What Was I Thinking?

I just nearly did myself an injury. I walked into the teacher's lounge and saw Mr. Colby in a sky blue, short-sleeved, collared, cable knit sweater buttoned all the way to the top, and I bent over laughing and ran right hip first into the counter. It is Ugly Christmas Sweater Day here in grades 8-12, and we are awarding prizes to the student in each of those grades who shows up wearing the ugliest sweater. The prize will be free ice skating on our traditional Wednesday morning before Christmas trip to Ice World, and amazing $10 value! I am wearing an ugly sweater from the Cosby Show era that I bought last week for an elementary chapel skit. In the course of that skit, the sweater was doused with chocolate milk, but it all came out in the wash so that I could sport its ugliness today in school. Unfortunately, I am ineligible to win won of the prizes. Yesterday  baked cookies for the staff. My Grammie Manzo's Ginger Crinkles and a recipe I got from America's Test Kitchen ...

Christmas can be a stressful time of year for a child, especially at school. I remember being really nervous about Secret Santa or Secret Angel gift exchanges. What if I draw the name of a girl? Argh! How do I know what a girl wants? And what if the girl likes the presents and thinks I like her for some reason? Double argh! What if I get the name of someone who doesn't like me? Do I have to get that person good presents? And what if my name is picked by someone who doesn't like me? Will I get anything? What if my name is picked by a girl who likes me? Maybe I'll get good presents, but how embarrassing is that, huh? Maybe I will be lucky and draw the teacher's name and my best friend will pick my name. Yes! Oh, please, God, make it so. As you can see, Secret Santa or Angel time produced a lot of anxiety in my schoolboy soul. Added to this stress was the keen despair that occurred when (unknown to me) my Secret Santa was absent or broke and I did not get a gift on the fir...

I'm a bit confined to my desk today, because I am suddenly overcome with dizziness and altered vision. I was trying to read a portion from a book and found that I had little spots before my eyes like you get when you are out too long in the sun on a white, snowy day. Those of you who have been to my office know that it is not brightly lit, so this phenomenon confused me, and when the dizziness began, nausea was right on its heels. I went to the GGCA prayer room and lay down for a while and felt a mild headache build behind my right eye. I feel as though I have a migraine headache without the pain. Whatever it is, I am taking it easy here in my office and taking some time to write to you. The weather has been unseasonably warm for December, but that has not stopped the younger students from asking almost daily, "Is it Christmas yet?" and singing songs like Jingle Bells as they trail along in their teacher's wake each morning from the Family Center to their classro...