These past couple of years, I've become a letter writer. Mainly through the influence of my friends Abby and Laura. I wish people would write more letters. There's nothing like receiving a handwritten letter. It's so much more personal than an email. I received mail a couple of days ago, and I was completely ecstatic. I however, also correspond through email. And I like that too. I like the quickness, and that I save money by not buying stamps.
Staying in touch with people is marvelous; I wouldn't ever want to lose touch with so many people. Yet, the correspondence part takes time. I'm always amazed at how long it will take me to respond to an email or a letter. Most require at the least thirty minutes and some will take up to an hour. Yet, I'm willing to invest that time because I want to stay in touch with my friends. With Facebook, I think we must work harder to work harder at keeping our friendships and relationships growing. We're too willing to say we're staying in touch by reading their Facebook posts and liking their newest post.
However, I must conclude this post because I need to write some letters and respond to some emails.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
I've Fallen in Love . . .
With Pride and Prejudice.
The last time I read Pride and Prejudice I was thirteen or fourteen. I knew the story because I had grown up watching the old BBC version--no not the Colin Firth 1995 adaptation, I can't stand that one--the 1980 adaptation, I love that one. My impression than was that it was good, but I didn't see what all the fuss was over. And I loved Emma way more than Pride and Prejudice.
My impression this time was vastly different.
I completely fell in love with the book, and its heroine and hero.
I love the way Austen writes. I enjoy the witticism. She truly is a witty writer, and the wit flows in this book more than I remembered. I needed to read carefully, so I could pick-up all the nuances of her sentences as her characters interact with their personal thoughts and with other characters. " [ Elizabeth] sighed at the perverseness of those feelings which would not have promoted its continuance, and would formerly have rejoiced in its termination."
Austen is incredible at giving a criticism in 'kind' terms. Mr. Collins says to Elizabeth, "My dear Miss Elizabeth, I have the highest opinion in the world of your excellent judgment in all matters within the scope of your understanding." Or the highly known Mr. Bennet statement, "You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least."
As in life, Austen fills Pride and Prejudice with a variety of characters, and I love the variety. As I read Pride and Prejudice this time, I focused on trying to understand her characters better. Looking deeper at the clues, Austen gives about each character in the story which reveal his/her true character. Each character adds to the richness of the book, and each assists Elizabeth as she grows up. I feel like I have a better grasp of the characters than ever before.
I finished the book last night, and I was reflecting on why I loved it so much. 1. The witty writing. 2. Watching the heroine and hero grow up. I truly enjoy seeing the change, the maturing which occurs. They both realize that first impressions should not be trusted. They realize that they cannot trust their feelings and thoughts all the time. As they grow up, they grow closer together because together they assist each other to mature more and become better people. While the Bennet family is on pins and needles waiting to discover Lydia and Wickham, Elizabeth ponders her and Darcy.
The last time I read Pride and Prejudice I was thirteen or fourteen. I knew the story because I had grown up watching the old BBC version--no not the Colin Firth 1995 adaptation, I can't stand that one--the 1980 adaptation, I love that one. My impression than was that it was good, but I didn't see what all the fuss was over. And I loved Emma way more than Pride and Prejudice.
My impression this time was vastly different.
I completely fell in love with the book, and its heroine and hero.
I love the way Austen writes. I enjoy the witticism. She truly is a witty writer, and the wit flows in this book more than I remembered. I needed to read carefully, so I could pick-up all the nuances of her sentences as her characters interact with their personal thoughts and with other characters. " [ Elizabeth] sighed at the perverseness of those feelings which would not have promoted its continuance, and would formerly have rejoiced in its termination."
Austen is incredible at giving a criticism in 'kind' terms. Mr. Collins says to Elizabeth, "My dear Miss Elizabeth, I have the highest opinion in the world of your excellent judgment in all matters within the scope of your understanding." Or the highly known Mr. Bennet statement, "You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least."
As in life, Austen fills Pride and Prejudice with a variety of characters, and I love the variety. As I read Pride and Prejudice this time, I focused on trying to understand her characters better. Looking deeper at the clues, Austen gives about each character in the story which reveal his/her true character. Each character adds to the richness of the book, and each assists Elizabeth as she grows up. I feel like I have a better grasp of the characters than ever before.
