Dear Betty Richards Wilson, …This was a BUCKET LIST experience! I left you detailed notes about each class. I CANNOT POSSIBLY begin to tell you everything that happened. It was WILD – it was PRECIOUS – I don’t know if I have the “cahonas” to do it again. I’d like to think I’m brave enough to try. Note to self – do NOT accept a lesson plan that includes SPANISH lyrics and DANCE STEPS. As a T...ERMINALLY CLUTZY, non-ESPANOL-speaking old lady, this was more than a challenge. OK. Even though I had 2 years of Spanish, a year of French, a year of German, a short course in conversational Italian, and many, many units in church-Latin, none of these prepared me for the child in the 2nd grade class who exclaimed, “Mrs. Scivley! Johnny touched my privates!” OK – so what do you say to THAT? I said (NOT knowing exactly who Johnny was, of course) – “Ignore him, and move over here!” One of the funniest moments was when Ms. Weems popped her head in the door and said “Can you sub for…???” and I said, basically, “NO! I only do MUSIC!!!” Frankly, the thought of a 2nd or 3rd grade class of precious, precious children ALL DAY LONG freaks me out BEYOND BELIEF. I want to go on record as saying that I firmly believe that EVERYONE HAS A PLACE IN LIFE, and that I KNOW THAT MY PLACE was with 16, 17 & 18 YEAR OLDS, with the occasional 15 YEAR OLD thrown in. I am COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY AMAZED at what our elementary and middle school teachers do - they are MUNCHKIN-WHISPERERS. How does one talk to these wonderful little creatures? I tried – I sang to them. I tried to play with them. After I calmed down a little, after day #2, I think I was actually having fun. I had to laugh when one little boy, whom I allowed to go to the privy during roll-call, came back and exclaimed, “Mrs. Scivley! I could hear you ALL THE WAY IN THE BATHROOM!!!” OK. I’m loud, and I’m a little nervous. I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free, for His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. Warmest regards, Suzanne Scivley

It's hard to read when there's background music playing in your head.

(From January 7, 2012)

This morning I’m wandering around in Bible.com, looking for a passage about encouragement – needing a boost to adjust my attitude – about lots of things. After reading several short passages, I settle into first Samuel and read a story about David rescuing the captured wives and children of Israel and dividing the spoils of the battle among those who were brave enough to fight. Interesting, make...s me think of the battle scenes in the Gabaldon book I’m rereading (Outlander), but not exactly what I’m looking for. So I keep looking. Wander over to Isaiah 41. Good Stuff. Isaiah 43. Also good. Then, I find what I need this morning. Isaiah 40. I know I’ve hit the sweet spot when the music starts in my head and distracts my reading to the point of – well, distraction. I’m barely in, at verse 3, when I hear the voice of John the Baptist, calling to me from Godspell – you know the song – that pure vocal, that amazing opening call to us – PRE-E-E-PARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD….! Then, in the very next verse, Handel grabbed my head and I heard EVERY VA-ALLEY… and the song changed again, in verse 5, to a raucous AND THE GLORY, THE GLORY OF THE LORD …. SHALL BE RE-E-E-VE-E-E-E-EA-LED… And the running passages start tripping through my little attention deficit brain like background music. This goes on, and I finally make it to the end of the chapter. At verse 31, my head does a weird little Google-Earth flyover, carried on the eagle’s wings, to sing with the choir at Sumatanga. Hmmm – that was 1995 at MAW, I think. I’m encouraged, now.