Snow Day!

Today was a snow day! Even the Universities are closed today, that meant no class tonight. Today was either snow day 4 or 5 for the school districts around here. That means if there are anymore snow days, school districts will have to make them up. More systems are on their way. So gorgeous up here. The snow reminds me of what God does for us when we ask for forgiveness of our sings, He makes us white as snow. I got to try out my new boots this morning. I picked them up yesterday afternoon. There was so much snow, that if I tried to take the car out, I probably would've gotten my car stuck in the driveway, so I walked down to get the newspaper this morning. The snow in the driveway was about calf deep. The yard next to the driveway seemed about knee deep. I had to check it out. The snow on the deck, looks to be about waist deep. As usual, I took pics this morning. I took both the camera and my phone with me on my walk. I was going to walk back down later this afternoon, but our driveway got plowed, and my dad had to move his van so that area could get plowed, so he drove down for the mail. There will be school tomorrow and my other curriculum class as well.

My mom saw Timmy on Monday at the hospital. He was admitted last Saturday night. Mom talked with a nurse on Monday, and was basically told that Timmy has MRSA. That would explain why he keeps getting infections and have been in the hospital so much in the past 15 months. Timmy's birthday is this Friday, so I will go to the library, check out a few books then head over to the hospital to see him. No birthday presents until he gets out of the hospital. I so feel for him. I wonder if this is God's way of telling me I need to let him go, loosen my grasp on him. I love him very much, and my time with him is pure unconditional love.

Curriculum Week 2

Last night, we listened to, looked at, and discussed the following book, Nokum is My Teacher The story is a conversation between a Cree grandson and his Grandmother. He is going to a white man's school and asking his grandmother why he as to go. He even thanks her for what and how she has taught him over the past few years. The grandson is a young boy. Then we had to discuss and answer four different questions on community, conceptional and operational curriculum, pedagogy, and the boy's (narrator) teacher's moral responsibility of teaching him. (I have ordered the book and it hasn't arrive yet.) I wrote my paper, but will look over it and my answers this week, then send it to my professor. The paper is due by noon on Sunday. For next week I have to read a 50 page book, and an article that is on a cd burned with articles we have to read during the semester. Here is the ironic thing about this cd, it was burned on a MAC, but my MAC can't read the cd.

Tonight's class, we, again this week, sat in a circle. We discussed the website we were supposed to read on Revised Bloom's Taxonomy. Bloom's was changed from nouns to verbs. We discussed it, then we discussed a different topic before having to use the six levels of Blooms, and using them in writing a question on any subject area concept that we might use in our classroom. I haven't thought about Bloom's taxonomy (higher order thinking type questions) in three years. I have had a bit of a problem with H.O.T.S in the past. This was a bit difficult for me tonight, but I did to it. I did it with the three states of matter (solid, liquid, and gas). My professor likes our class, but we are afraid to get into a good discussion on whatever it is that we are talking about. Pus our backgrounds an experiences we bring, helps to make it more interesting.

Curriculum, Week 1

I started back to grad school this week. I am taking two classes this semester, and they are both curriculum classes. One meets on Wednesday night, and it is called Concepts of Curriculum and Instruction. The other one meets on Thursday night, and it is called Trends and Issues in Curriculum and Instruction. When I think of curriculum I think about the objectives and concepts that I am supposed to teach. There is more too it, in different ways. I will be doing a lot thinking, reading, researching, and writing this semester. There are doctorate students in both of these classes.

Wednesday night, we started our final exam. Yes, you read that sentence correctly. There are three parts to it. We will do the second part next week, and the third part is due by May 9. Here are the questions I had to answer Wednesday night.
1. What is curriculum? (I had to think about both conceptual curriculum and operational curriculum. I had to give
examples and experiences.)
2. What is pedagogy?
3. In terms of curriculum and pedagogy, what educational purpose should the school see to attain?

This paper I wrote, I have to use it and comment from it in later papers. This was hard!!!

The night before I found out that i had to buy books for this class, get to class and find out there is another book I need. The bookstore didn't have the latter book that i need. I went to last night's class, and found out that I needed a book for that one as well. I came home and went to Amazon.com to order both of my books. My homework for last night's class is reading about Bloom's Taxonomy. I know somewhat about it, but I printed it up so I can sit and read it.

I like last night's class, will see how both of these go.