I finished the book last night, and I was reflecting on why I loved it so much. 1. The witty writing. 2. Watching the heroine and hero grow up. I truly enjoy seeing the change, the maturing which occurs. They both realize that first impressions should not be trusted. They realize that they cannot trust their feelings and thoughts all the time. As they grow up, they grow closer together because together they assist each other to mature more and become better people. While the Bennet family is on pins and needles waiting to discover Lydia and Wickham, Elizabeth ponders her and Darcy.
She began now to comprehend that he was exactly the man, who, in disposition and talents, would most suit her. His understanding and temper, though unlike her own, would have answered all her wishes. It was an union that must have been to the advantage of both; by her ease and liveliness, his mind might have been softened, his manners improved, and from his judgment, information, and knowledge of the world, she much have received benefit of greater importance.
I know this post is disjointed, and I'm struggling to express my utter love for Pride and Prejudice, so I'm going to stop. Maybe I need time for more reflection. I know for sure that I'll never find a movie adaptation worthy to compare to the book (though the 1980 adaptation does a good job). I know I will reread Pride and Prejudice many more times in my life because I have completely fallen in love with it.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Friends and Driving Alone
This morning, I headed up to Wisconsin Dells to visit a long-time friend. Abby and I have been long-distance friends since we were ten or eleven. We met at a camp, exchanged email addresses, and started a friendship through email. Even though we live apart, we've managed to keep our friendship alive all these years. It had been a year since we had seen each other, so we spent the afternoon catching up with each other, and it was positively delightful. I love catching up with friends, hearing what they've been doing, what's happened to them, and how the Lord is working in their lives. All in all, it was enjoyable.
Besides loving my time catching up with a good friend, I loved my drive there and back. Despite what some people think, Wisconsin is beautiful. Everything is incredibly green. Indescribably green. As you drive through the country, you see green fields and in the background green trees densely packed on a slight hill. It takes my breath away. I couldn't stop drinking in the green fields and trees with the beautiful blue sky and fluffy clouds dotting the sky.
Pictures don't do it justice, but they help a little
I loved the quiet time. I don't mind quiet; I find it restful and invigorating at the same time. There's something exciting about driving by yourself mainly because of the quiet time. On the way, I didn't let myself turn on the radio. I alternated between focusing on my driving, thinking, praying, and singing. I know it's dorky, but I enjoyed singing to myself. It brought fond memories of singing to my campers. I was very convicted when I sang through Jesus I Adore Thee:
Jesus, I adore Thee, Word of truth and grace,
Who in glory shineth light upon our race.
Christ, to Thee surrendered, my whole heart is bowed.
Alpha and Omega, thou true Son of God.
Taste and touch and vision to discern Thee, fail;
Faith that comes by hearing pierces through the veil.
I believe whate'er the Son of God hath told.
What the truth hath spoken, that for truth I hold.
Word of God incarnate, Lord of life and light,
Teach me how to love and worship Thee aright.
Holy Spirit, ever bide within my heart,
Speaking Thy commandments, telling all Thou art.
Wondrous revelation, verity and grace.
Lo, in heaven's glory I see Thee face to face.
Light of endless light Whom heaven and earth adore,
Fill me with They radiance, now and evermore.
"I believe whate'er the Son of God hath told. What the Truth hath spoken, that for truth I hold." That's a powerful statement. I can't articulate how much that means to me. The parents and I had a discussion which related to standing for the truth given in the Bible no matter the hardships.
On the way home, I had quiet time and time with the radio on. I loved listening to NPR, and then switiching to a radio station and singing along. It's great fun belting out a song to the radio.
I can't wait until my next drive alone.
Or my next visit with a friend.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Romance in Real Life
Do you remember my unexpected friend--Sarah? Well, she didn't stay away too long. The Lord brought her back to WI after Thanksgiving even though she didn't know why. I know she felt somewhat defeated. She had tried to make it on her own, but it didn't work out like she expected.
At this time, Sarah and I were both looking for jobs. I because Hallmark was closing; Sarah because she was moving back to town. In passing, we realized we had both applied for the same job at The Grocery Store. We both couldn't imagine that there was only one job available at The Grocery Store. Since I was in school and still had a job at the moment, it took a little longer for the interviews and paperwork to be completed, so Sarah was offered a job at PNS before me. Sarah calls me and asks if she should take the job. I say of course. There's no reason not to take the job; I told her not to worry about me. Some months later, she tells me she was very close to telling them no because she knew she had more money set aside and would be okay financially longer than I. Not much longer, I get the call which offered me a job at The Grocery Store. I start post-Christmas.
