to show up. Now, if I get to see the PA all the time I am in the hospital this summer, it will be just fine with me.... talk about some EYE CANDY!!!!! Back to the issue at hand, he thinks I am a perfect candidate for a partial knee replacement to happen sometime the beginning of June. I will spend several days in the hospital in Columbus and the home for about 6 weeks of recovery. Of course, this means I will not be going to the summer class I wanted to go to, but oh well, there is always next summer.

Prom Season

What a few months this has been. TSA Prom was last night and if you had asked me in January how we were going to pull this off, I would have told you that we could not. We were bumped from our traditional location by the Allman Brother's wanting to do a concert. So of course the city of Macon agreed to a concert and bumped both Proms scheduled at the City Auditorium this weekend. I found another venue and have spent the past 4 months assuring them it would be ok. Well, it was more than o.k, it was FANTASTIC. We really did transform that place into a "Night Under the Grecian Moon". The column groupings anchoring the dance floor were the highlight along with the entry way with benches and a working fountain. Thanks to all my moms and dads who helped make this happen, I am now going to sleep for several days and I took Monday off since I have worked every Saturday since February!!!!:)

Book Review

So, I have been reading Five Cities That Ruled the World by Douglas Wilson. I was really anticipating this book because I am a history teacher and I have heard positive things about Douglas Wilson's books. But, this was a difficult book to read. The premise made me really excited. A look at 5 cities that have played an enormous role in the world both in its history and the world today. Jerusalem, Rome, Athens, London, and New York are all fascinating cities at how they have been founded and their role in world history. I was immediately drawn into the book as it begins with Jerusalem and the way the city was founded. It was neat to me as a Christian to see the Jewish, Christian and Muslim founding of the city. This city is the birthplace of three of the world's religions and its history was fascinating. Rome and Athens were interesting as well, but after that the book became difficult and dry to read. This is a book that I fear only historians and people with a deep love of history will find interesting. While the initial reading was interesting and held my attention, as the book moved further in, to me it read like a history textbook and not something that I would find as pleasure reading. The premise of the book is good, take 5 cities and show how they have ruled the world. However, in the execution, the story got dragged down and seemed like a chore to read. I learned several things that I did not know, but overall this book was a chore to read. I really do not recommend this book to anyone except those with a deep love of history or a professor of history.

To The Makers of Cortisone Shots

BLESS YOU!!! I had a shot today and already can tell a huge difference. My mom even said my face looked like I was out of the majority of pain. Here is the back story for you.

16 years ago when I was a mere middle schooler, I tore my patella tendon away from the knee cap. Now, this is the tendon on the outside of your leg that keeps your knee in place and allows you the proper turning motion that you are supposed to have in your leg. Thanks to the wonderful medical genes of my parents, I have weak knees apparently to begin with. This injury did not help.

Fast forward almost 2 years to the Summer of 1994. Summer after 9th grade. Looking forward to getting braces off and a driver's permit. But, alas, I got the braces off but my reward for that was knee surgery to repair the patella because scans showed I had stopped growing at 5' 71/2". So, surgery is commenced on a mid June day. Now, with this surgery, you are in a knee immobilizer for 2 weeks. It does just that, you can't move your knee, that and they have torn the tissue and have not bent your knee either. So, the day I am allowed to take a shower/bath unaided by my mother, the great flood of '94 occurs and there goes our water for 21 days. That's right, no water for 21 DAYS!!!!! I did get a shower at a friends house several times a week, but no ice at therapy and no whirlpool.

Fast forward about 12 years. Having knee pain so I return to the doctor who did the surgery. After a MRI, it is determined that I no longer have cartilage between my knee and bone and so its bone rubbing bone every step I take. I can tolerate this since I am too young for knee replacement.

Backtrack a few months, knee is again swelling and causing pain, but I am living with it. Then comes the fateful night a few weeks ago where Barney ran into my knee running full speed ahead on accident. I think his head hurt worse than my knee that night, but it did lasting damage to me.

Which brings me to today. I love my doctor. He is the original surgeon and we go back over half my life. Kinda scary to me to think he has been treating my family that long with our various knee problems. Dad (2 replacements and a tune up in one knee) Sister (2 patella reattachment's) and me. Today, he offered me two options, pain meds or drain the knee and a cortisone shot.

