we wish you a happy halogen

Guess who is not working for the next 11 business days? Awesome parts of Friday: huge work Christmas lunch party at fancy restaurant with three courses AND wine! It was like a wedding reception, with waiters and big long tables of guests. Also, it was the location of our secret santa reveal. I’ve never really done a secret santa exchange in my life, but this year’s burst of homemade presents and elaborate gift wrapping imbued me with a newfound interest in participating. After I carefully picked out and wrapped my presents, I wondered if I could list “exceptional secret santa” under the honors section on my resume. I gave: 1. small Oaxacan figurine, 2. funny kitchen magnets that said “My mood is” and then had pictures of food, 3. mulling spices, 4. crystal growing Christmas tree and 5. Starbucks gift card.

When I arrived at lunch, I sat down across from Sister Carol, who promptly revealed herself to be MY secret santa! Then, she handed me my last present--a wrapped log of brie cheese. Apparently, on the “interests” section of my secret santa questionnaire, I listed animals and cheese (!!!). What kind of person does that?! ANIMALS AND CHEESE! Truth be told—I can’t really think of anything better to list, but they are hard interests to shop for. Is she going to bring in a pet snake or something? She gave me animal themed things—penguin ornament and bird pencil holder. Sister Carol is obviously a great secret santa (much better than selfish me, who did not even attempt to read the “interests” section), and now I can cross off “have nun as secret santa” from my bucket list.

I took the lunch time as an opportunity to ask her about being a nun. I was shocked to learn several things—she became one at 18, right after college, to the disapproval of her mother. Nuns today can no longer join at the age of 18, they have to join in their mid-twenties. She’s the only nun in her family. Priests are generously provided for and taken care of by the church, nuns are not. Nuns can retire whenever they feel tired. They send their entire paycheck to their order.

This week, we made “Bohr model of the atom” felt ornaments in my chemistry class. After they finished, a groups of students decided that we needed a felt Christmas tree on which to hang them. They just did it—no input or guidance from me.


Then I made them stand in front of it and ordered them to “look cute”.