Sometime after school started back up in January, a guy shows up. Come to find out, Laramie had worked at The Grocery Store all through college, and he had been on a break after he finished school in December. I recognized him and realized he had attended my college. Because of school, I worked at night, so I didn't work with Laramie too much. I did work enough to decide that it would be neat if Sarah and Laramie would connect. I don't think much of it though.
In February, Sarah sets up a night of bowling. I work until 11, so I can't attend. As I read the text, I wonder if Laramie will be there. The group of people decide to go out to eat after, so I join them. At my late dinner, I realize Laramie was at the bowling party. And I know Sarah put the bowling party together to be with Laramie. At this point, she and I have not discussed Laramie because we barely see each other.
In March, I work with Sarah on a Friday night. Some time in the early evening Laramie shows up. His face and arms are sun-burnt, and I overhear him telling Nate (a bagger) that he (Laramie) was with a friend for the day outside playing frisbee golf. Later in the night, Sarah asks me if her face is super red. I look at her and realize she's sun-burnt. Then it clicks. I ask Sarah if I made a connection correctly. She has a look on her face which I know means she wants me to delve a little deeper. So I explain that I saw Laramie was sun-burnt, and then I realized she was sun-burnt, and did they happen to get sun-burnt at the same time. As soon as the words are out of my mouth, Sarah says, "I've been dying to tell you that I like Laramie, and I was going to tell you on the bowling night, but then other people came to the late dinner." I then proceed to hear how she and Laramie have been chatting, texting, and hanging out.
On April 13, Sarah and Laramie are officially dating. Sarah and I don't get to really talk to the middle of May. She's 100% in love with Laramie, and Laramie is 100% in love with Sarah.
On June 13, Sarah and Laramie are engaged.
On October 13, Sarah and Laramie will be married.
I watched the romance start. I had some hand in moving them along initially. Though, once moving, they've moved pretty quickly.
I'm amazed at how the Lord worked their relationship out. I know neither of them would have guessed that they would find their life-mate at a grocery store. It amazes me to see the Lord's hand in their relationship, and I can't wait to see how the Lord will continue to guide them in their engagement time and then their married life.
I can read all the books that have great romance or watch all the movies with wonderful happy endings. But no romance is better then the romance seen in life, especially the romance of those you love.
At this time, Sarah and I were both looking for jobs. I because Hallmark was closing; Sarah because she was moving back to town. In passing, we realized we had both applied for the same job at The Grocery Store. We both couldn't imagine that there was only one job available at The Grocery Store. Since I was in school and still had a job at the moment, it took a little longer for the interviews and paperwork to be completed, so Sarah was offered a job at PNS before me. Sarah calls me and asks if she should take the job. I say of course. There's no reason not to take the job; I told her not to worry about me. Some months later, she tells me she was very close to telling them no because she knew she had more money set aside and would be okay financially longer than I. Not much longer, I get the call which offered me a job at The Grocery Store. I start post-Christmas.
Sometime after school started back up in January, a guy shows up. Come to find out, Laramie had worked at The Grocery Store all through college, and he had been on a break after he finished school in December. I recognized him and realized he had attended my college. Because of school, I worked at night, so I didn't work with Laramie too much. I did work enough to decide that it would be neat if Sarah and Laramie would connect. I don't think much of it though.
In February, Sarah sets up a night of bowling. I work until 11, so I can't attend. As I read the text, I wonder if Laramie will be there. The group of people decide to go out to eat after, so I join them. At my late dinner, I realize Laramie was at the bowling party. And I know Sarah put the bowling party together to be with Laramie. At this point, she and I have not discussed Laramie because we barely see each other.
In March, I work with Sarah on a Friday night. Some time in the early evening Laramie shows up. His face and arms are sun-burnt, and I overhear him telling Nate (a bagger) that he (Laramie) was with a friend for the day outside playing frisbee golf. Later in the night, Sarah asks me if her face is super red. I look at her and realize she's sun-burnt. Then it clicks. I ask Sarah if I made a connection correctly. She has a look on her face which I know means she wants me to delve a little deeper. So I explain that I saw Laramie was sun-burnt, and then I realized she was sun-burnt, and did they happen to get sun-burnt at the same time. As soon as the words are out of my mouth, Sarah says, "I've been dying to tell you that I like Laramie, and I was going to tell you on the bowling night, but then other people came to the late dinner." I then proceed to hear how she and Laramie have been chatting, texting, and hanging out.
