Busyness

This past week was non-stop.  I worked almost 30 hours, took a midterm, and had a weekend class to attend. Oh and I made myself soup for the week too! Somehow I'm still kicking after all of that!
Working 30 hours is A LOT for a full time student.  School had to take a seat on the back burner while I worked all the time.
Fall break is this weekend and I am ecstatic.  I can't wait to have a few days off to relax and get some work done! I need all the time I can get right now.  I have been so busy I haven't had time to think straight!  I have so many things I want to bake right now and not enough time!  I am ready for some fall goodies. Baked goods that contain pumpkin and spice and everything nice.  I found some treats here that I would like to try, especially the molasses cookies with chocolate chips.

Happy soup and pumpkin spice season to you all.

Grief

I read CS Lewis' A Grief Observed  this past week. First time to read it. I highly recommend it-really good read, and super fast. He describes grief in ways that makes sense to me.  Some of you know what I have been walking through this season with loss and grief of friends and life.   So I just wanted to share some of Lewis' thoughts on grief that really resonated with me this semester as I continue to grow.  But mixed in with all of this grief is hope.  I have been thinking a lot about hope after a conversation with a friend on Tuesday.  So there is hope in the midst of all of this.  Know that  I won't leave you strictly with these thoughts of grief but that there is hope coming later this week.

I have experienced loss and death before, but never in ways like this.  I have learned though that we serve a mighty God and we are more loved than we could ever imagine or comprehend.  The pain is great but the redemption is greater.

  "No one ever told me that grief felt so much life fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is life being afraid. The same fluttering on the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing. 
  At other times it feels like being mildly drunk, or concussed. There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in. It is so uninteresting. Yet I want the others to be about me. I dread the moments when the house is empty. If only they would talk to one another and not to me" (1).


  "Grief is like a long valley, a winding valley where any bend may reveal a totally new landscape. As I've already noted, not every bend does. Sometimes the surprise is the opposite one; you are presented with exactly the same sort of country you thought you had left behind miles ago. That is when you wonder whether the valley isn't a circular trench. But it isn't There are partial recurrences, but the sequence doesn't repeat" (69).

Scottish Games

This weekend was the STL Scottish Festival.  I have been waiting all summer for this weekend to roll around so I could go watch the dancing again and just be there to enjoy the festival.  This time I was blessed enough to have a few friends come out to enjoy it with me.  I was able to watch most of the dancing, some of the athletics and a little bit of sheep herding as well.  Usually when I go I stay at the dance tent the whole time but with friends there I was able to enjoy the rest of the festival.
We all had a late lunch while there and I had a a bridie:
 A bridie is similar in shape to a Cornish pasty, but the pastry is not as hard and no potato is used, making it much lighter in texture. It is made of minced beef, sometimes with onions and spices, placed on rolled-out pastry, folded into a semi-circular shape, and finally baked in an oven. (Wikipedia)

Michelle got a meat pie, which it has been AGES since I have had one of those.  Hers was just filled with minced meat.   After eating my bridie I forgot what Scottish food does to you. It sticks around all day. It is definitely not light fare because everything is greasy or fried! It was a beautiful afternoon to be in Forrest Park and enjoy the bagpipes.  I just don't know that I am ready for this cool fall weather!

Life Lately

Life lately hasn't been all that exciting.  I have been getting in to the swing of life and what it is  going to look like this semester.  My job has finally picked up and I am working regular shifts MTW nights from 5-10 pm.  I have class on Thursday nights so by the end of the week I am worn out!
Classes are going well and keeping me busy.  I have a weekend class coming up in 2 weeks so I am trying to get one of the books read and reviewed before class starts.  Plus I have the rest of my weekly assignments to take care of.
The weather here has changed and fall is on the way! It is about time to break out my jackets and sweaters to prepare for the cooler temperatures.

Not much else to update y'all on because life here has been pretty slow and boring.  Hopefully I will have more exciting things to share with you guys in the coming weeks!

Greek Festival

School has started! I have been in school almost two full weeks.  I am only taking 10 hours this semester (minimum allowed) and it is fantastic.  I feel like I have all this time on my hands.  I think I need to give it a bit longer though and see how I feel once work starts tomorrow.

This weekend one of the Greek Orthodox churches had a festival all weekend.  They gave tours of their church, served TONS of food and had dance performances.  I went Monday for lunch.  I got a gyro and had some of a dessert sampler.  The dancing was okay.  The kids dancing didn't really seem to be enjoying themselves.  I think they were all tired of performing and way over the festival.

I might try the Japanese Festival next year and see if it is any better.  Still, I love having all these options of things to do!

Huntsville again

I have been burning up the highway between Huntsville and St. Louis this summer.  I drove home again  for another quick trip.  This one was really quick.  I left at 6:30 Friday morning and got home for a late lunch and some quality time with the Calvert family.  I was so excited to see Jess, Ben, and Parker!

I hate that I won't get to see them again until Christmas but still glad I got some time to hang with you guys. Parker was only 10 days old when I got to see him. His eyes were closed most of the time so I chose to annoy him and get these aggravated faces out of him.  I think he just wanted to be left alone to sleep and not be poked and prodded.

Saturday was party central.  I had a baby shower and 2 weddings to attend.

It was great to be able to celebrate and see friends while I was at home even if it was brief.  Unless you were at a wedding then I didn't get to see you.  Life was just that crazy!

Sunday after the early service I hit the road back to STL.  I pulled in just in time to unload the car, sit for a few minutes and then head out again.  My church here had a picnic for seminary students.  It was so good to be able to interact with the pastors, their wives and some of the elders.  Plus, I got to hang out with some of the great seminary folks and dinner was free!

This is the first full week of school. Looking forward to getting settled in to a schedule.  PLUS...I have a job!  I'll  be working at a progressive care retirement community.  It is owned by the same group that runs the one in Jones Valley.  Yay for employment!

Exciting Weekend

While I was home I was surprised to find out that David and Caylen had flown in for the weekend.  They had come in to celebrate an exciting weekend with Kelsey and the family.  I got a few hours on Friday night with Caylen, David, and Mr. & Mrs. Ware.  I'm pretty sure seeing C&D was one of the highlights of my trip home.

In case you haven't heard or figured out why they were home....Kelsey got engaged!! Whoohoo!  Congrats to the happy couple!  Saturday night was family dinner celebration.  Too bad I missed out on all the fun.  I love that we have a growing family.

One more on how quickly we are growing soon.