Priorities and limits

En estos días he estado aprendiendo una lección en cuanto a prioridades y limites.  Es injusto pedirme a mi misma que trabaje a tiempo completo (y a veces el trabajo requiere más que las propias horas laborales para estar preparada) y después escribir miles de palabras en las pocas horas que me sobran para leer, hacer ejercicio, cocinar y disfrutar de estar con Ariel.  Algunas cosas, creo, que tienen su momento y debo ser realista para no volverme loca.

I gave up on NaNoWriMo because I'm trying to do too many things at the same time (it's kind of like giving up training for a race, it's not that you're not going to exercise any more, it's just that you've adjusted your goals to your reality.)  I'm trying to write every day and with our blog, Global Voices, the Literary Workshops and preparing for school... it's a bit much to try to do any more writing if I also want to read, get some exercise, and enjoy some other things.

Ariel is still at it...we're having fun, even though I feel a bit disappointed with myself.

Writing and friendship

I've had lots of ideas in the past week of things that I wanted to write on my blog.  Ariel and I have been doing a lot of writing recently and it feels great!!  Slowly (or quickly, depending on how you look at it) we're doing things we've been looking forward to doing for a long time.  We became writers for Global Voices and the official blog for the Literary Workshops that we're a part of in one week!!  That was pretty exciting.

This week I got to spend some time with Janice and that was really great as well.  It's been a while since we'd spent any time together and it was good because I was reminded that I have a girl-friend here in Panama that knows me well, that's always an important thing to have and really, in spite of the distance and time, we haven't really grown apart, I think that we've grown closer in our way of seeing the world, which makes it all that much better!

The other day I discovered a really interesting theology blog and he was talking about John 15.12-15:

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

In his article he was reflecting on the fact that Jesus talked more about being friends than being family.  Which might be an important thing to keep in mind since, often we treat our friends better than we treat our family.  We choose our friends and even if we feel super comfortable with them, we don't take them for granted the way that we do with our families sometimes.  I thought it was a very interesting thought and it made me feel very happy that Ariel and I are friends first and then we get to be family after that!

broken dreams...um, computers

This morning I woke up from a really bad dream, rolled over and must have gotten out of the wrong side of the bed because I started to think about how my computer (that started beeping S.O.S. the week after I got married) is officially ruined.  The motherboard apparently is shot.  It wasn't exactlly the best timing, the first week of school, newly married -now, I've lost my music, my photos, and my skype camera.

We took it into the Mac repair shop and they told us that if it was the memory that was wrong it would be easy and inexpensive to fix, but if it was the motherboard it would probably have to be replaced.  That was when they asked about the warranty.  The original warranty was expired and my most generous brother had given an extended warranty but, that was when we realized that I had NOT activated it correctly at the time.  Needless to say, I feel very, very foolish.  There is no way I will be able to purchase a new computer and it is too expensive to fix.  If I had activated the warranty, I would have a new computer now, not a broken one.

Alas, then I started thinking about not having Skype and realized that I haven't spoken on Skype with anyone since I came to Panama. I have a new baby nephew (hurray!) but, I don't know when I'll get to see him since I'm so far away and unreachable by Skype at the moment.  Anyway, I'm done lamenting.  I think I might feel better now.  I hope everyone has a nice day.

November 3: Separation from Colombia

Little kids in a parade...

Today is a national holiday and the begining of my longest break since the begining of school. I have to say that I'm tired and it is much needed.  

Today Panama celebrates it's separation from Columbia November 3, 1903.  I've had to teach and re-teach the story to my students in the past couple of days so, I'm becoming re-acquainted with my country's history.  For some reason I need to be around these things for it to stick in my memory.  Teaching it is great because I've been reminded of some of the little details of how it all played out.

Ariel is leading a youth activity right now so, I'm doing a little bit of cleaning and will do a bit of writing (my novel, hehe) and hopefully some reading.  It's so nice to have some time to rest, I feel very thankful right now.

Here we are...

...in love.