Much as I hate needles, I chose the drain the fluid and the shot. Not watching, I held my breath while he drained 2 vials of fluid and gave me a cortisone shot. Except for some achiness across my knee and stiffness, I have no pain from the actual knee and swelling is already going down!!!! Like I said, bless the men with the cortisone idea. If winter will ever end around here, I can get back to walking in my neighborhood which I love to do!!

When will it ever be Spring

I am tired of cold weather. Normally by this time, we are beginning to enjoy the onset of Spring with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s and the promise of Spring coming. Not this winter!! Today the high did not reach 50 and while it was sunny, there was a 20 mph wind and it was COLD. Tonight's low is supposed to be 25!!!! What happened to an early Spring that was depicted by Gen. Lee on Groundhogs Day????!!!??? I think we need a new southern groundhog.

School is going really well. This time of year gets busy as Spring sports begin and people begin looking forward to Spring Break. I know I am. We are headed somewhere to celebrate me being done with my Masters and my sister being finished with her PhD. By this time next week, Angie will be Dr. Angie. (So proud of you big sis!!!!)

Prom is heating up with the first workshop this weekend. The invitations came in this week, the senior girls will love them. And face it, they are the only ones who care about that. This Prom is at a new location so I am apprehensive, but I think it will be good.

Beginning to plan for the summer, and aside from spending a week in Gettysburg at a conference, I have a whole lot of nothing planned. This will be the first summer since I started teaching that I have NO SCHOOL!!!!!!! Super excited about lazy days and reading as much as I want when I want without feeling guilty. Besides, I have a stack of books (27 to be exact) that I got at the Library's Old Book Sale last weekend and there is a new used bookstore in town that I am building a store credit with!!! Super Excited.

Now if warmer weather would just get here!!!!

Life

I really have to do a better job with posting, but life always seems to get in the way. The past week and this week leading up to Winter Break are extremely busy for me. Last Tuesday night, TSA had the first ever PINK OUT at a basketball game to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation. We raised over 1800.00!!!! The gym was decked out in pink. The basketball players, girls and guys, wore pink shoelaces and armbands, and athletic tape. The place looked like the church from Steel Magnolias. It was pink and pink!!!!! It was a great turnout and everyone had lots of fun.

The next day it was off to the ATL with the 8th graders to visit the Capital, the Varsity (whadda ya have, whadda ya have) and the Civil War Cyclorama. The kids had a great time and represented the school well. They wanted to know why the representatives did not get in trouble for talking over the speaker. I explained to them that it was politics. We met the governor and had our picture taken with him. Then it was off to the varsity for lunch. After ingesting much grease, it was time to go see the Cyclorama. This is a 42 foot tall painting depicting the Civil War battle for Atlanta. It was amazing and the kids really enjoyed it.

Friday afternoon brought on the trip to go see the prom venue. I had never been in this building, so I was apprehensive, but it will be a good location.

This week brings Region Basketball tournament, another prom meeting, and Y-Club Valentine Balloons. Thankfully I get a 4 day weekend!!!!! Hope to hear about a summer study position in PA this week as well!

Listen to the rythmn of the falling rain

That's right, its raining again in Macon. I guess we should not complain since we are finally out of a years long drought. But, just once I would like to go seven whole days with no rain or clouds. Some weeks we forget what the sun looks like. Today's weather has been troubling. It was 72 degrees outside at 6:00 p.m in January!!! Needless to say, the dog has been in a tizzy all day because of the coming storms. The storms have started and he has seemed to calm down some. Now, we are listening to the rain.

This past week has been a strange one. It seems that God is throwing things at me to test me and see how I respond. I have had lots of things going on and Thursday topped them all. Its prom time, well planning time at least, and I had a meeting Thursday night with my parents. Now, I found out Thursday morning that our location had bumped us to the next weekend and I was just now finding out. We could not do the next weekend due to state track meet and grad nite at Disney World for the seniors. So, 8 hours before my meeting, we had no place to have Prom. Thankfully, I found a venue in town and it is now booked for us!!! Also have the d.j booked, so that takes some stress off. By the way, found this out in the middle of teaching a class when an administrator came and told me.

But, Friday was a bright spot in the week, even if the sun did not shine (see above). Our school had a "Hats for Haiti" day where students could donate a dollar and wear a hat. We raised over 700 dollars. So excited!!!

Plus, the people of Massachusetts voted and Scott Brown is headed to the Senate!! Never thought I would see the day where a political revolution like this would gain traction in that state. But, we have to remember, our country was birthed there and they were the original "Tea Partiers"!!!

