A PERSONAL BEST IN JAVELIN AND HECTIC AT SCHOOL

27th October to 2nd November 2012

I found this quote recently and really loved it, so I wanted to share it with you all  - "The best part of life is not just surviving, but thriving with passion and compassion and humor and style and generosity and kindness.” This was written by Maya Angelou (1928 - ). I think it sums up what I think about life and what we should do in our lives because none of us know how much time we have on this earth so we must make the most of each and every day.

Well, here we are in November, twenty four days until Year 9 exams and only fifty three days until Christmas.  Where has the year gone? 

This week for me has been so dreadfully hectic, school is just so incredibly intense, we have had so many assignments due in, as well as in class assessments, then we have to begin to study for our exams!  I have to say that any normal healthy person is finding it quite a struggle so for me, who is not well, it is twice as difficult but again I am looking at it as a huge mountain that I intend to successfully conquer. 

In English this week we have been listening to speeches based on the novel 'A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove', it is not easy to get up in front of the entire class and give a speech, I think everyone is extraordinary just for doing it.  I think everyone was really pleased when they had finished, they all seemed to breath a sigh of relief, including me.  I was so pleased to deliver mine, I had taken a different approach and was not sure I could pull it off, but I did.  I was frustrated though because I have been having issues with my ears, you see they keep popping and when that happens I can not hear myself speak, it is awful and then I either become louder, quieter or slur words.  When I was doing my speech my ears popped on my second palm card, I tried to ignore though and managed to finish I just hope it was not too noticeable.

In Maths we are continuing our work on Consumer Maths, we have been looking at gross and nett income, tax, superannuation and deductions and have been working through problems to do with those.  I am absolutely loving this unit, it is so practical in everyday life and I find it very easy to do, I wish our exams could just be on it. 

Sports Science has been interesting because we are focusing on skills development and we have also begun or revision for the exams.  The class had to devise a lesson plan to coach children in Years 3 and 5 on how to strike a ball.  I chose to do mine on striking a soccer ball, because I used to play soccer before my brain tumour put a dramatic stop to me doing that.  We had to come up with unique ways to help them learn and to also make it fun.  This is something that I also enjoy immensely, however I am not able to partake in the coaching as I am unable to demonstrate the skills required. 

I am so fortunate that I have my sport of throwing, on Saturday I competed in another Interclub Meeting, I threw the javelin and then the shot put.  In javelin I achieved a season personal best of 4.76m and then in shot put I threw very close to a season personal best of 1.96m.  When I am throwing, that is a time that I feel almost like everyone else. 

I had my regular physiotherapy appointment with Kaitlyn, as you all know I always look forward to it.  She worked on my neck, we thought that perhaps my ear popping could have been related to nerves pressing there.  Unfortunately though despite Kaitlyn doing a fabulous job of making my neck less tight, my ears were still popping.  I also had those delightful, heavenly heat packs on my neck, spine and legs.  I could have lied there all day enjoying that heat relieving my pain.

We have had some of the most glorious Spring weather this week, apart from yesterday when we experience a cool change with gusty westerly winds and some showers.  Our roses in our garden are now all beginning to bloom, they are just so beautiful and their fragrance fills your nostrils with the most delightful odours.  I have a special rose, it is called Cinderella, it is a pink rose and is extremely fragrant.  I love it when Mum picks roses and puts them in vases in the house they fill the house with such a lovely scent and they look gorgeous.  Tinkerbelle loves them also, she jumps up on the table they are on and sits and sniffs them. 

This week my pain has not been that pleasant but I try to manage it with my medication, massage, heat and trying to take my mind off it by keeping occupied.  So even on some days when I feel really unwell, I still like to go to school to try to take my mind off it. 

I hope that next week it will quieten down just a little at school, however with exams drawing closer, there is the added pressure of those.  I have to study the work we have done over the entire Semester which is Term 3 and 4. 

Wishing you all a wonderful week filled with many rainbow moments that you can treasure, hold in your heart always and grow from.