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Sunday Salon: December 4, 2011


Family and Life:
I managed to hurt my back over the Thanksgiving break, something I've never done before. Not so fun, especially since I don't know how it happened. But, it's now a week later and I am pretty much back to normal, but being careful not to pick up heavy things. Whew!

Friday I hit our local museum of natural history and did some Christmas shopping at the Folk Art and Tribal Arts Marketplace. It's an annual show/market where vendors bring goods and crafts from all over the world. We always find some really fun and interesting stuff to give as gifts.

Saturday was dedicated to my daughter's Winter Show at her dance studio. It's great to finally see her perform the pieces she has been working on for a couple months and I think she is happy with how it all went.

Today we're going down to Westlake so she can take a master class from Chaz Buzan, a choreographer who has worked with Cirque du Soleil, Brittany Spears, Florence + the Machine as well as the MTV music awards. I am really looking forward to seeing him teach.

Work:
A busy week at work with teaching students about how to use Google Docs (they are adjusting just fine) and how to make effective slide presentations (try convincing freshmen that less text is better so they shouldn't just copy-paste paragraphs from a website!).

Books and Reading:
As we ramp up toward the winter holiday it seems like my reading time is dwindling! I was hoping to finish my current book this weekend, but I'm afraid that isn't happening. That means not even one book read this week!

I did finally commit to a number of challenges for 2012. What challenges are you participating in this coming year?
  • 2014 Winter Olympics Challenge hosted by Tanya at Girlxoxo. I am going to try to read a book set in each of the countries that won a medal at the last Winter Olympics. That's 26 books. The great thing is that many of them are countries that I haven't "visited" through reading yet. The challenge goes until February 2014
  • Alex Award Challenge hosted by Bonnie at Story Girl. The Alex Awards go to adult lit that is good for YA so it fits my job perfectly. I am going to read 3 books for this challenge
  • Chris Crutcher Challenge hosted by Anne at My Head is Full of Books. I have already read 4 of the 13 books for this perpetual challenge
  • Dystopia Challenge hosted by Bonnie Bookish Ardour. Dystopia is my new discovery and I will read 5 books
  • Middle East Challenge. I host this one so, obviously, I am doing it. I'll read however many books I get to since the minimum to participate is one book
  • Non-fiction Non-memoir Challenge hosted by Julie of My Book Retreat. I will read 5 books
  • War through the Generations: WWI hosted by Anna of Diary of an Eccentric and Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit. I am going to read 3 books about WWI
  • What's in a Name 5 hosted by Beth of Beth Fish Reads. I had fun doing this one this year and will read all 6 books again in 2012

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