{ worship }

"An intense anticipation itself transforms possibility into reality;
our desires being often but precursors of the things which we are
capable of performing." -- Samuel Smiles

Possibility was transformed into reality this past weekend. Our church hosted a rally intended for all the English-Korean ministries around the city (an English-Chinese youth group attended for part of it, as well). Derek's former pastor cousin Jordan was our guest speaker, and the band busted out to help us delve deeper into the weekend's main topic, worship.

As as I sat back to run the projector and lyrics slides, I was able, now and then, to peek open my squeezed shut eyes to see hands raised, feet stomping, mouths singing, all in a true moment of worship. Twelve year olds seperated from their friends in favor of sitting alone to be with God Himself. Several young college students who had sauntered in cooly with friends were now standing beside those same friends, doubled over by the overwhelming presence of God. The could not stand upright; they were humbled before their popular comrades, but lifted higher in spirit by the very hand of God.

I, though somewhat occupied with having to click the mouse every eight seconds, harnessed as much of that time for myself as I could. In those moments where some sort of spiritual gateway was opened and we were ushered forward, forward, approaching the majesty of God, I put my leadership aside and became a pursuer of God, myself. In the spirit I stretched out my fingertips to touch Him, I bowed my head in reverence to Him, I stood and jutted my chin to the heavens, in a bold gesture to approach Him.

God honored our acts of worship, large and small, and His spirit was undeniably there in that room with us, in that mystical and mysterious way that cannot be explained.

It was a weekend of blessing all around. My heart was blessed to see the young people (especially the young middleschool participants) really seeing something in the Spirit, in their youthful innocence. All of our hearts were blessed by the words of encouragment from my cousin-in-law, an amazing preacher and teacher on the things of God. And lastly but most importantly, the heart of God was blessed--and glorified--by our acts of obedience and love.

The importance now is to get past the "rally mentality", to realize that worship is not just a hype or a fad, but an entire way of life to be desired. I am thoughtfully considering how I can make my life an act of worship to God. Aside from prayer and singing, how can I use my very words, actions, and body to worship God in all circumstances? I cannot plan out a grand scheme for it, but I can start today, in the little things, in the way I take care of my home, in the way I love and help my husband, in the way I speak to my coworkers, my boss, my friends and famiiy, in the way I allow my awareness of God and the supernatural to be heightened, and to become the most important part of my life.

----
"A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

{ pizza face }

I remember when I was little, one of my favorite board games was Pizza Party (see also: ebay version). My sister, my dad, and I would play it for hours and hours. There were different characters of toppings that you had to slot into your pizza slice--a mushroom woman, a green pepper lady, an onion dude, and last but not least, our favorite--a pepperoni man. Instead of calling him "Pepperoni" or something like that, for some reason we all started calling him "Pizza Face". After my dad's saying it once (and our thinking it was hilarious), it was all we could ever call the little Pepperoni Man. Years later, the term "Pizza Face" was still a funny phrase in our family.

Today, I am "Pizza Face"; I made pizza for the first time, at work. Well, I lie, I've made pizza before, but I've only added my own paste and toppings to store-bought crusts. But today at work, they scheduled me to be the Pizza Maker. For four hours I made pizzas from scratch: I made the dough, pressed it, let it rise, baked the crust once, topped the crust, then baked it again. I loved the feeling of the dough on my hands--sticky and gluey before it had risen, and soft as a cloud afterward. It was so enjoyable to just enjoy that tiny moment (free from serving customers, for once!) of creation. Some of my pizza crusts turned out a little demented (some had huge tumorous bubbles in them while others had holes from being stretched too thin). However, my "Lisa Specialties", as my co-worker called them, were more popular than other peoples' pizzas, evidently because I was putting "too much cheese!" on them. Oh well, they sold like hotcakes and I was pumping the hot pies out of the oven every five to seven minutes.

I really am "Pizza Face", though. Similar to when I work at my grill job, I came home tonight with a coat of oil on my face and the smell of pepperoni in my hair. My once white apron and even the collar of my white uniform were spattered with tomato sauce, the sign of a hard day's work.

Tomorrow is Friday and we have no more leftovers in the fridge to take for lunch, nor do we have any bread left for PB&J sandwiches. So? I will take a five dollar bill in my pocket for lunch. And I bet you can tell (ironically) what I'm craving. Fridays were just made for pizza, weren't they!