On April 13, Sarah and Laramie are officially dating. Sarah and I don't get to really talk to the middle of May. She's 100% in love with Laramie, and Laramie is 100% in love with Sarah.
On June 13, Sarah and Laramie are engaged.
On October 13, Sarah and Laramie will be married.
I watched the romance start. I had some hand in moving them along initially. Though, once moving, they've moved pretty quickly.
I'm amazed at how the Lord worked their relationship out. I know neither of them would have guessed that they would find their life-mate at a grocery store. It amazes me to see the Lord's hand in their relationship, and I can't wait to see how the Lord will continue to guide them in their engagement time and then their married life.
I can read all the books that have great romance or watch all the movies with wonderful happy endings. But no romance is better then the romance seen in life, especially the romance of those you love.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
A Long Day
That's the only way to describe June 9, 2012.
It all started with nerves as I woke up when I realized today was the day I had to take my Praxis 2. I hadn't been nervous before because I was busy and because I hadn't studied much. I started studying, and it only made me more nervous, so I decided to just rest on my good attention throughout my classes and my good grades. But wow, the nerves hit this morning.
I arrived at the testing center almost an hour early, and actually it was an hour from when we arrived to when they finally let us start the test. The test started at 10:45. I headed into the building at 10:18. I found the room, used the restroom, and the next time I looked at the clock it was 10:28. I stared at the people around me trying not to make eye contact since I'm not Philip.
10:32, only 4 minutes passed? More staring at people; a brief conversation with another test taker. She tells me she's been studying like crazy for this test; she's also taking the middle school content. I withhold the information that I haven't studied at all.
10:38, good it's been 6 minutes and not 4. It would be uncanny if I looked at the clock only every four minutes. More staring and eavesdropping. I overhear fellow test-takers discussing if they can get a refund if they sign up for the test date in July to be safe, but manage to pass this one. I swallow and pray I don't have to retake this. I already had to pay $130; I don't want to pay another $130.
10:42, crap. What's with the 4 minutes??? Why can't it be 10:45 yet? I just want to start this test. My stomach is in knots, and I'm not feeling so great right now.
10:45, finally.
10:48.
10:50. Now they tell us what to do.
After that, we all filed into the testing room and were sent to our assigned seats. The rules/stipulations were read, we filled out our form.
11:09. Start the test.
Next commences two brutal hours of testing. My test had 120 questions--30 language arts/reading comprehension, 30 mathematics, 30 social studies, and 30 science. All those subject areas are super broad (hence the not knowing how to study and another reason for not doing it). The questions in each section were various and very specific. Don't ask me to explain because I'm trying to block it from my mind.
I stare at some of the questions having no clue how it's possible for me to eliminate any answers because I don't even know what they're talking about. I only have one or two of those. Most of the others, I narrow down and make an educated guess. Foolish me didn't bring a calculator, so I work out all the math problems by hand. I can't double check my answers.
I start watching the clock now that I have less than an hour left. I finish all the answers with 15 minutes to spare. I don't look at any of the questions. I've never, ever gone back through a whole test. Once in a while I'll star questions, but once I put down an answer I leave it. I anxiously wait the 15 minutes. I want to leave an curl in a ball. I keep thinking about how badly I thought it went.
I leave and dash to the car. As we leave, I continue to process, and realize I did work hard on the test. I took the test early enough, so if I don't pass, I have plenty of time to retake. The Lord's in control of this situation just like He's in control of all the situations in my life.
I'm exhausted and discouraged when I arrive home. Yet, I can't call it a day. June 9, 2012, is our public high school's graduation which means I must work the night shift at The Grocery Store.
It's a good thing I took a nap before I left.
It's blistering hot with humidity too. (I live in WI; there's always humidity). I arrive at 5. By 5:15, I'm on carts. Cart retrieval has to be one of the worst jobs in the world. Rain, snow, or shine carts must be brought in which means someone must retrieve them. You're sent on carts when the cart rack is almost empty which means you have hundreds of carts to bring in. It usually means you're busy, so there are great amounts of cars in the parking lots, and people and cars coming and going non-stop. Most cars and people don't pay attention to you, so you have to stop all 7-16 carts you're currently pushing.
I don't usually mind carts because it means I get a break from cashiering and customers. Yet, I was the only one sent to retrieve the carts since two UC's had "injured" themselves and couldn't bring them in, and the cart rack was almost empty.
