Life and Perceptions

Whew life has been busy lately! Thanksgiving was wonderful. The hubby and I went up to the Ranch in the Hill Country and pitched our tent. We camped out from Saturday til Wednesday, and then moved into the trailer for the rest of the trip...it got cold and rain kept being predicted, even if it never showed up lol. It was great! The tent was fantastic, and us plus the dogs plus a small space heater kept things warm enough at night, and then the trailer was all kinds of cozy! It was great having time to ourselves. During the day we read together and chopped wood and went on a walk or two. In the mornings and evenings, the hubby would go hunt and I'd build up the fire and either get the camp ready for the day or the night, as the case warranted, read and go on hikes. The hunting paid off early--he shot a good-sized 8 point buck on his first morning hunt!!! He saw other deer and critters moving in the subsequent days, but he'd already killed enough meat to fill out pot for the next year. That pattern held til Wednesday night, when family started showing up. Then we spent a lot more time over at the cabin on my aunt's land, catching up.

It's funny how your perception of people changes when you get older. For example, my 3 older second cousins. I used to think they were the coolest people ever! And in some ways, I still do. Growing up, the middle sister was my favorite...she was very go with the flow and had time to spend with me. The older sister was close behind...but she was always busy, and a bit less chill. The youngest sister I loved to death (and still do) but she was always on the go, and we didn't really have a whole lot in common. That part hasn't really changed, though the reason for a lack of things in common has: previously it was because she was a partier, but now it's because she's gone the other extreme. That is to say, she is a highly conservative Christian of the Baptist denomination. There was a time back in high school where I would have been able to be of a similar mindset, but now extreme religiosity grates on my nerves and ostentatious religiosity bothers me. I think that religion is a private, personal issue. That's not to say that I don't agree with living by your religious beliefs or that I don't like discussing my beliefs with others...I'm just not comfortable shoving them up their noses with my every action. That and the "we'll just have faith" attitude towards life, without any visible practical steps or awareness, bothers the pragmatic side of myself.

Anyways, back to the other sisters. While I still love the middle sister to death, I find myself able to better relate to the older sister. The middle sister and I are both laid back, but motherhood has made her more of a worrier and more overprotective than I foresee myself to be. Also, she has no problem with just taking things on faith, without questioning anything. As I've said before, questioning is of utmost importance in figuring out what you believe as well as the strength of those beliefs. Beliefs that can't withstand questioning need to be reexamined. Anyway, the self-imposed rose-colored glasses didn't bother me in high school as much as they do now. The older sister has renounced her religion (Christianity). She and her husband learned some things about the origins of the religion that shook their faith. I learned these same things in college, but my faith was already flexible at that point and was able to bend and adjust. Their faith has been built up into this untouchable, incontrovertible thing, and lacked the suppleness to withstand a shattering blow. I don't blame them, and can understand their point of view, even if I still do consider myself a Christian (albeit an atypical one). But that decision, the questioning they are doing, the open mindedness they exhibit, and the search for their truth in which they have engaged speak to me on a deep level, and make me much more comfortable talking with them than with pretty much any other family member on that subject (other than my husband and my little brother).

So maybe favorites is an outgrown term. I love them each for who they are, what they were to me when I was a child, and for what they are to me now. However, I definitely relate to the oldest the most.

Well, moving on from reflection time and on to real life, school has less than two weeks til Christmas Break! This week my kids are working on a project combo: dialogue dealing with customer/employee interactions and poster representing a clothing store. They'll present on Monday, we'll have a review on Tuesday, and then they'll take their Ch. 3 Pt. 2 test on Wednesday. Thursday will be Christmas Party day! And Friday, the kids have early release! So basically, one week of babysitting, half a week of grading, food, then 2 weeks of freedom!!! Whoohoo!
Whoohoo-ing aside, I really do enjoy teaching...I'm just ready for a break.

As far as the house hunting plan goes, we're kinda in a holding pattern. We're definitely going to buy a house by May (because come to find out, our lease is up MAY 31st, not JUNE 30th...heehee), but we're trying to time the buying process so that we don't have to pay a fee...which may or may not be possible. Basically, we need to decide if the chance of paying the full buyout fee is worth taking, when we might only have to pay a reletting fee anyway. Hubby and I have some thinking to do.

Other than that, hubby might be marching in the Inauguration Day parade in January!!! Which is SO EXCITING!!!! Needless to say, work is going well for him too. Oh look he's home! I'm gonna go spend time with him now! Ttyl!