---
In other brief news, this weekend we are looking forward to hosting a joint worship service/rally that will span the whole weekend (Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday afternoon). We will be delving deep into the heart of worship, pressing past things like guitar chords and song lyrics, to touch the heart of God and to experience His Spirit in an authentic way. I am excited to not only go there myself, but to also see other people go there, perhaps for the first time. This is a weekend preceded by great anticipation.

"We usually get what we anticipate." -- Claude M. Bristol

"An intense anticipation itself transforms possibility into reality; our desires being often but precursors of the things which we are capable of performing." -- Samuel Smiles

{ not so martha-esque, after all }

So, about that boxed cake I said I was making last post ...

I guess when they say "Let cool completely before frosting", they mean completely.

Oops.

Oh well, it still tasted good.

{ inhabiting the "in between" }

I feel somewhat caught in limbo, once again. I have been slowly cutting off my shifts at my hospital job to make room for my subbing jobs. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that the subbing jobs may not come forward as quickly as I had hoped. And now I am stuck jobless on both fronts. Applying at the new Starbucks and picking up evening and weekend shifts is one of my options, but then it may only complicate things more once the other jobs pick up again.

The ideal thing would be to have a job that I could pick up and work on whenever I wanted, at my leisure. I would love to try and turn some of my writing into profit, but that also has its downfalls, to be sure; I only ever have to read an entry like this at Steve's blog, onepotmeal, to remind myself (and to have a good chuckle over it). Still, I have hordes of poems stashed away in binders, journals, and electronic files that sometimes beg to be let out into the open. I may start investigating where else they can go to shine.

On a positive note, I just now received word from my former mentor teacher that she needs a sub for two days at the end of November. She plugged me into her database, and the job request showed up in my electronic inbox just now. Two hits of the "Accept Job" button, and there I am, scheduled in to work for two days at the end of November. That's something to get excited about!

And in the meantime, just to cover all my bases, I'll spend my day off tomorrow filling out a Starbucks application form. After that, I'll just keep on taking each day as it comes.

(And oh, on a side note, that blog entry of Steve's that I linked to? It had another realm of inspiration to offer me, even if somewhat subliminally. I just slid a double chocolate cake into the oven, and can't wait to pull it out in an hour's time)

{ making friends }

I'd forgotten how much fun it is to get so involved in a book that you walk around with the characters at your side all day. Today at work, I worried about Matteo Alacran, protagonist of Nancy Farmer's The House of the Scorpion. Would he get in trouble for what he did? Would he make up with Maria (would they kiss?)? What would Celia think of everything? These characters fleshed themselves out in my mind, became as real as some of my nearest and dearest friends, and accompanied my ice-cream scooping thoughts all day. All day, I looked forward to coming home to meet these new friends once again. And now that I'm home, all I have to do is dig them out of my brown tote bag and open the pages to say hello.

Which characters are your pocket friends these days?

- - -
"A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party,
a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors."
~ Henry Ward Beecher

"A great book should leave you with many
experiences and slightly exhausted at the end.
You should live several lives while reading it."
~ William Styron

{ on basic needs }

The other day, I was at my Hospital Foods job where we all get paid a minimum of $13/hr (a full six dollars more an hour than the average $7 minimum wage). One of the cranky old ladies turned to me as she tore into her pay stub and examined its statistics.

"This is ridiculous," she ranted.

"What is? Did they miscalculate your hours?" I asked her.

"No, it's not that. But they should really be paying us more. How can somebody like me live on a wage like this? I mean, sure, it covers my food and rent and utilities, and the benefits pay for all my health care premiums, but I mean, people need money for other things in life ..."

I just paused to hear what she had to say.

"... I mean, I like to smoke, drink, and gamble. Where am I supposed to get the money to do those things that I love?"

I could only laugh and shake my head.

We have a funny take on basic needs over here in North America, sometimes.

{ hitting the books }

Today was truly an ideal Saturday. Derek and I both slept in till 11:00 (it never works out for us to both sleep in together, so this was a nice treat). Since he had to leave for his class at 12:00, I had the choice of either going out and hitching a ride, or staying home alone, all cooped up, for the 9+ hours that loomed ahead. The decision was not difficult today, especially since the glorious sun came back to visit us. I got dressed in a jiffy, packed a tote bag, and was ready to head out.

