Winter Break

Seeing as I still have green grass in my yard, is it still called winter break? At least the grass isn't growing.

I am finished with Spanish 101 and what a semester it has been. I still have to take my Lit final, and that is due Thursday, but for the most part I feel like a HUGE weight has been lifted off of my brain. But, I know that Spanish 105 is looming for next semester, so I guess I'd better enjoy this while it lasts. I am hoping that I can get a break from the migraines. I had 7 total this semester, more than I've had in the last two years combined. At least I know for sure one of my triggers is stress. I'm a bit better with the panic issues, but I think that will resurface next semester. One thing I've noticed is that the first half of a semester always makes me overwhelmed and on edge about how I'm going to do and what my grades are going to be. I'm sure everyone goes through that, and I just have to remind myself that it will be ok and to take a deep breath and let it take its course. No pun intended.

Why is it that when a person takes a test they get things wrong that they know for certain? In checking a few things after the Spanish final, I realize I answered questions wrong that I knew how to do correctly. And, while taking the test, I knew something was wrong with my constructions. But, I just couldn't figure out what. That's really irritating.

My husband bought me a Sony Walkman digital media player for Christmas. Now, while this isn't an Earth shattering present, I am still none the less impressed with it. My old mp3 player, which, really wasn't that old but stopped working, used an SD card and had no internal memory to it. It also had a joystick like button thingy that was VERY annoying. After four years of banging around in my backpack, it finally completely broke. Or, well, the card became corrupted actually. I suppose I could have tried a new card, but honestly, I really wanted a new player. My new player boasts 8GB of memory and I've filled 6 gigs already. The reason why I bring this up (besides being excited by fun technology)is that I'm old enough to remember when the first Walkmans came out. The cassette playing Walkmans that were available with or without an FM radio. And they were HUGE. About the size of a Michener paperback and twice the weight, these portable players are the distant ancestors of the tiny, lightweight, sparkly-red player that I'm currently listening to. I believe I was a Junior in high school when my friend got one for her birthday. And I remember thinking at the time, "who needs to listen to music outside of their home?" The concept of putting headphones on and blocking other people from talking to you was so foreign to me that I really didn't think the "craze" was going to catch on. Transistor radios had been around for ages, and they sometimes had those white, one-ear plug devices with them, but for the most part headphones were something that TV announcers and military people wore. Wow, was I wrong. Sorry Patti.

I don't normally discuss my music tastes, but I'm currently enthralled with an 11 year old by the name of Jackie Evancho. I had seen her on a TV talent show and couldn't believe that someone that young and that small could produce the voice she has. She's now everywhere, and for good reason, and I hope that her life path is very successful and she can avoid the downside to growing up public. She has a true talent and perfect pitch which is very rare. As someone who only sings alone in the car (for good reason) I find it encouraging that beauty in voice can still be found.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and I hope that for the coming new year 2012 will prove to be a happier and less contentious year. 2011 will not be one of my better years and while I'm thankful for what I have, Terry's death and seeing Jill through this will forever leave a scar. Again, one of the things humans collect as they grow older. As to the contentious part, I really would like our government to just "get along" and stop acting like spoiled children fighting in the sand box. Enough already.