Johnny Tremain

Awhile ago...I'm not even sure how long it has been...I wrote a bucket list. It was a short term goal list for things I'd like to do in the next 6 months to a year.

As of last week, I lost 31.4 pounds so I get to cross that off. Though now I need to start a new goal and add losing another 20 to that. (You may think I'm being crazy, but I really do still have that much weight to lose!)

I think I've run a 10K, though I have the check the exact mileage. Four the last four weeks I have ran down to Dale and Elaine's house from my house. It is a 4.75 mile run. After the first week, I was disappointed that it wasn't 5 so I added some more mileage and made it 5.4 miles. That's pretty close to 10K, I think.

Now, I really need to work on Jeffrey's snapfish album. I worked on it a bit this summer while Grandma Gayle was here, but haven't touched it since. I just got a coupon in the mail for 35% off albums until November 2. Oh, how I'd love to find time to get it done and take advantage of the reduced price.

Today, I finished reading Johnny Tremain by Ester Forbes. The first of three classics that I'm going to read. I loved the book. I chose to read it because I'm starting a Literature Circle in my 7th grade Language Arts class and it will be one of the choices. I decided it would be a good idea for me to have read all of the books that I offer to the kids for choices. :)

My favorite passage was at the end of the book:

..."He could smell the turned earth and gummy buds. And sweet wood somewhere burning. His nostrils trembled. Almost could they recapture the gunpowder of yesterday. So fair a day now drawing to its close. Green with spring, dreaming of the future yet wet with blood.

This was his land and these his people.

The cow that lowed, the man who milked, the chickens that cam running and the woman who called them, the fragrance streaming from the plowed land and the plowman. These he possessed. The skillful hands of the unseen gunsmith were his hands. The old woman throwing stones at the crows who cawed and derided her was his old woman--and they his crows. The wood smoke rising from the home-hearths rose from his heart.

He felt nothing could hurt him on this day. Not Rab's death nor the surgeon's knife. he felt free, light, unreal, and utterly alone...Tomorrow--next day--it would be different, but today is today."

twenty-nine

I'm a part of the negotiating team at work...we just finished mediation (and settled) at 2:30 am this morning.



We had to remember, "When you can't control the wind, adjust your sails."



So true in so many aspects of life...because there are just so many variables that we can't control.