Wow, I can't believe how long it was since I posted. Life has really been busy since November 2010. So here is the catch up on my extended time off without pay....
First of all, there has been some pay but not much. I've done some youth ministry with work-study pay. I was also contracted to do some work for EFM & Trinity institute. That was fun and fulfilling.
November we went to visit some churches in the Diocese of Lexington. It was lovely. I think I could really live in horse country. It was very cold! We also got in a visit with my Ohio family while there.
December was busy with Christmas and a visit to Ohio to see family. We went without Harry because he was studying for those dreaded GOE's... YUCK!
January is when all hell broke loose... Harry had GOE's!
February is when my hair started falling out. Oh yes, I woke up one morning and I was missing a 1.5 inch diameter spot of hair behind my left ear. There was no sign of my hair anywhere... not on my pillow, not in the shower, not on the floor. Very mysterious. It was as if the hair fairy came in the night and took it. I should have at least had some money left under my pillow. I guess hair isn't as valuable as teeth... or maybe it is the recession.
March was HAPPENING! I took a group of youth from the seminary to Happening in the diocese of East TN. What great fun. We also went to Paris to look at a church there. We LOVED Paris and the people. Oh yeah... it was Paris, TN which is a very quaint town in the middle of nowhere.
Then... our BIG trip to Louisiana! I did NOT want to go! I left my heart in Paris. It was the first time we left our kids home alone over night. Actually it was 5 night. We went on a world wind tour of 4 churchs in 4 different towns. It was an eating frenzy of the best "cultural" foods Louisiana had to offer. And the people.... just awesome! (except for one guy who I am not at liberty to name). We video taped the whole trip for our kids. We really wanted them to have a part in deciding where our new home would be. We came home, shared the video, prayed ALOT, and waited....
April... The call came.... we were moving to Slidell, Louisiana! Christ Church would be our new spiritual home.
The trip to find housing was a quick trip with the kids. We toured homes, schools, restaurants, a festival, shopping, and many sights. We stayed on a horse ranch with a member of Christ Church. It really felt like home... but we found NO home.
May... we and packed, and packed, and packed, and packed! And we purged, and sold stuff, and purged, and threw stuff away. We made many trips to the recycling center.
A house! better than we could imagine. You have to come visit for details :)
June... The move
July... The trip back to Sewanee for the 4th weekend!
The unpacking began & ended! Finding doctors, orthodontist, etc... Visits to the beach in Bay St. Louis (with the dogs... fun, fun!). & Shopping!
and more hair loss began and continues...
And that ends my first year of Extended time off without Pay. Since I am still unemployed this blog will continue.... more to come...
