...and blessed.

So I shared in my last post that I am spoiled.
I would like to acknowledge this time how I am blessed.

A mom of some of the youth in our church decided that she likes me.
How nice!
For real, though, she wanted to do something for me.
It started out by offering me licorice.
I turned down the licorice not knowing when she asked
that she had bought some to share with me
to say thanks for working with her kids.

Two weeks later at youth group,
she asked if I wanted a piano.
Whaahhaa?
From licorice to a piano?
Yes, indeed.
As part of receiving a newer piano and being asked to "pay it forward"
she blessed me with her piano.

I have already spent many late nights playing all the old pieces I learned in elementary school.
And I'm thrilled to get it tuned
to play
and to learn more.
It's wonderfully relaxing.
And I sing on the inside while I play.

Here it is in my living room.

Oh, sadness...

Well, I promised someone that I would keep the world updated on my now incognito mode of transportation. Sadly, and I do mean sadly, my good friend "Blue Lightning" (as she was named by one of my students - May I note that at the time I did NOT know that the cheerleaders for the Blue Bombers are also called Blue Lightning) was towed away last week. She served me well. And I took a picture of her from my front porch before I left for school on Tuesday.

However, my new car - yet to be named - is serving me very well. I was delighted to have my wonderful father come to visit and assist in the purchasing process. I am spoiled. I turned the odometer over 200 clicks today. It's pure craziness. And I used the trunk for groceries for the first time, too. It's small stuff, I know.
But fun. Here is my new friend and companion. Perhaps it will have to be a he this time around. It may be my lifelong companion. (I have no spoiler on mine...didn't want to spoil 'er...okay, maybe it's still a she...)

Explaining...

I'm not always very good at explaining what goes on in my head.
Writing helps a lot.
That seems to be where my honesty meets my thoughts and emotions.

Funny thing about not being a good explainer -
I'm a teacher.
I hope I'm better at explaining the world than I am at explaining myself.

I've been reading bits and pieces of other people's lives
through emails and blogs and books
and coming to discover that sometimes they say it better than I can.

There's a big part of me that's exhausted.
A big part of me that's okay.
A big part of me that knows that God hasn't
and won't
leave me on my own.
And somehow doors keep opening
and people keep stepping up to the plate
(I think some of them have hit a whole inning on their own for me).

Lots of them I didn't even call in.
But the Head Coach,
He let them know I needed a pinch-hitter.
And there they were.

I don't have a lot of words to describe that in a better way
except to say:
I'm getting a new car.
My students are still alive - and doing well, I think. :)
My marking is finished.
I have been given more time to work on my report cards.
I have a taxi service :) and place to be while my current car is out of commission.
I get to see my dad this week.
I got to chat with my grandma this morning.
I have a student who wants to fail grade 5 so she can be in my class again.
I don't have to make a lunch tomorrow.
I didn't have to make supper on Friday.
I slept in yesterday.
And today.
I'm wearing my favourite sweater...for the lots-of-days in a row.
Only I washed it in between, so now it's even clean!
I had a great email from a good friend.

And as someone else's words put it:
"God is doing exactly what I need Him to do right now -
holding me and not letting me go."