Broken Bones & Broken Hearts

November 5, 2010

This post is about the times when my expectations in life have not panned out or gone in an unexpected direction. Of course there are many times in my life when I would say that changing courses has really been for the best whether it was my choice or not. And so, as I sit here and ponder the course of my life currently, I know all will be very different in June (just 7 months from now). There is no way of telling at this point where I will be living, worshiping, having parent conferences, etc... I also have no idea where I will be working and what I will be doing. On the bright side... I do know in my broken little heart that God is preparing a place for me and it will be wonderful!

Yesterday, Oliver had a follow up appointment and a new x-ray on his broken little arm. The result of this evaluation was that it is not healing as we expected and he is scheduled for surgery on Monday (prayers please!). This surgery will change Oliver's life forever. He will have a plate screwed into his bone that will remain as long as his body will allow (potentially forever). This news does not excite us in the least but we know it is the only way we can be sure of his complete recovery and proper future use of his dominant arm. I guess that is the bright side.

So my prayer today is:

Almighty God,

you who know what is best in this broken world,

have mercy on us.

Heal our hearts and our bodies;

because we know that only through you can we truly look

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE.

Amen

Thought Reading Week/ Fall Break Would Be More Productive

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Reading week was off to a bad start when I got a call from St. Andrew's School stating that Oliver was hurt. This is not the first time getting a call of this nature. These calls usually need a visit to the emergency room. There was the call from Hannah's elemetary school when she fell off the monkey bars and put her 2 front teeth completely through her bottom lip. There was another time that that same school called about a head injury in PE with Oliver. An then there was the time we got a call from a friend about a dog bite which required many stitches in Oliver's lip. And the call from another friend about an accident with a boomerang.

This call was no different. Oliver had fallen off a swing, yes a swing. A child's play toy. We took him to the Sewanee Hospital emergency room where he was x-rayed and determined his arm to be broken. He received a temporary cast and was sent on his way with a prescription for pain meds and the names of 3 orthopedists.

Friday, October 15, 2010

I spent Friday (after Midlore) calling orthopedist only to find that 2 of them don't have office hours on Fridays and the other had the flu. This meant that Oliver would not be seen by an orthopedist until after our trip to Savannah.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

We left early Saturday morning in order to attend the wedding of 2 young adults who met in our youth group many years ago. We had to rig up a dress shirt for Oliver so it would fit over his large temporary cast. It was a beautiful wedding! Congrats Ashley & Kim!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Needless to say we needed a day to sleep in and this day was it. We went to Forsythe Park around 10am to walk Oreo (the puppy) and spend a leisurely Sunday morning in the park. We sat for a while in the park to get internet and check emails while Oliver attempted to sketch with his right hand (since he broke his left & dominant arm). He is actually getting very good at it. It was a wonderfully relaxing morning. We went to the "Brighter Day" health food market to stock up on some healthy yum yums. YAY! My day was complete or so I thought until we attended the Celtic Eucharist at St. Paul's that evening. What a beautiful service. Must do that again on my next Savannah visit!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Called the orthopedist office. I got an appointment for Oliver's cast. Drove back to Sewanee. Feeling a bit under the weather, but happy to be back in my mountain home.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Oliver got his new shiny HOT PINK cast. He will need to revisit the Doc to have his arm x-rayed again. If it is not healing well, he will need surgery. YUCK!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Completely wiped out of all energy. I now have a full blown cold! another YUCK!

got nothing done so far and reading week/ fall break is 1/2 over.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Repeat of Wednesday...

Friday, October 22, 2010

Drove Harry to the Nashville airport so he could fly down to GA for a meeting with the Commission on Ministry and the Standing Committee. Still not felling well, but since I was in an area with real stores, I decided to get some ferret food and a dress for Dubose. Score! within an hour I tried on about 8 dress and found one that fits well and isn't black. Low expectations made it easy to meet the criteria. I was back home in time for lunch. at 1:30 I needed to meet with Dean Bruce before instructing a class for college pledges on safe practices while consuming alcohol.

I made some chili for dinner. I had to take Oliver to a Fall party in Cliff Tops. I like to call Cliff Tops "Fort Knox" because it is hard to get in and hard to get out. Of course in the dark of the night, I made one wrong turn on a one way street (no turning around and going back) and I was lost in there for about 5 miles. I hope to never live in a gated community!

Saturday, October 24, 2010

Went to the market. No eggs... bummer. Got some muffins and scones... YUM. Had out biannual Seminary Missions Committee Work Day... great fun and fellowship & HARD WORK! We had a great turn out. Finnished by 12:30 had lunch and went to CVS for some drugs! Drugs knocked me out and I slept 12 hours. Of course I completely burned the potatoes I was baking in the oven. Note to self... 4 hours is too long to bake potatoes, take cold meds after potatoes are done.

Sunday, October 25, 2010

Harry came home a little after midnight. I was feeling much better after the meds and rest. We went to church, had lunch, and went out for a drive to take pictures of the peek fall trees! Beautiful Day! (see pictures on my facebook page soon)

So as you can see.... I didn't get much done this week. On the bright side... between the pictures of Oliver's arm, the wedding and the fall pics, I have some great memories!

