just blabbing

Whew! I just realized that I'm almost back to normal again! Still about 10 pounds lighter than I was before going into the hospital, but with a higher energy level and NO PAIN. That's the biggest thing. And I can think now. And clearly, too. That's a HUGE difference for me.

So while I'm still spinning yarn, I'm now spinning thoughts now, and have some to share.

I've been reading about this new April Fool worm threat that was supposed to do something on April 1st. I wonder if my computer is infected or if our new anti-virus software eliminated it. Or whether our computer is too old for the worm to bother with. I haven't had any trouble with anything yet, but am taking the precaution of using the computer system at work to check on my important financial and banking things. I noticed while I was using the system in class the other day, that a message was sent saying that the worm had been removed. So I think that might be a safer place to access bank records and whatnot. And luckily, I got my taxes done before April first, too. Has anyone else heard anything more about this worm?

I've got a small group of students this month - again - who smell so bad that my eyes water every time I get within 10 feet of them. This morning, I went to my supervisor to ask for advice on the best way to approach this. They are good boys - enthusiastic, motivated, and interested in learning. I don't want them to feel intimidated or embarrassed, and I don't want to shut them down by telling them that they reek. So my supervisor said that the administration would handle it, and that they had had many cases like this before. That's load off my mind. I don't want to hurt any feelings in my classes or make them embarrassed to come to class.

Last month, I had a young lady in my class that had deformed hands. Both her hands were enormous and had only a thumb and two fingers on each hand. They resembled claws, actually. She was so self-conscious about them that she kept her hands hidden in her purse and wouldn't raise a hand to volunteer for about two weeks. I did my best to put her at ease, and really, none of the other students said or did anything rude about her hands that I was aware of. About 2 weeks into the class, she began to participate. I was thrilled! I moved her around to different groups of students and put her with different partners and she seemed to gain confidence and flourish. She did great on her exams and passed the course.

But if I had it to do over again, I would have gone immediately to my supervisor and asked for some advice about how to bring her out of her shell a little sooner. Two weeks into a 4 week course is a little late to decide to participate. It's very difficult to catch up and get up on everything that was missed.

Has anyone ever had experiences similar to this? What would you do to help a student like this gain confidence in a shorter period of time?

And one other thing....I see that I've got over 14,000 visits to my blog! Woohoo! I'm thinking about a giveaway or contest thing to happen when the visit number tops 15,000. Could be some fiber to spin, maybe a spindle, maybe some of my funky hand spun yarn, maybe a crocheted skirt...I think I have plenty of time to figure it out! Whatever it is, it will be a surprise!