My journey started at the public library, a place I have not visited in what seems like ages (probably 3-4 months, at least). I decided to relive my youth and to take out a variety of Young Adult books (I figured this might also give me a connection to the young people I will be substitute teaching, soon). The book Feed by M.T. Anderson immediately caught my eye, as I have been wanting to read it since last winter. I took it out along with seven other Y.A. books, and after the library, I headed over to Starbucks to dive into a new book. Feed won out as my first choice, and I was able to sit and read for two and a half hours before Derek picked me up. I got about four fifths of the way through this book and am determined to finish it tonight before I fall asleep. It is one of the most intruiging and clever sci fi stories I have read in a while. The plotline is focused around the futuristic idea that one day the Internet may be embedded in our brains themselves (the book calls it "the feed"). The protagonists are constantly bombarded by corporate advertisements associated with the things they see and experience in everyday life (they walk into Weatherbee & Crotch--a nice parodied name for Abercrombie & Fitch, if you ask me--and are bombarded by mental desires for rugby shirts and trendy new underwear). They can also m-chat with one another through their feeds, which eliminates the need for talking out loud and creates instant private conversations (like MSN windows) that can be shared between people. The concept is a fascinating one, in my opinion. The characters are also interesting, and the book deals with the future breakdown of the English language, too.

It is an exhilarating feeling to be reading again. I have to confess, I haven't enjoyed reading for quite some time (University textbooks sapped all the love of reading out of me). Fiction has been especially hard to get back into, but perhaps this blast to my youthful past will do the trick to get me back into the books, hook, line, and sinker.

{ martha-esque }

I'm a silly girl and sometimes I catch myself doing or thinking silly things. Tonight I found myself humming and smiling at the kitchen stove over Rice-a-Roni in a pan. I wasn't smiling in anticipation of all that ricey and noodley goodness; rather, I was enjoying looking at my new pan. It is the kind that has a thick glass cover, so you can see things cooking inside while you are waiting. In the Rice-a-Roni's case, you can tell if all the water has been absorbed after fifteen minutes of simmering, cutting down on the guesswork needed to decipher the "Simmer for 15-20 minutes" instruction. While enjoying the sight of the pan, my mind even wandered to my mental Christmas wish list, where I wondered if I should ask for other pots and pans with glass lids. I shook my head and emerged from my daydream.

What a silly thing to think, I thought to myself. Who asks for pots and pans for a Christmas gift when one could get anything she wants! Besides, if I were to ask for kitchenware, I'd much rather get some nice pastel-colored ceramic mixing bowls ...

Who am I turning into, Martha Stewart, or something?

Speaking of Martha, you have to check out The Amateur Gourmet's article on her. I found it very enjoyable. And that's a good thing ;)

{ preparation & anticipation }

Well, I don't know about you, but I have very little else to do but look past autumn's already withered glory and peer in the direction of the oncoming winter (I hate to say it, but it is true). Although I am keeping my desktop clad in images of amber and saffron colored leaves, I thought the blog needed a bit of an update. I don't know about you, but the clean, crisp lines are helping me feel refreshed. The old is wiped away and the new has come. It's a bit like a first snow, really (and I honestly don't think our first snow is far away).

Tonight I came home and found a message awaiting me on our answering machine: I have been granted conditional acceptance to the substitue teaching list. I must merely contact someone tomorrow morning to go over a final reference check and to hear the procedures for actually getting on the list, and so forth. I am curious to find out when I might be able to start so that I can make arrangements to modify my work schedule at my hospital food services job.

They are also opening a Starbucks right near my house. It is "Coming Soon" and I am so tempted to apply for a part-time job, just to have for some evenings and weekends. The perks are good--free fancy coffees every shift, and discounts on merchandise (I think possibly up to 40% off). Imagine how lovely that would be as we're gearing up for the cold weather--free coffee and cheap thermoses! I am seriously considering applying. Do you all think I'm a silly girl? I've been approved to substitute teach and I'm dreaming of being a barista by moonlight? It would be such a simple pleasure for me, a seeming Utopia, devoid of all stresses save some minor espresso burns on the fingertips ...