Busier than EVER!

We are a month into the semester and I'm realizing that I can be very busy without work.

Monday is Spiritual Direction

Tuesday I am taking Contemporary Moral Issues with Dr. MacSwain & Group Spiritual Direction or Spouse's Board meetings (and occasionally a home soccer game)

Wednesday is the Women's Bible Study

Thursday is Church History with his holiness: Dr. King (and occasionally a home soccer game)

Friday is EFM

Saturday is time with Hannah & Oliver (while Harry studies or writes papers) and sometimes bartending

Sunday is youth group (TOSS)

All of the in between time is filled with reading or preparing for all of these events. Not having a steady paycheck makes me somewhat uncomfortable however I am really able to indulge in the community and classes.

Last week I had my kitchen remodeled, my parents came to visit (just as they finished), Hannah had a 16th birthday celebration, and I led a two day retreat for the Spouse's of the Seminary. It was craziness but with God's help... I got through it. Leading the retreat was an amazing experience that is leading me to explore new options in my search for my "off the mountain" calling. I really enjoy working with adults as much as youth.

Hannah's Soccer season is going well. Now that she is over her knee injury she is back on the field in full force... and she is fast! I thoroughly enjoy watching her games. She has been 16 for all of a week now and it is nice to see her growing up and being more responsible. She is quite lovely :)

All in all... busy is good because when I am not I tend to bring cute furry creatures into our home. Creatures need food, water, and much love and attention. As busy as I am, I have no more time for any more creatures.

On the bright side... life is good on the mountain! Good friends, good times, and a great community! Thanks everyone :)

Oh Blog how I missed you!

Day 58 (August 27) Oh Blog how I missed you. Life got a bit crazy. It is amazing how busy I can get without pay. I've been preparing for EFM, the Spouse's Retreat, & the Teens of the Seminary Youth Group. Between those activities and having a new puppy and school starting at St. Andrew's & the Seminary I just haven't had any time to write.

This week consisted of: open house for Oliver (SAS middle school), open house for Hannah (SAS high school), Bar tending at the Vice Chancelor's home, Church picnic, First day of school for SAS, Quiet day, Matriculation, Dean's Dinner, Class (church history), Lake Cheston picnic... Let the craziness begin! I am absorbing all of the last times this year.

We have now had Oreo (the puppy) for 3 weeks and he is getting along great with Patches (the 12 year old dog) and the 2 ferrets. The cat is still unsure of this new "house guest" and she is waiting for his departure. She attempts to skulk around the house at night while the pup is in his pen and no threat to her. We don't see her any other time except when her food bowl is empty. At which time she meows from some safe distance. Oh poor kitty!

EFM prep is going well. I think I have 12 in my group. My co-mentor will not be certified until January so I'm flying solo to start.... ugh. Getting paperwork and checks has been a drag!

On the Bright Side... the Spouse's Retreat is going to ROCK!!!! I've got some great stuff planned. I just need to get some spouse's on video which may be a bit of a challenge.

St. Andrew's had a parent's marathon of activities that were so redundant. I feel for parents of a middle & a high schooler. It is twice the wretchedness. All in all, I am thrilled to have the kids back on a routine. Hannah has had 2 soccer games so far and her team won both! YAY SAS! High school is going well so far...

TOSS (Teens of Sewanee Seminary) will begin next week. So excited to get started. I've had so many people volunteer to help. Thanks all! (but not everyone can get on that high paying work-study salary. Of course, a conflict has been added... the cook outs are continuing... this cuts into our meeting time. We will have to work this out... time to consult the professionals.... TEEN.

Well, back to enjoying my last Friday.... until EFM and TOSS steal you away...

Farm in the Jenkins Home

Day 36-39 (August 5-8) Ever since the adoption of our 5th current pet (Oreo the puppy) life has been a bit changed. This is the first time I've ever owned a puppy. Killian, our 17 year old dog that passed last summer was a year when she found us and Patches, our 10 year old dog was 9 months old when we found him in a shelter. I am up at 5 am to let the pup out of his crate and a 6 am feeding before my exercise routine. Of course this means I need a nap in the afternoon so I can stay up until 10:30 to put Oreo back in his crate.

Taking in Oreo seems like falling off the wagon of my down-sizing plan but it has definitely a gift and a blessing in our home. He is a precious sweet addition to the Jenkins family farm now consisting of 2 ferrets, a cat, and 2 dogs. I've never seen such a mellow and easily trainable pup. I can not believe someone would dump him.

We got Oreo to the vet. He got his first shots and deworm medication. Yuck. He is about 10-12 weeks old. The vet says he is part boarder collie but his brother looks like a lab. I sure hope he has something small in him as well.

Leave without Pay continues for another few weeks. In September I will be working as a Youth Minister part time! YAY!!! I am not at liberty to share where until we get the details worked out. So you will have to continue to read this very boring blog to find out.... ha ha ha :)

EFM is also beginning in September and I am taking a couple of classes so my blog will need to be adjusted. I'm sure I will need to change the name as well. Maybe it will be "Count Down to Moving off the Mountain". I really don't want to leave. I have been so blessed to be here.

