December Already

It's already the second of December and how time speeds up the older one gets, I'll never know. About two weeks to go until a bit of vacation, and I'm ready for it to be here. I'm ready to drive home to my parents house, to visit with old friends, to read the stacks of books piled up around my rooms, to sit in the pews of my old church and sing Christmas hymns, to gaze out on the waves crashing into the shore, and to just have time to visit with Mom and Dad. Life back on the coast just slows down and everything relaxes. I know that once I'm done with grad school, I'll have to readjust to less vacation, so I plan to relish this last one even more. Although I can't help but hope that some day the United States will actually work less and relax more.

Yesterday brought good news into my life. It's interesting to me that this year has brought opportunities that count as items on my lifetime goals list (over on the sidebar). Last year I finally read the entire Bible. And this year I have had two opportunities to potentially be published in a couple of different ways. Yesterday brought one of these opportunities, as it looks like I will co-author an article based on the research project that I am involved in. While I don't plan on pursuing a PhD at this point, nor am I entirely sure what the future will hold, the opportunity to be published in the major journal of our profession is very rewarding. I can't help but feel that sometimes we really do receive what we ask for.

I also felt that yesterday was good on the political front as well. Obama's choice of Hillary for Secretary of State was one that I was glad to see. Clinton is an intelligent woman with experience and plans for how to move this nation forward. But more than anything I was glad to see that two individuals that had been major rivals were able to step forward into their own partnership. Now if we can just repeat this same practice throughout the world, this would be a much better place.

Hope your December has gotten off to a good start!