Continuing My Education

I think I'll send March 2011 off with a post. Don't anyone faint.

We've had a busy month. Thomas' work is getting back to normal, thankfully. And although we had a little rerun of winter last week, I think spring is coming back this weekend.

Miss Eler Beth has been busy setting personal goals for herself, and I've set a few of my own. I had the urge this year to go back to school. I have found that when I am planning El's lessons, especially something like her algebra lessons -- something I have to re-learn myself before helping her -- my brain really appreciates the stretching I give it. I have always liked to learn new things just for the sake of learning, and I have come to realize that my brain actually releases endorphins (or, at least, that's how it feels) when I am learning something new. You all know I love literature and grammar. I also love history. I love research. I love geography. I don't love math, but I do love the feeling I get when I have mastered something new in math. I have kept myself sane and out of the dark hole this winter by giving myself lessons in various subjects. So...how to make all that work for me....

Well we have an excellent two-year school here called Ivy Tech. It's inexpensive, and only a few minutes away. Credits and degrees received there can be transferred to Indiana University Southeast (IUS), which is also very close to me. So I gave it a lot of thought and discussed it with Thomas, and I have enrolled at Ivy Tech for the fall semester. I figured I'd be pushing it if I tried for the summer semester. I'm fairly certain I can handle it and everything else in my life, including Eler Beth's schooling. More on what classes I'll be taking later.

My 86-year-old mother had cataracts removed from both eyes this month, and she is doing very well. She had one eye done on the 21st and the other one was done this past Monday, the 28th. When I called her on Tuesday to see how she was doing, she asked me, "Now why did I have to sit in the waiting room for a while before we could leave?" (They put a drop or two of, as the nurse said, "something to relax her" under her tongue, and I think this second time they gave her a bit more because she was a little wobbly and sleepy when the surgery was done.)

I told her, "Because the doctor wanted to check the pressure before you left because you wouldn't be able to see your regular eye doctor before Thursday."

"O...kay," she said slowly. "I remember Eler Beth nudging me to wake me up...So did the doctor see me?"

I had to laugh. "Yes, Mom, don't you remember Lois and Phyllis helping you walk back there?"

"I kind of remember someone helping me walk somewhere. So... What did the doctor say?"

She really was a bit loopy! lol

She'd awakened with a nice appetite by the time we got to Olive Garden.

So, I guess that's about it for now. I was going to revisit some other March posts before the end of the month because I really enjoyed revisiting the ones from 2005, but maybe I'll do March and April next month.

So long for now!