More to come...

Getting Around Town

Day 33 - 34 (Aug 2 & 3) - I've been doing a good bit of bike riding around Sewanee. I have also been assisting in many Seminary move-ins. The community this year will be awesome! The junior class has 26 or 28 students... wow! With these Seminarians comes families with tons of kids. There are approximately 15 or so middle & high schoolers, 16 or more elementary school children and over 10 preschoolers. The chapel is going to be really full on Thursday nights. KOS (kids of the seminary) will be busy. I look forward to many good times with all the teens.

Speaking of good times with the teens... we had an amazing Ultimate game on the practice field on Tuesday night. A great turn out of youth and former youth leaders. My team lost, but I'm up for a rematch :)

I put the word out on "Sewanee Classifieds" that I was looking for the little brown dog. No leads, just a bunch of sightings and people who almost took him in. I'm sure someone has given that sweet dog a home.

Day 35 (Aug 4) - Wow! 4 move-ins in one day. We also moved in on Aug 4 (in 2008). There were many move-ins that day as well so we didn't have too much help. I am tired and my knees hurt from playing Ultimate.

At the first move-in of the day we found 2 puppies that were dumped in the Woodlands the night before. We decided to take one home. We haven't committed to keeping him, but he is doing so well. Only one accident... it was on the kitchen floor that is going to be replaced in a couple of weeks anyway.

If this dog isn't the cutest thing ever... (the boy isn't so bad either). He also played well with the ferrets!

Housework & House Guest

Days 30 & 31 (July 30-31) -
I love to cook and I love to eat. Some of my favorites are fried green tomatoes, eggplant parmesan, sushi, and guacamole. Of course anything made with tomatoes is great. People who don't like to cook, usually eat pre-made meals, easy "helper" meals and eat out. One thing I hate to do is clean house.

When I was a teenager I believe I received shock therapy from the weather beaten extension cord on the electric lawn mower. Yes, an electric lawnmower. This has ruined me for any form of electric (with a cord) machines... especially the vacuum cleaner. Unfortunately I have a dog that sheds enough fur to stuff a mattress. Vacuuming is quite essential. Someone should invent a cordless vacuum that actually works (not like a dust buster). I may write a letter to Dyson. If people who don't like to cook don't cook than people who don't like to clean shouldn't clean. A housekeeper may be in order in my future :)

The cook out was loads of fun. The teen count is rising in the seminary community. I think we are up to 14. Woot, woot! They all seem to get along well. This was the first week that my own teens wanted to stay later than me.

We found the cutest dog today. I know with a dog, a cat, and 2 ferrets I really don't need another dog. In order for you to understand why I would consider another dog you have to see his picture. It speaks volumes and Patches seems to really like him. When we left for the movie, we put him outside. He was gone when we got back.

"How to Train A Dragon" was the movie at the SUT this week. What a great turn out of teens. With Harry out of town, I sat alone. Some might think that is sad, but in actuality it means that my kids sat with friends and that makes me so happy! Abe was loud in the theater and I told him so :)

Day 32 (August 1) - Harry is home (sort of). He got in at 3 am so he was not up for church or for the firs move-in of the day. When we got home at noon he was up and ready for the second move-in. He was still a little loopy and jet lagged the rest of the day.

No sign of the little dog we found. If you see him around the mountain, let me know. Maybe he will find his way back to our home....

ROTFLOL! Let the Good Times Roll... (on the floor with laughter)

Days 28-29 (July 28 & 29) - Amazingly fun & funny days!

Spent part of the days bike riding all over Sewanee with Oliver. Getting better at finding the least hilly roads to all destinations. Of course the hotter parts of the days I get on the internet. It is like going shopping with no money. Last week I researched Daddy Longlegs. Which I discovered are NOT spiders and have absolutely NO venom. It was actually quite interesting. Well, on this day I researched cars. I decided that I want my next car to be the "Smart fortwo" convertible. It is only a 2 seater, but it gets 41 mpg! Of course Harry will need to have a practical family car so I picked out the Honda Element for him. I hope he likes it :)

I've been trying to sell some of the kid's old toys... down-sizing (for car money). Got rid of some stuff, but there is so much more to get rid of. The trash collectors actually picked up the dismantled office chair. I thought that would be another item that I would have to skulk around dumpsters at night to get rid of... thanks Sewanee sanitation department :)

Had a great evening with the teens of the seminary. Quint's going away party was great fun. I was rolling on the floor in laughter. We played "Celebrity" teen style & watched "Raising Arizona"... so much silliness! This is going to be a great year with 11 seminary teenagers on the mountain. Let the good times roll!

Thursday night we attended a dinner party with some friends in Monteagle. What great fun! Another night of laughter, fun, fellowship, and good food.

Christians? Who are they/ we?

Day27 (July 27) - Bike ride in the morning with Oliver was great fun! The cooler morning was appreciated. I give thanks to God for the glorious day!

