Settling In!

It's almost a month since my last post but things are going well. I was talking to my friend Sonya the other day and sharing with her some of how I'm feeling and what I am doing and she reminded me that last year, she began praying that I will feel like I have a place I belong and put down roots and that is exactly what has happened.

I love my job although I haven't started working full time there yet. I enjoy the way the teachers work together, I love the kids and I feel like I belong there. I know it's not perfect but no school is. Last night, I went on a camp with the year 7 girls, principal and chaplain and we all slept in tents.

 I played touch football for the first time ever and I scored a try. According to the players, it was an 'awesome try'. We had good talks about leadership, we ate toasted marshmallows, camped by a river and I even got a great photo of a kookaburra. It was very cold at night, getting down to 0 degrees Celsius and although I had a very warm sleeping bag, I was still cold and was eager for morning to come around so that I wouldn't have to stay lying down in my cold tent. When I came home in the morning, I had a long, hot shower before I went to a PD at school and I am looking forward to sleeping in my nice, warm, comfortable bed very soon tonight. I still love camping though.

 
Today was the third session of a PD (professional development) on LEM phonics. I have really enjoyed learning about spelling, the origins of the English language/vocabulary and making new friends. It was presented well and today, at the end of the 3 day course, we had to do a test which he made open-book and discussable. In the end though, I told him I didn't care how I went on the test because tomorrow I am going horse riding!

Last weekend, I helped a neighbour friend work in the canteen at the gymkhana and while there, I made new friends who all had horses. One of the friends I made, has a friend who is always looking for someone to ride with her since her daughter moved away to university and she has two horses. She gave the friend my name and I got a phone call this morning and the lady invited me out to ride with her on her farm. I love the way Rosie worded it in her email, "I am looking forward to meeting you... We will have a great time. Remmy is the name of your horse. I've only had him a few months, but he is quiet. He is a retired racehorse." My horse is named Remmy! I told her I wasn't very experienced so we'll ride around in the paddock for awhile and then decide if we want to go out and ride further. She lives about 20 minutes away from me so I will be able to go riding after work and on weekends especially since the days are getting longer. I am very excited about riding with Rosie tomorrow.

In other news, there is a man who is trying very hard to win my affection. He compliments me frequently, sends me gifts and we have a lot in common. Only thing is, he lives in Melbourne but I have made it very clear that I do not want to move from where I am because I feel like I belong here and I want to stay here. He used to teach at the high school I went to and his sister and I used to walk home from school together. He knows a lot of the people I knew through those years and he also knows the area I grew up in which I think is pretty cool. Next weekend, we're going to spend some time together and with some other very good friends of mine so we'll see what happens then. It is really special having someone believe in me, thinks I am very special, someone who treats me so well and who wants to spoil me. He has a wealth of knowledge and loves learning. He prays with me and for me and he is ticking off the boxes on my 'checklist'. In other words, he is winning.

Well, I need an early night so it's off to bed I go. I am looking forward to snuggling up in my lovely warm bed. Last night's tent/air mattress/ sleeping bag experience has certainly made me appreciate my bed and hot showers so much more than before.