Monday, December 27, 2010
New Year's Resolution
Please note the singular tone of that Title. I am making one resolution this year. It is something I've wanted to do for many years...I've always been envious of people who could do this, and I'm quite capable of learning how to do this. I am teaching myself the guitar. Yup. Years ago Matt gave me one of his old electric guitars to learn on and I bought a Guitar for Dummies book. But I never read it. This fall we got a grant for 10 new guitars at school, so that's perfect - now I have to learn because I have to teach it. But still I thought I would only stay one step ahead of the kiddos. BUT...BUT!!! I have the best brother and sister-in-law in the world. They bought me an acoustic guitar for Christmas. My very own. And it's pretty nice, too. I mean, it's not top of the line. But it's nicer than I would've bought myself, considering I don't know how to play. So I've been practicing all freakin' day. My fingers hurt and I think I have carpel tunnels already. But I WILL become a guitar player this year. This summer, when my entire family camps down at our family lot on Moosehead Lake, and my brother and cousin take out the guitars, I will, too. That is my goal. I may not be able to play a lot with them. But I will play some. And they will teach me some songs and I'll be able to follow along. And I will not only be able to sing Me and Bobby McGee...I'll be playing it, too. Kristofferson's version. Because he's hotter than Janice.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sibling Love
Growing up, I always wanted more brothers and sisters. When Matt married Cathy, I got them - 3 sisters and another brother, to be exact. And now that they're all married, we can make that 4 more sisters and 3 more brothers. LOVE. IT. The "Smurray" sibs are awesome. We have a blast together - going to concerts, happy hours, or just laughing and hanging out at holiday get togethers.
Last night, Cathy's brother and s-i-l had a holiday get together for just the siblings (grandparents had to babysit the kiddos!). Food...drinks...great music...burning fire on the tv (love that station!)...and of course, the Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas drinking game. Christmas has begun!!
Last night, Cathy's brother and s-i-l had a holiday get together for just the siblings (grandparents had to babysit the kiddos!). Food...drinks...great music...burning fire on the tv (love that station!)...and of course, the Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas drinking game. Christmas has begun!!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Note to self...
Dear Self,
I appreciate the pain and frustration you have felt over the past 20 years with migraines. And I understand that after a glorious month of no such migraines, you suddenly realized what life could be like without them...and that it would be bliss. So I also understand the urgency that you've felt the past few months to go full speed ahead to do absolutely everything possible to get these migraines under control. However....it may not have been in your best interest to try them all at the same time...during the busiest time of the year. Especially when one of these options plays with your emotions and mental state, and another causes physical discomfort. Perhaps trying one at a time...or at least getting used to one at a time would have been more prudent. Perhaps then you wouldn't have had 2 weeks where you felt like you wanted to cry at the drop of a pin...and you had to literally walk away from your students into your office to take some deep breaths because if one more of them yelled out "Ms Murray!", you would've either screamed...or cried. Neither are good options in front of 6th graders. You also would've been able to be the teacher you like to be - connected to your students, asking about their day and ensuring they are feeling good about themselves. Instead, you were disconnected and unfocused and unable to look them in the eye. Completing a thought was way more than you were capable of. Your parents were worried about you because they couldn't ask about your day without releasing the waterworks. Unstable. That's what you were. Unstable. At the very least, you could've waited on going to the chiropractor so that the back pain and discomfort wouldn't have added to everything else you were already sorting through. Your shoulders would not have little tiny burn marks on them from the heating pads you kept on all day long. All of this during concert weeks and the stress that goes on with that was probably not smart either.
That said...it was only a couple weeks of pure Hell. Now that my body has adjusted, things seem better. I'm myself again (mostly). My neck is getting better (still working on that). So sometimes making things worse for a short amount of time so that it gets better quicker is better, right? No pain, no gain, right? I honestly don't know the answer to that. But self, I promise, I will be more responsible, and think things through before I put you through that again. I will never make you feel like that again. I will never loose control of my emotions and mental capacity like that again.
Love and Peace,
Nancy Karen Murray
I appreciate the pain and frustration you have felt over the past 20 years with migraines. And I understand that after a glorious month of no such migraines, you suddenly realized what life could be like without them...and that it would be bliss. So I also understand the urgency that you've felt the past few months to go full speed ahead to do absolutely everything possible to get these migraines under control. However....it may not have been in your best interest to try them all at the same time...during the busiest time of the year. Especially when one of these options plays with your emotions and mental state, and another causes physical discomfort. Perhaps trying one at a time...or at least getting used to one at a time would have been more prudent. Perhaps then you wouldn't have had 2 weeks where you felt like you wanted to cry at the drop of a pin...and you had to literally walk away from your students into your office to take some deep breaths because if one more of them yelled out "Ms Murray!", you would've either screamed...or cried. Neither are good options in front of 6th graders. You also would've been able to be the teacher you like to be - connected to your students, asking about their day and ensuring they are feeling good about themselves. Instead, you were disconnected and unfocused and unable to look them in the eye. Completing a thought was way more than you were capable of. Your parents were worried about you because they couldn't ask about your day without releasing the waterworks. Unstable. That's what you were. Unstable. At the very least, you could've waited on going to the chiropractor so that the back pain and discomfort wouldn't have added to everything else you were already sorting through. Your shoulders would not have little tiny burn marks on them from the heating pads you kept on all day long. All of this during concert weeks and the stress that goes on with that was probably not smart either.
That said...it was only a couple weeks of pure Hell. Now that my body has adjusted, things seem better. I'm myself again (mostly). My neck is getting better (still working on that). So sometimes making things worse for a short amount of time so that it gets better quicker is better, right? No pain, no gain, right? I honestly don't know the answer to that. But self, I promise, I will be more responsible, and think things through before I put you through that again. I will never make you feel like that again. I will never loose control of my emotions and mental capacity like that again.
Love and Peace,
Nancy Karen Murray
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