I'm trying to limit TV watching as much as possible to see if I can really make it without cable and to avoid the political commercials. It is disturbing to hear what the political candidates are saying. Zach Wamp said, "I want to restore our country to it's Judeo-Christian roots". What in the world does that mean? What else would he like to restore? Slavery? Unequal rights? I thought this was a country that allows FREEDOM of religious discrimination and separation of church and state. He also claims to be a "conservative Christian" while slandering others. People wonder why church attendance is failing. I'm not sure I would like to attend church with "Christians" like that. I definitely would want him as my preacher.

Now that I have gotten started... Why in the world do we think we can fix governments in other countries when we have so many problems in ours. We need to get the plank out of our eye before we begin to get the speck out of others. We should lead by example. Hmmm... I remember hearing that somewhere in that book I read so often.

Group Spiritual Direction started back. We explored the words and meaning in the Lord's Prayer. What once seemed like a simple daily prayer became quite complicated. Why do we interchange debt, trespass, & sin? What is this Kingdom we ask to come? What is this time of trial? Great discussion and fellowship! Welcome back Pam & Bude :)

Rainy Days and Monday...

Day 26 (July 26) - Yea, the rain is cooling things down a bit.

Why in the world does the golf course need to be cut at 6:00 am 3 times a week? I only cut my lawn 2-3 times in the whole summer. Okay, that may be not quite often enough, but 3 times a week is a bit excessive! At least the lawn guy has a job, event if he is creating work that doesn't need to be done at an ridiculous time of day.

Harry left for California again this morning. This time he is in LA. This is the 4th week this summer that he is gone. He has one more trip to Savannah planned. One might think I would be more productive having all that time to myself.

I rearranged my lawn furniture in my backyard. I'm not sure the deer like the chairs being in the grassy area where they like to graze. I haven't seen then since the redecoration project.

Continuing to downsize... we put some items on classifieds. No takers so far. Cleaned out more old files and found a great deal of paper to recycle. It amazes me how much paper I've used over the years. Rainy days are great for cleaning out stuff. I'm going to get some stuff to the Hospitality Center this week for sure.

Putting together some ideas on the Spouses Fall retreat. I am so excited to get it together. I really miss putting retreats together. The traveling... I don't miss. I love being settled on this mountain!

Movie night at Brandon's was awesome! We watched UP on Blue Ray on the largest home TV I'd ever seen. Spectacular!

Days are Blurring Together

Days 24 & 25 (July 24 & 25) They blur together!

Made it to the market today. This time I bought 6 ears of corn and had 7 when I got home. Can corn multiply in the bag?

Harry & I went on a date to the SUT (Sewanee Theater) to see Leap Year. What a great happy movie. If I wasn't happily married, I would fly to Ireland to find a cute pub owner to not make plans with. Ran into Derrick & Beverly at the theater so we went to Shenanigans for drinks afterwards. It is times like this that I wish I was a beer drinker. Maybe that is something I can learn to acquire in my spare time.

Doesn't anyone think it is strange that the hottest summer follows the snowiest winter? What happened to the dry (er than Georgia) air and cool nights of the mountains. I never thought I'd say "bring on the Fall" but this heat is crazy. I sweat just walking to my mailbox.

There was plenty of food left over from VBS so of course the poor staving seminarians left church looking like homeless people leaving the food bank. Why they had cans of soup for VBS is beyond me. I got enough soup to eat for a week. That will help my grocery bill. I also got juice, milk, & mac & cheese. I wonder, if I become a vegetarian will my grocery bills be less? Why is it that 13 year old boys eat all day long?

Well that the weekend in a nutshell.

Wait, what? Why?... just for the fun of it... ha ha

Day 23 (July 23) - Last day of VBS. I will miss playing games in the car with Abe & Quint every morning. They are so not morning guys so they become easy targets.... fun, fun!

Now that my office isn't really my office any more (& there is a bed in there now), we decided to change the name of the room to the "dog house". Harry didn't like the name. He immediately assumed that was where he was going when he was in trouble... not so. It is much more obvious than that... it is the only bed in the house that is low enough to the floor that my old dog can get into. Duh, "dog house". It is also the room that Hannah will sleep in when we have company. She has the princess loft. In other words, the nicest and biggest room in the house. I also like the idea of telling her, "you're in the dog house this week" he he he.

I was cleaning my old desk in the "dog house" and I came across some Shoe Goo. It is the best stuff ever for repairing shoes. It is like duct tape for shoes only not as ghetto looking in the end. So just for the fun of it I decided to see what else I can fix with Shoe Goo. I will know better in 24 hours when it dries, but I think I fixed my bobble head dog.

Napping is becoming too routine. I would love to be out in the hammock napping, but it was like 100 degrees in the shade this week. Oh where is the mountain breeze? On the bright side... the heat has really dried out my car. I'm hoping to keep it dry and attached to the battery for the rest of the summer.

The cook out tonight was uneventful but great fun. I mean no one put an eye out or set anything on fire. No one was fighting over watermelon at knife point. It was just great fellowship and fun. Although, I did over hear a conversation about someone with a crush on Harry. Oh, what else is new. I've been dealing with that for the past 18 years.

I also found out at the cook out that there is a job opening in the library. I will head over to Human Resources first thing Monday morning. The last campus job I applied for required typing 35 words per minute. I could not get more than 30 on the typing test. Lucky me, this one requires 30 words! I think I am so lucky because I have been to several pot LUCK meals this week.