At 6, they tell me to come in. I hadn't cleared the whole parking lot. I did head in twice for water. When it's hot and I'm active, my face gets super red, very flushed. Anyone looking at me will think I have a sunburn. Plus I'm positive I smell nasty because of the rivers of sweat pouring down my back, neck, and face.
Then I commence to check people out for 2 1/2 hours with maybe a minute here or there without a customer. That's normal; that I can handle. The rest of the night commences as expected--double coupon day with less workers because of scheduling issues because of graduation.
At 10, I have a customer who has seven transactions which take me 30 minutes total because I don't have a bagger, and she's a tad crazy. She wanted to do all sorts of things against store policy. The worst part was that she tried to be sweet about it all, but she was really nasty and mean. She had a, "I deserve this; you must make it work" attitude. She thought we were all idiots. I kept my calm throughout it all even though I really didn't want to. Getting upset wouldn't have helped anything. I swear, Saturday nights I get the worst customers. I don't know if it's because I'm extra tired, or it's double coupon day, or the awful customers decide to frequent the store especially on Saturday nights.
The store closed at 11, but still my night wasn't finished. The CSR and I had to finish getting the carts in for the night. Working together, we finished them and were done by 11:15.
Now, that I've detoxed through writing my long day, aka, June 9, 2012, has finished*. I'm heading to bed. As my song says, "Goodnight, and travel well."
*Yes, I realize it's technically now June 10, 2012, but I haven't slept yet, so the day hasn't switched in my mind.
It all started with nerves as I woke up when I realized today was the day I had to take my Praxis 2. I hadn't been nervous before because I was busy and because I hadn't studied much. I started studying, and it only made me more nervous, so I decided to just rest on my good attention throughout my classes and my good grades. But wow, the nerves hit this morning.
I arrived at the testing center almost an hour early, and actually it was an hour from when we arrived to when they finally let us start the test. The test started at 10:45. I headed into the building at 10:18. I found the room, used the restroom, and the next time I looked at the clock it was 10:28. I stared at the people around me trying not to make eye contact since I'm not Philip.
10:32, only 4 minutes passed? More staring at people; a brief conversation with another test taker. She tells me she's been studying like crazy for this test; she's also taking the middle school content. I withhold the information that I haven't studied at all.
10:38, good it's been 6 minutes and not 4. It would be uncanny if I looked at the clock only every four minutes. More staring and eavesdropping. I overhear fellow test-takers discussing if they can get a refund if they sign up for the test date in July to be safe, but manage to pass this one. I swallow and pray I don't have to retake this. I already had to pay $130; I don't want to pay another $130.
10:42, crap. What's with the 4 minutes??? Why can't it be 10:45 yet? I just want to start this test. My stomach is in knots, and I'm not feeling so great right now.
10:45, finally.
10:48.
10:50. Now they tell us what to do.
After that, we all filed into the testing room and were sent to our assigned seats. The rules/stipulations were read, we filled out our form.
11:09. Start the test.
Next commences two brutal hours of testing. My test had 120 questions--30 language arts/reading comprehension, 30 mathematics, 30 social studies, and 30 science. All those subject areas are super broad (hence the not knowing how to study and another reason for not doing it). The questions in each section were various and very specific. Don't ask me to explain because I'm trying to block it from my mind.
I stare at some of the questions having no clue how it's possible for me to eliminate any answers because I don't even know what they're talking about. I only have one or two of those. Most of the others, I narrow down and make an educated guess. Foolish me didn't bring a calculator, so I work out all the math problems by hand. I can't double check my answers.
I start watching the clock now that I have less than an hour left. I finish all the answers with 15 minutes to spare. I don't look at any of the questions. I've never, ever gone back through a whole test. Once in a while I'll star questions, but once I put down an answer I leave it. I anxiously wait the 15 minutes. I want to leave an curl in a ball. I keep thinking about how badly I thought it went.
I leave and dash to the car. As we leave, I continue to process, and realize I did work hard on the test. I took the test early enough, so if I don't pass, I have plenty of time to retake. The Lord's in control of this situation just like He's in control of all the situations in my life.
I'm exhausted and discouraged when I arrive home. Yet, I can't call it a day. June 9, 2012, is our public high school's graduation which means I must work the night shift at The Grocery Store.
It's a good thing I took a nap before I left.
