If I remember correctly, I believe I left off at the end of October. It's not that November and December have been boring. Oh no, my friend. Anything but. So I have used that as a good excuse to make very quick blog checks, but not attempt any blogging of my own. In early November, my cousin Steve and I accompanied our friend LaDonna to Clifty Falls State Park, near Madison, Indiana. At that time of year, the falls were only a trickle, but we had a great time anyway. We made a day of it, and Steve and I were completely exhausted. Not so with LaDonna, but I am trying not to be bitter! She decided that we should get off the beaten path, and take a "short-cut" down about a 90 foot hill. I had some reservations before we started down, but once you're going, well, there's no turning back! The path was covered with rock and thick layers of leaves, so you couldn't always tell where you were placing your foot. After falling hard about 3 times, I decided to scoot down the rest of the way on my back-side. The only reason I wasn't injured in the falls was that I was wearing several layers of clothing, and God was protecting us! Steve was ahead of me, and told me "I'm trying to stay far enough away to give you your privacy, yet close enough to help you if you get hurt." Thank God for such a sweet cousin! There was several times that the back of my skirt was behind my head and neck :) I was so concerned for my life, that I was past caring by the time we reached the bottom of the hill. I believe we hiked about 5 miles that day, through very rugged terrain! LaDonna slowed down some as a favor to us old folks! But we got some good pictures, and had a great time. Steve and I were very sore and stiff for a few days :) But we were still alive, and thankful to be alive! We ended up the day at Chili's in Seymour, and Steve bought our supper. Again..what a sweetheart!
So there you have a very brief overview of Clifty Falls! Most of the rest of November was spent feverishly getting ready for the school Christmas program. I thought I would lose my mind, and I'm sure my students thought the same before it was over. But of course, before the program, Thanksgiving made it's appearance in my life. The entire Matlock side of the clan gathered at my Aunt Charlotte's and Uncle Joe's house for a day of feasting, fun, and games. My Grandma(Nana) Matlock was the only one not in attendance that day, as she was in the hospital, after suffering a bad fall. But we still had a great day. The food was incredible, as always! I didn't eat as much as usual, but still felt ill that night. Overeating is just sometimes so not worth it. But it was great fun while eating! And then out came the coffee pots(yes, you read that right, pots as in plural,) and the games began. We walked across the drive to Susanne's house, and spend the rest of the afternoon/evening there. We played Rook and Outburst, the Bible version of that. We had a blast as usual.
Oh, and btw, that is NOT a cigar hanging out of Steve's mouth! It's a piece of venison jerky :) He was really getting into the spirit of things, as you can probably tell!
Also in November, my baby Snickers had his first birthday! Here are a couple pics of him close to his birthday, just in case you wanted to see how cute he is!
Well, I THINK that pretty well takes care of most of November. Some of you know that my grandmother was placed in a nursing home the day after Thanksgiving. She is about 4 miles from our home, and is there for rehab. She has adjusted remarkably well, and actually seems to like it there! She was bedfast after her last fall, so has been undergoing intensive rehab. She is now able to walk with a walker with some assistance. I'm not sure when she will be home. She had several really bad days, when we thought she might not live out the week in early December. She was hallucinating and talking to her dead siblings like they were in the room. She also did not recognize us part of the time. She wouldn't eat unless we spoon-fed her, and then she would say she couldn't swallow. Her weight dropped dramatically, and so they decided to place her on something to stimulate her appetite. And believe me, it's working! She is eating very well, and seems to actually enjoy her food again for the first time in several years! She has regained the weight she lost and then some. Fortunately, she has no recollection of the days she was so confused. I was sitting on the end of her bed one evening, and asked her what my name was. She studied me intently for awhile, and then said "I can never remember if they call you John, or Willard. Or William." It's funny now, but that made me so sad. So I've been getting called "Willard" a good bit :) I don't know if I'm really so ugly that she thought I was a guy, or if I was having a really bad hair day. It didn't do much for my self-esteem, let me tell ya! How would some of you guys like to be called "Esther" or "Sue?" It's very disconcerting.