Of course there is always the possibility I don't get the job. On the bright side... if I don't get the job, I can show that I am currently seeking employment. If I can ever get through to the unemployment office I will be eligible for benefits.

Blah, Blah, Blah....

Day 22 (July 22) - More of the same... blah, blah, blah....

Woke up really early with all kinds of junk on my mind. I hate when that happens. I started freaking out about the pets I sat for last week so I went to check on them. Of course they are fine.

Having a little cat pee problem... uggggghhhhh... that cat needs to go. The only reason she has lived with us for 12 years is because she is so beautiful. If she were all scraggly and mangy she would be so out of here. I decided to put her food dish where she pees. Ha ha ha... that will teach her :). I got out my little green clean machine & went to work. Glad I got that when my 17 year old dog was having urination issues last year... God bless her & rest her soul.

Went for a really long walk all around Sewanee at the hottest (96 degrees) time of the day. What in the world am I thinking. Harry said "walk" and I said "how far". I really think he can get me to jump off a bridge. I think my Mom warned me about people like him;-) I took a good nap after the walk... I love naps!

Went to yoga at the Fowler center. I ran into Catherine... it was so good to see here. Her dad stays at my house when he comes to visit her, but I never get to see her except for the occasional special services at the Chapel. She sings beautifully. Yoga was really good and really needed! Suz did a great job.

I made a bid on a used MacBook... Ooooh, I hope I get it....

Stir Crazy!

Day 21 (July 21) - Going a little stir crazy. Feeling the need to do something exciting. Any suggestions? Kids have been helping with VBS all week. Harry is relaxing after being sick & his last trip. He leaves Monday for California again. (okay Trish, it is time to come back to the mountain). I've got some great ideas for excitement.... just need to put them into action. This budget issue is a bit hindering. I'd really like to go back to Martha's Vineyard to visit my sister again. Anyone want to go with me? (the catch is that you have to pay my airfare and ferry)

When the semester starts back, I will be so busy with seminary life stuff, EFM, and some work (hopefully). I guess I should just sit back and enjoy the easy life.

Cleaned out 4 more boxes and Oliver's toy box. Wow, that was a major undertaking! Cumberland mountain ministries will be so excited to get all these great toys. I wonder if they would like Oliver's old bicycles. I also found a bug box for Ava. A girl after my own heart. She is so girly but she loves the little critters :) Down sizing is going well.

Game night was great! Played a new game... fun, fun... and of course I got some Banana Grams in also... Wahoooo! I really missed Katie and her awesome Mojitos. I will have to bring them next time. They won't be as good as Katie's.

Well, that is it.... the whole day.... these days are really going fast.

Down Sizing in the Closet

Day 20 (July 20) - Ran this morning, a little tingle in the feet but not as bad as Sunday. Got all the teens off to VBS. This is an awesome ministry to the community. We have been cleaning out boxes of toys (from the closets) in Hannah & Oliver's rooms. Wow! We were able to fill many boxes of give-away toys. St. James is collecting toys during VBS for poor children. The boxes filled the back of my car. Hannah also found out that this counts toward the community service hours that she didn't know she was responsible for at St. Andrew's.

I took my car into Monteagle Tire to have the cables on my car battery checked. They were both loose. It has been two months since that battery was replaced. I'm surprised I haven't had more trouble with it. I have to say... if you need a battery or tires they will fix you up even if they have to rig a battery that is not the one for your car in the very tight space. Oh yeah, my 2002 Suzuki XL7 with 143,000 miles has an awesome rigged battery. I hope it doesn't fall out while I'm driving.

Oh, I completely forgot about the lady at the deli counter at Walmart. I thought working as slow as possible was a requirement for the deli counter at Kroger, but it is for Walmart also. Well, this woman looked like Rosanna Rossana Dana (SNL early 80's). She had these big glasses that didn't seem to work too well for her. If I wasn't in such a hurry, I would have found this extremely comical. The person ahead of me order 6 different cold cuts to be sliced. I finished all my shopping and got back to the deli before she was done. Small town life...

Besides cleaning out boxes, I spent part of the day looking over the course listings for the fall. I think I am going to take 2 classes this semester. (the first is free but... Whoa... courses are expensive). Job searching isn't going so well. I need to have some income to keep up this lavish seminary lifestyle. We will probably be cutting off the cable when school starts back. We don't watch it much while everyone is studying anyway. I will just have to show up on Brittany, Trish, or Murray's doorstep and watch TV with them. Maybe they will let me have control of the remote if I bring yum yums:)...

I am looking forward to bartending and TIPS (responsible drinking) training this fall. Both of those are a good (but not steady) source of income. EFM will begin soon as well. I've got to firm up my group, but it is looking like we will have 8-10 again this year! I'm thinking about Monday or Thursday mornings... we will see...

On the bright side... Harry was done fasting at 1pm. Thank God! I was starting to feel sick just watching him be sick. Now I can enjoy the next 5 days with him before he is off to California again.

