Thursday

I think Wednesday is my favorite day of the week because the next day is Thursday, my heavy work day, and then, as you know, comes Friday!

Today really was a heavy day at work, which I just love - moving from one project to the next, and at the end of the day, I was ready to relax. I did my yoga, taking more time than usual, and I played some great music on my iPod. Does anyone remember Jeffrey Osbourne? If you haven't heard of him, he did a great album in either the late 1980s or early 1990s. I listened to it today for the first time in a long time, and I still knew all the words to the songs, so I sang along. But I haven't sung in so long that my voice is kind of wobbly! I told Russ that I would play for the early service on November 18, but now I'm wondering if I will be able to sing. I hope so. Maybe we can turn me down.

We are preparing for graduation next week, and I am excited about attending so that I can congratulate each student on hard work well done. This class started a day or so before I arrived here, so I feel as if I know each student, even though I have met with them only a few times. I will miss seeing them. I recorded their grades on the last test today, and the class average was 99%. I think that speaks well for them.

My guys are working toward taking the TOEFL test (I'm not sure what the entire acronym stands for, but it is a test for non-native English speakers). They want me to take a look on my lunch hour at what they have written for the test - I guess part of it is a written exam, both extemporaneous and pre-written. I enjoy reading about their lives. Each of them has worked hard and accomplished much - and they are all so young. I know they will have rich, productive lives, and their country will be better for it. I have a hard time thinking that only a few weeks ago, I didn't know any of them, and now, they add a great deal to my daily life. They are a great group.

The days have become shorter and shorter, and the air colder and colder, so I know that winter approaches. When we have to turn off Daylight Savings Time in the US, I just cringe because of the lack of sunlight; I mark the winter solstice on the calendar, soothing myself with the knowledge that after that day, the days will begin growing longer, if only infinitesimally, and that I know I will be able to make it until Daylight Savings time begins again.

One last thing before I turn in: My first article for the Sedalia Democrat went in today. I am going to do one per month, and I would like for you to help me choose topics. I plan to build the columns from my blog posts, so if you can, and would, I would like to know which post you think would be good for a wider audience - letting more people know what life is like here, and what it is like for me to have left the comfort of my home to come where I don't even get NBC News on television or have a chair to sit in at night. The columns will have to be, for the most part, shorter than my posts, so I will probably have to edit and re-build, but I am interested in the topics that you found enlightening.

And that is all for tonight. I am looking forward to a good day tomorrow.