On December 8th, we had our school Christmas program. The day started off with a 2 hour delay due to freezing rain. So my stress level, already being pretty high, became higher yet. And the kids were WOUND UP! To say the least. We had intended to spend the entire morning practicing, and then just hit the highlights in the afternoon. But due to that change in schedule, we only practiced band in the morning, and then the entire production in the afternoon. We started band practice with a bang. The younger kids did fine in beginning band. They were pretty attentive, and ready to listen for instructions. Not so with the intermediate band. They started right out hyper, giggling, and not wanting to listen to anything I had to say. I told them "Guys, I'm not in the mood for this today." And I was extremely close to tears, maybe even an emotional melt-down. Yikes! Well, Mr. Crosley overheard me. He marched to the front of the sanctuary, where it was now VERY quiet. In fact, you could've heard a pin drop. He then very sternly lectured them, and told them if there was ANY trouble out of them, that they could forget the scheduled 2-hour delay the next day. Instead, they would be coming in at 8am, and HE would be there with them. They would do more work than normal, and he would not be a happy man to be there that early. Needless to say, they were as good as gold the rest of the day :) Thank God for a principle that cares enough to back me up! And then came the program that evening. After countless hours of practice, rehearsal, steaming costumes, making props...it was over in an hour and a half. Unbelieveable! It went relatively well. The only major hitch was that 2 of my intermediate band kids came to the platform without their music, because they COULDN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE! About 15 minutes before the program started, I talked to the entire group and told them to make sure they had their music and their instrument on their person. Ha! I sent them off the platform, while the audience waited, but they never did find their music. So it ended up with 3 violins and 1 flute sharing one music stand and one piece of music! I hope they have learned a valuable lesson, but I rather doubt it. I am now well-acquainted with 10th grade boys. Lol. But all the kids did great. I couldn't have been any prouder if they belonged to me! The bands played well, the kids drama was amazing, and the junior high/high school choir was incredible! So I will post a few pics. If you think I'm wearing an angel costume, you might be right. I was directing the angel choir in Heaven as they prepared to announce the birth of Christ!
I probably should mention that the kindergarten class made incredible sheep! Again, all the kids worked their hearts out, and this old-maid teacher was very proud of them. Unfortunately, with all the conducting I've been doing lately, I've had to see the chiropractor twice about my right shoulder. It's been almost frozen at times, and so painful. He worked it over hard enough to almost make me cry. But I'm surviving. That's kinda the story of my life sometimes. When I get really down, sometimes I pray "God, just help me survive." And somehow He always does. I'm not sure how many Christmas programs I have left in me, to be honest. Maybe it's because I've done 2 the last 2 Decembers. The school and the church adult choir. By the time it's all over, I feel so exhausted that it's hard to be in the Christmas spirit. I hate that feeling of approaching December with great dread, and wishing for it to be over quickly. I never felt that way in the past, back when my main responsibilities were shopping, baking cookies, working, etc. But this year, I didn't even start shopping until the week before Christmas, which is also when I half-heartedly signed cards. I didn't wrap anything until a couple days before Christmas. So it was really Christmas week before I got much into the spirit of things. But the story of the rest of December, and my Christmas is best left for another day. It's after 11pm here in Indiana, and 2009 is rapidly approaching. I hope you're not as tired reading this as I have been writing it! I really should post more often, and save myself a little grief. I will try to do the rest of my catching up soon, maybe even tomorrow.
Right now, I'm going to prepare to see in the new year. As is my usual around the holidays, I have been a bit blue, discouraged, melancholy, whatever you want to call it here lately. Don't be too alarmed, it was this way last year too. At least I'm predictable :) I was just going to say that I value my friends and family very highly, and I don't want to imagine my life without you. Let's please hold each other up in prayer as the new year begins, that God will help us to be what He wants us to be in the coming months. I know He has promised to be my strength when all I have to offer is weakness. He has promised to be my friend and companion when I have noone else. He has promised to never leave me or forsake me. Abandonment and rejection are ugly things, but they are not part of who God is. And I'm thankful that He loves me. Happy New Year!