Monday, Monday... (if Hannah is happy, everyone is happy)

Day 19 (July 19) - On day 18 when I went out for a run I experienced some tingling and numbness in my feet. I don't know what that means medically, but personally it means I didn't run this morning. I successfully got Hannah, Oliver, Quint, & Abe to VBS. Oh how sweet it is to get teenagers out of the house for extended periods of time (longer than an hour or two). Hannah complained the whole way with a big grin on her face. If you know anything about Hannah, you would know that a smile is rare. Surely this day was not going to be the usual torture that I put her through. When I picked them up she laughed as she told me about the annoying kids in her group.... she loved it! I loved seeing her smile & laugh.

During the night I thought Harry was going to barf up his inner organs. He spent the night and all day throwing up without eating anything. I've never been sick to my stomach that long. Needless to say having him home is not the picnic I was hoping for.

Hannah & I had a lovely afternoon of Walmart shopping, laughing & talking. I love having her all to myself. We bought lots of yum yums... blueberries, cherries, avocados (for guacamole), & chocolate... our favorite! Then we decided it would be yummy to get some ice cream from the freezer case at the dollar store... We came back out to my (very hot) car to find it would not start. Ahhhhhhhh! I hate that! I asked a man to jump start my car and he suggested I go into the Auto Zone and have them look at it. Wow, the guy in there was great! He checked my battery and said it had a full strong charge. It was my connections. Well, I just had a new battery put in a month ago so I would have been a bit angry if it was the battery. I was a bothered by the fact that my connections were bad. They should have checked that when they put in the new battery.

We made it home in plenty of time to get dinner ready for the kids (since Harry isn't eating today... can he count this as fasting?). I was going out to dinner with a group of woman in the seminary community. We went to Stevarino's in South Pittsburg. None of us had been there so it was quite a risk. The food was great! and the conversation and company was even better! I brought home a couple of cannolis to share with the kids (since Harry is still fasting). There is NOTHING better than a good cannoli. Ahhhh, childhood memories. I used to make them with my mom. A great end to a great day.

Another Weekend of fun!

I'm sure you are thinking... "wow, Gina must be having so much fun that she hasn't posted since Friday night".... okay, you can think that....

Day 17 (July 17) - I went to the market at 8am. It is supposed to begin at 8am but when I got there there was only one piece of goat cheese left. I got more green tomatoes and egg plant (Harry's Favorite), corn, eggs, etc... Yumm, I love the farmers market. The corn farmer threw me a little. He had 12 ears for $3.00. I really didn't think we could eat 12 ears in a week, but I can share. He put about 15-16 ears in my bag. I gave him a $10 bill and he asked how much change I should get. He is a good corn farmer, but Oliver now knows why it is important to learn math (his least favorite subject).

I saw a baby deer without his mother in my backyard today. He was no bigger than Patches. I was happy to see he had all 4 of his legs fully attached... what a relief. I also saw a bunny.

At 9am we had another seminary move in. This one was 2 people in a small 3 br duplex. They brought their own refrigerator that didn't really fit in the fridge spot in the kitchen. I've not seen a seminarian bring a refrigerator before. We were done in an hour or so. These move ins are great for Hannah & Oliver to meet and mingle with other seminary kids.

I got Oliver & Hannah to clean out a few boxes of toys that they moved here when they were 11 & 13. They have outgrown so much stuff. Down sizing went well. Trash will be full this week. I also have a bunch of matchbox cars to donate to PMO. We will do this again on the next rainy day.

I was really going to vacuum the house but there was a "House MD" marathon on TV and I didn't want to drown out the sound so instead I decided to make an imovie about my Sabbath Retreat last May. I love playing with Mac technology.... fun, fun, fun. Fortunately "House MD" is a favorite in our house so I don't have to compete for TV time when it is on. I also get to have some family time with Hannah & Oliver... bonus!

Day 18 (July 18) - Harry came in about 1 am. It is great to have him home :)

Got up and ran... oooww pain in my legs. Too much lifting in the past few days of move ins. At least I don't have back pain. I can't go back to my chiropractor after telling him off last time I was there.

Harry actually got up for 9am service at St. James. I definitely would have slept in if I were him. VBS begins this week. Thanks to Abe for roping Hannah & Oliver & Quint & Christiana & Tori into helping with VBS! They went to a planning and preparing meeting today from 2-4 pm. Yay! kids out of the house together! Harry & I spent some time catching up and visiting with new seminarians that moved in while he was in California.

I'm sure Harry was ready for a good home cooked meal... ooops, I forgot to thaw out a meat. We went out for Mexican. Kids loved it but Harry really didn't like what he ordered. I owe him big time!

I'm hoping this week will be a much more interesting read....

Extended Time Off without Pay

Day 16 (July 16) - Last day of pet sitting for a friend. I enjoyed my time at St. Mary's and will miss Gabby & Mogley.

Helped move a Seminary family in to a too small housefor their family of 7. It took many of us 3 hours to empty the moving truck. Okay, so in the middle of this move-in it began to downpour. I realized tht I left the windows open in my car at home... you know the one that I left the sunroof open on. Yes, I am still trying to dry it out. I had to ride my bike home as fast as I could to get home to close the windows. I would have been dryer if I swam home across the lake between our houses. After closing the window & changing into dry clothes, I went back to finish the move-in.