It's blistering hot with humidity too. (I live in WI; there's always humidity). I arrive at 5. By 5:15, I'm on carts. Cart retrieval has to be one of the worst jobs in the world. Rain, snow, or shine carts must be brought in which means someone must retrieve them. You're sent on carts when the cart rack is almost empty which means you have hundreds of carts to bring in. It usually means you're busy, so there are great amounts of cars in the parking lots, and people and cars coming and going non-stop. Most cars and people don't pay attention to you, so you have to stop all 7-16 carts you're currently pushing.
I don't usually mind carts because it means I get a break from cashiering and customers. Yet, I was the only one sent to retrieve the carts since two UC's had "injured" themselves and couldn't bring them in, and the cart rack was almost empty.
At 6, they tell me to come in. I hadn't cleared the whole parking lot. I did head in twice for water. When it's hot and I'm active, my face gets super red, very flushed. Anyone looking at me will think I have a sunburn. Plus I'm positive I smell nasty because of the rivers of sweat pouring down my back, neck, and face.
Then I commence to check people out for 2 1/2 hours with maybe a minute here or there without a customer. That's normal; that I can handle. The rest of the night commences as expected--double coupon day with less workers because of scheduling issues because of graduation.
At 10, I have a customer who has seven transactions which take me 30 minutes total because I don't have a bagger, and she's a tad crazy. She wanted to do all sorts of things against store policy. The worst part was that she tried to be sweet about it all, but she was really nasty and mean. She had a, "I deserve this; you must make it work" attitude. She thought we were all idiots. I kept my calm throughout it all even though I really didn't want to. Getting upset wouldn't have helped anything. I swear, Saturday nights I get the worst customers. I don't know if it's because I'm extra tired, or it's double coupon day, or the awful customers decide to frequent the store especially on Saturday nights.
The store closed at 11, but still my night wasn't finished. The CSR and I had to finish getting the carts in for the night. Working together, we finished them and were done by 11:15.
Now, that I've detoxed through writing my long day, aka, June 9, 2012, has finished*. I'm heading to bed. As my song says, "Goodnight, and travel well."
*Yes, I realize it's technically now June 10, 2012, but I haven't slept yet, so the day hasn't switched in my mind.
Friday, June 8, 2012
My Family on a Thursday Night
I made homemade lasagna, and it was delicious.
I love to cook. I love following the recipe while tweaking where I think necessary. I love cleaning the kitchen as I go. Cleaning as you go is an absolute must because then you are not left with a huge mess to clean up. But I love eating food I've cooked, and then discussing what was/wasn't good about the dish or meal.
Who is around of our family couldn't decide what to do after supper. Should we have a Rook tournament? Should we watch a Wuthering Heights? Or should we start a puzzle? We decided to start this puzzle:
I love to cook. I love following the recipe while tweaking where I think necessary. I love cleaning the kitchen as I go. Cleaning as you go is an absolute must because then you are not left with a huge mess to clean up. But I love eating food I've cooked, and then discussing what was/wasn't good about the dish or meal.
Who is around of our family couldn't decide what to do after supper. Should we have a Rook tournament? Should we watch a Wuthering Heights? Or should we start a puzzle? We decided to start this puzzle:
Yes, we're going to die. I was working on the bottom dark green section. I put together 20ish pieces all night. When we all work on a puzzle it's quite funny. RuthAnn continues her hilarious ribbing at Philip. We stare at the picture and box and then at our pieces to figure out what part of the puzzle the piece is from. Philip and RuthAnn are humming, whistling, or singing something consistently. Joanna is in charge--telling us what to work on, deciding how the pieces should be sorted, and then which section each person is supposed to work on. Random comments fly across the table as the puzzle is worked on. Then Philip leaves to make us dessert. And we must comment on his cooking as we believe he's burning the food. It makes for an interesting night.
Then we all go our separate ways. Since I don't work till the afternoon, I started and finished The Sisters Grimm: The Council of Mirrors, the final book in the series. I started the series years ago based on a suggestion from my piano teacher. The books weren't fantastic, but I continued because I read along with the publication of the books. Every time another one came out, I hoped it was the last. Nope Michael Buckley wrote nine Sisters Grimm books.
All in all, it was a great time with my family.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Ironwood Remembrances
My mind has been spinning the last couple of days as I've been remembering where I was a year ago. Tuesday night, I laid in bed for an hour thinking through my time at Ironwood.I had such an amazing summer at Ironwood, and I don't want to forget it. I don't want to forget the good times, I don't want to forget the bad times, and I especially don't want to forget the hard times.
