Home Upgrades

Firstly, staining our 2 and a 1/2-month-old fence was our #1 priority before the autumn rains come. What you see on the panels right behind the tree is Natural Wood stain. The panel and a half on the right of the photo shows what the fence looked like before.

Secondly, after months of searching for a painting to fill the expanse of mushroom brown in the dining room, we finally settled on an oil painting of nine carp. For the longest time, D and I couldn't decide what to get, although we knew we wanted a Chinese-style painting. It got to the point where D and I wanted a group of pandas playing among lilies and bamboo, beside a lake filled with gold fish, with a backdrop of mountains and waterfalls in the background, and maybe a dragon flying in the sky.

Anyway, the carp represent healthy competition and ambition in business and academic realms. Although my father prefers the other meaning of carp, which is fertility, I'd like to think that D and I, although not interested in climbing any corporate ladders of any sort, strive for excellence in our lines of work.



Speaking of work, my career has been the main reason for my hiatus from blogging. September was the month of creating Annual Instructional Plan (AIP) for my 17 International students; October is the month of Individual Education Plan (IEP) for my four students with autism and two physically-dependent students. Next, in November, will be progress report-writing time. I love my job, but some days see me in up to three meetings and/or workshops. If I could sleep on the couch I have in my office in the evenings, I could get so much accomplished in more time, but that wouldn't be fair to D.

Two of my weekday evenings are also taken up by church responsibilities. Tuesday nights, D and I attend a care group for young couples. On Wednesdays, I help out in youth group. Because I had quit as a Sunday School (Bible Adventures at my church) teacher to free up my weekends, for in case my father's health took the turn for the worse and I could go visit him, I became a Senior Youth Counselor. I help lead an all-girls small group; the girls range in age from Grades 9-12. We are joined by a senior boys group at the beginning and end of the evening, as well as by a group of junior kids who are between Grades 5-8. I have enjoyed this so far, taking a break from the usual bunch of younger students I have been teaching in the past 5 years of my career.

I have come close to being burnt out, but I know my Lord will not give me anything I can't handle without Him. In fact, He has blessed me so much with the new opportunities He has opened up for me this year.