Cook out was great! I made a salad (with sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing) and chicken tenders on a stick ('cause everything tastes better on a stick). I atemptd to grill corn on the cob in it's husks... success! (Note to self... must do that again next week). Great conversation with new seminarians. I love this community! Didn't get any watermelon. I think it was gone by the time I got there. I was a bit late because Oliver had a birthday party between the move in and the cook out.

I am contemplating a new name for this blog.... Gina's Extended Time Off without Pay. Oliver thinks this is too long, but I think it is more accurate. Any suggestions?

My 2 Favorite Teenagers

Day 13 (July 13) - I showered, dressed, met with the EFM office, contracted to be administrator of the Trinity Institute for the Sewanee site (yay! a little income), hung out with my two favorite teenagers (Hannah & Oliver). A great lazy day :)

On my downsizing plan I've eaten Bob & Larry salad for the past 2 days for lunch. Bob and Larry were home grown. (Veggie Tales reference). I'm sure this is healthier than fried green tomatoes.

Day 14 (July 14) - Chattanooga outing with my two favorite teenagers! Lunch at Moe's. We went to Petco to view (not purchase) the ferrets; so beautiful. I purchased "damp rid" to absorb the moisture in my still wet car. Oliver spent the day spraying Febreeze every time we got back in the car.

Closed the youth programs bank account and mailed the computer back to the diocese... done!

Day 15 (July 15) - Tullahoma outing with my two favorite teenagers! We went to see "Despicable Me"... so funny! Teenagers were ornery today... Ahhhh... movie was great but temperament afterward not so much. I think they need summer jobs. Maybe tomorrow I will spend the day with teenagers I don't like. Maybe I need to hang out with some adults... Harry will be home in 2 days. I can't wait!

We helped the Parmans move in. A little fresh air and activity produces endorphins. Teenagers had an attitude adjustment. The rest of the day was much more pleasant ;) Move ins are great fun. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the cookout tomorrow night.

Ever wonder why we put suits in a garment bag and garments in a suitcase. And why do we sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" when we are already there. Really... do you ever sing that at home? If something was misspelled in the dictionary would anybody know?... Random thoughts...

Drenched & Benefitless

Day 12 (July 12) - Woke up this morning at 5:30 am to the sound of Patches gnawing on a bone. I put him out. My guess... it is that deer leg he brought in and buried yesterday. I think I've seen the last of that leg.

Got rained on during my very short run. I tried to wait it out and go back out, but it didn't stop. That is when I realized that I left my sunroof on my car open all night during a rain storm. I guess I will be using Harry's car while he is in California (at least until I can dry out my car). On the bright side... my tomato plants are loving all the rain. I could put them in my car and it would be like a terrarium (hot & wet).

So, about the unemployment office... I called three times today and got the same message each time, "We regret that your call can not be answered due to extremely high call volume". This is the craziest thing I have ever heard! It's the unemployment office and they don't have enough employees to answer the extreme call volume. Maybe if they took a few calls and offered some people jobs answering unemployment calls, it would lower the unemployment rate and give a few people jobs. I believe that the unemployment rate must be much higher than what is published because so many unemployed people can't even report it and get benefits.

Kids went to a friend's house/farm for the day and swimming in a lake. I took this alone time to get Patches to the vet for his monthly arthritis shot. I also picked up a few snacks for the kids. My downsizing plan means I don't keep many snacks on hand. The kids were complaining that there is nothing to eat in the house. I bought them stuff I don't like :)

Pet sitting for a friend this week. I've got to ride out to St. Mary's twice a day. Tomorrow I meet for the Trinity Institute planning... very excited!

Is it the Weekend?

Day 10 (July 10) - On the downside of unemployment, you never know what day of the week it is. This can be a problem when it comes to trash day, fresh market day, TV shows, and church. I did not run today because I realized it was Fresh Market day. Fresh Market is on Saturday morning. It is the one day of that I can get fresh farm fruit & veggies as well as fresh baked goods. I was sure to load up on green & red tomatoes for $1.00/ lb... what a deal! I also picked up some egg plant, blueberries, muffins, bread, and eggs.

Lunch was with Dean Brownridge and a group of Seminarians that headed out to California for some leadership training. Spouses were invited to lunch so Murray, Beverly, and I attended. Mexican... yum. Thanks Walter!

For dinner, I made... you guessed it... Fried Green Tomatoes with Chicken and Pasta. Cookies and Cream ice cream with a drizzle of Kaluha for dessert... more yum.

I received a great message from Thomas that he and Lydia and Colson were elected to the National Happening board. What a great group! That really made my day :) Way to represent Georgia!

Day 11 (July 11) - Woke up at 2:30 am to see Harry off. He had to leave the house at 3am to get to the Nashville airport to fly to California for leadership training (with 7 other seminarians). I had trouble getting back to sleep so I got up too late to run before church. St. James only service is at 9am.