All Clear

I saw my onc this morning. My scans came back clear. He said that the lymph nodes that had been showing up on the previous scans weren't there this one. He thinks they were just reacting the interferon. He also said that there is no sign of melanoma. I passing on the good news.

For now, I have decided to keep my port in. I will have to have it flushed every 4-6 weeks, basically monthly. I am planning on getting a medical ID bracelet saying that I have port.

I had extra blood work done two weeks ago, because of seeing my family doc next week. My bad cholesterol is a little high, but my good is a little low. My blood pressure is normal. I was weighed and my weight is the same as three weeks ago. I have lost 58 pounds in the past 18 months.

Grad school starts tonight. I am supposed to go back into town, but the roads are not very good. Here at the house, we have about a foot of snow. This is all since last Friday. The temperatures are really cold, in the teens for the high and the lows in the single digits.

Faith Means Moving Forward

I bought a new devotional book last week, and started it on the first. (I love devotional books.) It is called Walking with the Women of the Bible A devotional Journey Through God's Word. It is by Elizabeth George. Today's devotional is called, "Faith Means Moving Forward"

"Abraham took Sarah his wife...to the land of Canaan." Genesis 12:5

"Oh, the heartache! Will it ever go away?" Perhaps these words darkened Sarah's thoughts the day she followed her full-of-faith husband out of Haran. Leaving Haran was bad enough, but going to the land of Canaan made it even worse! Canaan was 600 miles away from her family and friends. Abraham had announced they were going to Nowhere Land , as far as Sarah was concerned.

Just when Sarah was getting used to Nowhere Land, a famine struck. They had to move to Egypt-300 miles away! Oh, if only I were still in Haran, Sarah may have thought.

But backward gazes can be dangerous and impede spiritual growth. But how can we look forward and faithfully follow God when circumstances are bad? Here's a great acronym!

Face Forward. Real life happens in the present, and Gods blessings happen now and in the future.

Accept your circumstances. God uses the difficulties of life to help you mature and grow in Him.

If you're following God, you will find Him in all of your circumstances.

Trust in the Lord. God will keep you in perfect peace when your mind is focused on Him.

Hope for the future. God is a bright start who will light your path in the present darkness.

Dear God of Sarai, grant that such a one as I may see the good and bad and the faith to be bad...following Thee!

After I got done reading this, I knew I had to share it with others. It is hard to be content and have joy in your present circumstances, but it is something that we need to be. I am asking God to help me be content in being single as that is what He wants me to be right now, but it is not what I want. God's will is better than my will.

Normal Counts

Last week, I had my port flushed and labs drawn. My white blood count is at 3.5. Still low, but getting closer to normal. Normal white blood count is at 4.0 and above. I had extra blood drawn, because I am seeing my family doc on the 19th for a physical, and he always wants to have your blood tested for certain things. I got a letter in the mail telling me about my blood test results.

Blood sugar, liver and kidney tests are perfect. My thyroid stimulating hormone and T4 are normal, which indicates my thyroid is working properly.

CT Scan

Last night about 11 pm, I drank the first dose of the "yucky" stuff that is the contrast for the CT Scan with contrast that I had this morning. Because of the weather/roads, my mom dropped me off at the hospital about 9:15 or so. A good hour before I had to be there. My appointment was for 11 am. They misunderstood me when I asked for ice to numb the area around my port. They thought I was asking for something else. I was given a glove of ice to numb the area. Took two nurses to access my port. The first one had a hard time, because my port chose to move around. Once they start, it doesn't take long to take the x-rays. I was done by 11:40 am. I will get the results next Wednesday when I go see my onc.

My brother was supposed to be discharged from the nursing home this afternoon and go home to the group home where he lives. That means he gets to open his Christmas presents this weekend.

I am scheduled to see the dermatologist next Monday, and my family doc the following Monday.

Happy New Year

Had a nice evening last with people from my class. We had a ball. Was a dressy affair, most of us girls were wearing black. Ate, laughed, talked, danced, took pics. Made plans for going out Saturday night to celebrate a friend's birthday that is this Sunday. I got home about 1:15 and got up about 8:30 this morning.

Woke up yesterday to snow! Went to go see my brother over in the nursing home. I woke him up, but he seemed sleepy. I stayed about an hour. He was supposed to finish the antibiotic yesterday, and should be going back to the group home soon.