One of those days

WARNING: This is long, I need to vent before I can sleep.

Do you ever have one of those days? I did today. It was like the day in the children's book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. The day started off like any other, get ready for work, get out the door and head to school. As I was driving, listening to Lisa and Eric on K-Love as usual, they were talking about some list of the 200 best jobs to have. I kept wondering where teaching fell on the list and I thought about what I loved about my job. I can honestly say that I love my job. I love all (o.k, almost all) aspects of it. I think the thing I love the most is connecting with the kids and as they talked, I thought to myself, I may never know this side of heaven which kids I have impacted, but that was ok. I really do love my job. Then, I got to school...

It was not one thing that made the day bad, it was a multitude of small things that added up as the day went on to where I was counting the minutes till 3:15. First, my room was cold. My room recently is always cold. I am so tired of cold weather and having a classroom that I cannot keep warm. Then my first hour class had absolutely no interest in what we were talking about. Forget that I am trying to help them learn something that is semi-important. I mean, you do need to know about American history and the Civil War. After that, the downhill train was off and running. No class was particularly bad, it was just little aggravations that normally do not bother me, that today set me on edge.

Then came fourth period. Now, I am a stickler for the rules in the classroom. Its the only way to keep control and my students know that and have known it since day one. One of the HUGE no nos in my room is cell phones. Forget the fact that they are not supposed to have them at school to begin with. I took one up almost immediately for texting in class. About 30 minutes later, one boy has his out ON HIS DESK TEXTING!!! And you think I am not going to take your phone up as well?????? Hello, lets use some common sense here. So, I turn the phones over to the principal to deal with.

But, it keeps on heading down hill. My afternoon classes did not seem to remember, really none of my classes have, that we are no longer on Christmas vacation and that its time to get back into school. We are allowed to give homework and tests, it what we do as teachers! My students have no interest in being at school, are lazy, and generally seem to not care and that makes me mad. I work my tail off to prepare for them and they don't care.

So, I left everything on my desk in a true Scarlet O' Hara moment and said at 3:50 that it would all be there in the morning. That's when my day got better. I went home and as I walked in the door, my lovable dog Barney was there to greet me. It amazes me what unconditional love a pet will give and he, for all his odd behaviors is one of my greatest joys. But, the day gets better than just Barney being excited to see me.

At church, we started a Beth Moore study last night on Ester. Its amazing what a little time with God and reading Beth putting it all into perspective will do for your outlook on the day. My day went from horrible to not really so bad in the span of about 45 minutes. One thing this study does is to remind us that God has a miraculous plan for our lives, we just have to let it occur. Today in the study, Beth reminds us of Job and the problems that he faced and that we ALL face problems, and we ALL have issues on a daily basis, but if we let God handle them, there is a great ending waiting for us.

I leave you with this long post a verse from the Ester study.
Even when we're blind to the evidence, God "works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will". - Ephesians 1:11.

God has this in control, we just have to let Him have the controls.

UMMMM

School was cancelled tomorrow because of the "possibility" that it will sleet tonight and freeze. Now, its 9:00 at night and is still 45 degrees outside. I think officials in Macon are absofrekinlutley CRAZY! I mean come on, its Macon, its not going to do ANYTHING!!! We get measurable snow every 5-6 years and we had 4 inches last March. Any reasonable thinking person knows that we have a slim chance in hades of getting any snow this year.

Now, our school was the last to call off, and I really think its because every other school both public and private were closing. Life in the south is amusing sometimes....

HAPPY NEW YEAR....

a few days late. My computer has been in the shop since last Tuesday with virus infection. Thankfully, all clear and virus software is updated!! Now, of course in the coldest week in recent memory here in Macon, my heater is on the fritz. I have no idea what is wrong with it other than what the repairman tells me, something to do with alternate heat source and my heat pump. All i know is that I am praying my house stays the temperature its at right now and I don't have to open the 60 dollar heater I bought at Lowe's. Also praying the part gets here tomorrow early. They will work me in as soon as the part is here and I say the earlier the better.

Had to go back to work today. A day of planning before the kiddos come back tomorrow. It was nice having a calm day before the storm. I am looking forward to the spring though. Its always a fun time and hoping that our trip to Europe will get to happen. We already have 2 people interested.

Sorry this post is so random, must be the cold freezing my brain. More later in the week.