I thought with my lawn cut, I would not see anymore bunnies... I saw one in my yard today. (I think that would be much better grilled than squirrel... jk.. really JK) Patches (my dog) thought it would be a good idea to bring a deer leg in the house through the doggy door today. It looked very fresh and very small. Surely my 12 year old dog could not have caught, killed, and ripped off it's leg. He must have found it dead in the woods behind my house:/ I made him take it outside. I watched as he dug a hole and burried it. I hope he doesn't dig it up and bring in a dirty baby deer leg... yuck... eeewww!

Dinner was fresh, homemade (like Mom's) sauce, meatballs, and pasta... comfort food and a favorite of the Jenkins Family. It is now time to relax and make big plans for tomorrow....

Covert Operations & Clothes

Day 9 (July 9) - Began the day with a morning run. Tried to get my oil changed which was about 900 miles overdue... yikes! Unsuccessful :(. Spent part of the day trying to find a dumpster to dump junk that the trash collectors would not pick up... success :). Harry mowed the 18" tall lawn. I could say we left the lawn wild for the rabbits that were enjoying the refuge or the mother dear that came and laid on it to groom her new born baby, but really it was because our lawnmower broke and we have been to lazy to borrow one... until today.

One of the seminarians who graduated and moved off the mountain sent an email that we could have their chiminea if we disposed of a pan of oil they left behind. It was definitely more trouble to move the chiminea than to dispose of the oil (and no, we didn't dump it in the ocean... that would be irresponsible). FYI - Monteagle Tire will take it. The chiminea is now in our newly mowed yard awaiting the fall for cool nights with good friends, good wine, and smores.

I attempted to contact the unemployment office. Because I live in Tennessee and worked in Georgia, I have to call a number for "special" people like me. Like most government businesses, they are only open on business days (Mon - Fri). It was the business hours that threw me. Once upon a time, business hours were 9-5. Not true any more. Try going to a bank after 4pm. Well, the unemployment office has it all figured out. 68% of all unemployed people sleep until at least noon because they spend all night watching info-mercials to see what they could buy if they had unemployment benefits. Then of course they must watch their "stories" which end promptly at 4:30 pm which is when the unemployment office closes. Monday morning I am going to be a minority (not in the 68%).

I went shopping at the Mountain Outfitters knowing I couldn't afford anything as long as I have no unemployment benefits or a job. I went anyway. I found a pair of plaid shorts for $9.00... score! Harry says they always have better sales on women's clothes, but I know it is because a woman will buy something that is on sale that they didn't plan to buy and a man will go shopping when he needs something and buy what he likes (sale or not).

To end the day (and week) we attended the Seminary community Friday night cook-out. The food and fellowship was great. You know we are all starved for the community by Friday because it began to rain and we all stayed until our meat was grilled. Don't you know the rain ended just in time to eat... yum. Whoever brought the potatoes... you know who you are... they were amazing. I'd also like to thank Beverly & Derrick for the grilled corn on the cob... the best! I think Murray ate a whole seedless water mellon by himself. Ron with his knife sharp and ready was fighting Murray for it. Glad I was eating the water mellon with the seed. The cookout ended with a down pour of rain. I hope to see everyone next Friday. Hopefully the money will hold out and I won't be grilling squirrel.

Food, Lecture, & Productivity

Day 7 (July 7) - Continuing to run each morning. Today I decided to bike ride after my run. It is all part of my downsizing program. Spent some time in the Hammock. Made fettuccine alfredo with blackened grilled shrimp for dinner... yum. Went to a lecture by Tony Jones about Emergent Church at the Seminary. Sat near to Murray.

Day 8 (July 8) - Very productive morning... Ran, Bike ride, updated my Fowler Center card (so I can be prepared for rainy day workouts and indoor tennis with Harry), Sent 5 PYE packages to Cookie Cantwell. I believe the afternoon should have hammock & a book time. Grilled Salmon for dinner :)

Maybe today I will set up my unemployment benefits and doctor's appointments.

visitors & visiting

Day 6 (July 6) - Another relaxing day. After cleaning house & doing laundry, I spent some time in my hammock. Sonia & Steve are staying with us while visiting his daughter here in Sewanee. I also enjoyed some porch time at Lee & Tom's house with the summer seminary program students. Good wine & good friends.

I was offered some work with the Trinity Institute. I will meet with Karen & Sissie about that next week. So far unemployment is going well. I'm looking forward to getting the ball rolling for unemployment benefits. After all, I should be counted in the statistics.

Enjoying some well deserved time off...

Unemployment

Day 1 - (July 1) I spent the morning driving home from a Mission trip in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Yes, my last few days of work were AWESOME! White Water Rafting on my very last day... rough life :) I was home by noon and I slept the rest of the day.

Days 2-4 (July 2-4) Big fun on the mountain including a dog show, arts & craft fair, parade, great music, great friends, great food, etc. The ending was a spectacular fireworks display at Lake Cheston. Fought Murray for candy at the parade.

Day 5 (July 5) Went out for my morning run. Relaxed in my hammock. Ran some errands. Upstairs air conditioner is not currently functioning so I had to move my 2 ferrets downstairs. I will need to get that fixed tomorrow. I have special guests (Sonia & Steve) spending the night tomorrow. All in all a good day. Didn't see Murray to harass him.

more to come...