The whole summer was completely outside of my comfort zone. First, I was at camp. I've never been a camp person and not really an outdoorsy person. Second, I was in California. I've never had a desire to be in California let alone visit. I have more desire to visit California now after being at Ironwood than before. Third, I was a counselor. I've never held camp counselors with the highest esteem. They're always pushy, want to become your best friends, ask annoying and too personal questions, and they tell you what your supposed to do the whole week. Fourth, I didn't know anybody at camp initially. The few people from my school were acquaintances. I was flying 2000 miles away to a place I had never been, and I knew no one. Fifth, I had mandatory lifeguard training, and I can't swim.
I remember the flight to CA was awful. Flying is not pleasant in the least bit. I had to be at the airport at five or six, so it was an early rise. I had a direct flight, and I arrived in CA around 2. Mom and Dad bought me breakfast, but I hadn't eaten anything since then, and I was starving. When I arrived and met up with my ride, I was told we needed to wait at least another hour for the others in our group, but we would get food as we left town and headed to camp. As it was Memorial Day and we wanted to avoid traffic, we took the longer route back to camp which made us arrive just in time for dinner with no opportunity to find our cabins, put our luggage away, or see the camp in daylight. The rest of the night was a blur of moving tables, meeting people, getting lost on camp, filling out paperwork, and feeling so out of place.
I remember the pit in my stomach which arrived everyday as lifeguard training grew closer. I felt sick as I got ready, and it kept growing as I walked down to the Lake. It was there as I jumped in the water, and only went away after I finished my eleven laps for the day and was finally allowed to go. I never wanted to be a lifeguard, but I wanted to make it through and do my best. I did my best; I've never worked so hard, but swimming is not my thing. I managed to pass the big three tests--swim eleven laps non-stop, retrieve three rings spaced apart without breathing, and then retrieve a ten pound weight from the bottom of the lake and swim back using one arm under two minutes. I truly have no clue how I managed to pass those, but somehow I did. I, however, failed my final test. After I cried for about an hour and talked to my mom and cried in the shower some more and thought everything through, I was fine. Through all of the training I kept telling myself I didn't want to be a lifeguard because the responsibility is massive, and I didn't believe I wasn't qualified enough as a swimmer to rescue people. I truly didn't want to be a lifeguard, but I had made it so far and worked so hard that when it wasn't enough I just had to cry and cry as a way to relieve the pressure and stress. I highly enjoyed the rest of my summer being the "frog"--the person who checked in and out the campers from the lake.
I remember the greeting of the campers on Monday morning. The Broken I Family, aka, BIF made so much noise when our campers arrived we scared Ikes and Rivertown teams and their arriving campers. In fact, anytime with my BIF was fantastic. I loved our hiking trip. I loved singing together. I loved our Saturday meetings with Mr. Scott's words of wisdom and advice. I loved how we became a family, yet we didn't fight or have family bickerings. I loved how we didn't have any hook-ups or relationships on our team. Not to brag, but we had the best team of the summer. I loved how the guys would egg Mr. Dennis on during campfire with the stories.
I fell in love with juniors. They are so much fun to be with and around. Yes, I was a mother to them most of the time--telling them when to get up, reminding them to get a shower, brush their teeth, hang-up their clothes, eat their food, drink their water, helping them find all the things they lost, and much more. I loved the talks I had with some of my girls. I loved singing them to sleep every night. I know it sounds super corny; let me tell you how it happened. My first night with my first week of campers I couldn't figure out how to put them to sleep so they wouldn't talk all night. Kristen, a second year counselor, suggested letting them talk as you showered , but when you came out they had to be quiet. Well, I tried that replacing the shower with journaling. However, the girls were way too noisy; I came out and told them it was time to sleep because we had a super busy day ahead of us. For some reason, I started singing, and they were quiet. The second night, a camper requested for me to sing again; after that I sang my girls to sleep every night. It's one of the things I miss the most. I sang our camp songs we would sing day after day, so the girls would learn them; I sang songs from choir which I loved. Earlier in the summer, I sang more songs; by then end, I sang less because I realized the girls were asleep faster. Some nights, I'm positive I was half asleep as I sang the songs. I even sang my girls to sleep on camp-out nights.
So many amazing times and moments happened those twelve weeks much more than I've discussed in this post. That's what happens when I don't trust myself but trust God. But that will have to wait for another post.
The whole summer was completely outside of my comfort zone. First, I was at camp. I've never been a camp person and not really an outdoorsy person. Second, I was in California. I've never had a desire to be in California let alone visit. I have more desire to visit California now after being at Ironwood than before. Third, I was a counselor. I've never held camp counselors with the highest esteem. They're always pushy, want to become your best friends, ask annoying and too personal questions, and they tell you what your supposed to do the whole week. Fourth, I didn't know anybody at camp initially. The few people from my school were acquaintances. I was flying 2000 miles away to a place I had never been, and I knew no one. Fifth, I had mandatory lifeguard training, and I can't swim.
I remember the flight to CA was awful. Flying is not pleasant in the least bit. I had to be at the airport at five or six, so it was an early rise. I had a direct flight, and I arrived in CA around 2. Mom and Dad bought me breakfast, but I hadn't eaten anything since then, and I was starving. When I arrived and met up with my ride, I was told we needed to wait at least another hour for the others in our group, but we would get food as we left town and headed to camp. As it was Memorial Day and we wanted to avoid traffic, we took the longer route back to camp which made us arrive just in time for dinner with no opportunity to find our cabins, put our luggage away, or see the camp in daylight. The rest of the night was a blur of moving tables, meeting people, getting lost on camp, filling out paperwork, and feeling so out of place.
I remember the pit in my stomach which arrived everyday as lifeguard training grew closer. I felt sick as I got ready, and it kept growing as I walked down to the Lake. It was there as I jumped in the water, and only went away after I finished my eleven laps for the day and was finally allowed to go. I never wanted to be a lifeguard, but I wanted to make it through and do my best. I did my best; I've never worked so hard, but swimming is not my thing. I managed to pass the big three tests--swim eleven laps non-stop, retrieve three rings spaced apart without breathing, and then retrieve a ten pound weight from the bottom of the lake and swim back using one arm under two minutes. I truly have no clue how I managed to pass those, but somehow I did. I, however, failed my final test. After I cried for about an hour and talked to my mom and cried in the shower some more and thought everything through, I was fine. Through all of the training I kept telling myself I didn't want to be a lifeguard because the responsibility is massive, and I didn't believe I wasn't qualified enough as a swimmer to rescue people. I truly didn't want to be a lifeguard, but I had made it so far and worked so hard that when it wasn't enough I just had to cry and cry as a way to relieve the pressure and stress. I highly enjoyed the rest of my summer being the "frog"--the person who checked in and out the campers from the lake.
I remember the greeting of the campers on Monday morning. The Broken I Family, aka, BIF made so much noise when our campers arrived we scared Ikes and Rivertown teams and their arriving campers. In fact, anytime with my BIF was fantastic. I loved our hiking trip. I loved singing together. I loved our Saturday meetings with Mr. Scott's words of wisdom and advice. I loved how we became a family, yet we didn't fight or have family bickerings. I loved how we didn't have any hook-ups or relationships on our team. Not to brag, but we had the best team of the summer. I loved how the guys would egg Mr. Dennis on during campfire with the stories.
I fell in love with juniors. They are so much fun to be with and around. Yes, I was a mother to them most of the time--telling them when to get up, reminding them to get a shower, brush their teeth, hang-up their clothes, eat their food, drink their water, helping them find all the things they lost, and much more. I loved the talks I had with some of my girls. I loved singing them to sleep every night. I know it sounds super corny; let me tell you how it happened. My first night with my first week of campers I couldn't figure out how to put them to sleep so they wouldn't talk all night. Kristen, a second year counselor, suggested letting them talk as you showered , but when you came out they had to be quiet. Well, I tried that replacing the shower with journaling. However, the girls were way too noisy; I came out and told them it was time to sleep because we had a super busy day ahead of us. For some reason, I started singing, and they were quiet. The second night, a camper requested for me to sing again; after that I sang my girls to sleep every night. It's one of the things I miss the most. I sang our camp songs we would sing day after day, so the girls would learn them; I sang songs from choir which I loved. Earlier in the summer, I sang more songs; by then end, I sang less because I realized the girls were asleep faster. Some nights, I'm positive I was half asleep as I sang the songs. I even sang my girls to sleep on camp-out nights.
So many amazing times and moments happened those twelve weeks much more than I've discussed in this post. That's what happens when I don't trust myself but trust God. But that will have to wait for another post.
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