There is an air of anticipation about my life these days. Things have taken on a new glow, and the life is regaining its sense of mystery and wonder, which is a good thing. My perspective is shifting back to something that it used to be, and I am trying to cultivate it through every opportunity I can. I can't wait to see what might germinate tomorrow.

{ Getting acquainted. }

I swiped the following meme from Amy at Ever So Humble. If you want to play along, feel free to borrow it for your blog, too.

Twenty Random Things About Me!

1. I am a typical girl in that I am obsessed with bubble baths and chocolate.
2. I would love to go back to school and get my Masters Degree. I don't think it would be in Education, though. I would love to study Psycholinguistics.
3. My favorite month is September. I've suggested to Derek that he and I trade birthdays--he can have June 29th if I can have September 10th. He only thinks I'm totally crazy.
4. The new show Property Ladder (on TLC) is making me want to become a house flipper (you know, when you buy a house, renovate it, and make lots of money).
5. I've always wanted a big family. I would love to have like, seven kids. Right now Derek is leaning towards two or three. I'm leaning towards three or four.
6. I'm scared of heights.
7. One of my best friends in the whole world is my "penpal", whom I've never met in person. We dream of the day when we'll have enough money to finally meet.
8. I have never, in my life, said the F-word.
9. I used to take karate, and I got to green belt. Sometimes I think about taking it up again.
10. When I was little I was a complete tomboy. I hated all dolls and played rough games with trucks. My best friend was the boy next door, and we made more real mud pies than I could count (However, we were also married twice).
11. Jobs I've wanted to have before include: archaeologist, palaeontolgist, novelist, editor, secretary, teacher, interior designer, chef, personal stylist, wedding planner, librarian, barista.
12. I used to run a newspaper for kids on my street.
13. I am a germophobe. I hate when people double dip!!
14. I used to like Pepsi but made the switch to Coke when I started my job at the hospital, since it's all they sell. There's no going back now.
15. My favorite hot drink is a Starbucks Mocha with an extra shot of Raspberry syrup, and whipped cream on top.
16. I love watching hockey on TV and I love playing street hockey.
17. I like going for "drives". They don't have to go anywhere. I just like the relaxing feeling of driving around in no hurry, going nowhere.
18. I've kept a journal nearly all my life, since I was six years old and just learning to write.
19. I would love to open my own cafe/coffee shop/gift shop one day. (Do you think you need a business degree to do that? I think so. Darn.)
20. I am always comparing people to other people/things they look like ("What's her name? Mary? She looks more like a Katie." "He looks like a gerbil." "You look like a Chinese Brad Pitt.")

{ how to enjoy life }

{ finding a life of freedom }

swooping clouds, from our road trip
Youthful prayers never cease to amaze me. Last night at our humble English Ministry church service, the pastor (my husband) asked us to pair up and to pray for one another. We were not to pray hastily or in a rush; rather, we should take time to merely sit and listen for the voice of God so that we could pray the most effective prayer we could for the other person. I chose to pray with Angela, because I feel a real bond with her. This pretty little grade tenner has so many doors wide open to her in life, in both worldly and spiritual senses. I wanted to urge her to choose the spiritual opportunities before the worldly ones. I assumed my prayer would bless and touch her life and perhaps even open her eyes and shed some light on her daily experiences.

But first she prayed for me. Her petite, unwavering voice spoke straight to the heart of God, I am convinced. She approached His throne with a boldness that can only come from childlike innocence. God is her Father, and she has nothing to fear in Him. She has nothing to hide from Him. She has no reason not to trust Him. And she prayed, having faith that all these things are true. The words spilled from her lips without hesitation or consideration; nothing was contrived or crafted or cute. She merely asked that she could pray what God's Spirit wanted her to pray, and boy did she. The sweet little things she prayed for in my life were unknowingly exactly what I needed to hear. Her requests echoed the ones I had been presenting to God that very morning, in privacy. And once she was through saying what needed to be said, she didn't say anything else. She just said, "In Jesus name, Amen" and opened her glowing eyes and gave me a huge hug and smile. "Your turn!" she whispered. I wonder if she could have possibly known the power that was ushered in just then, through her obedience and faith.

The night before last night we met with Derek's mentor, since he is back visiting from South Africa for a few weeks. He is a person who is never afraid to get to the heart of things. If something is gone awry in your life, he will call it out. He will offer wisdom and correction, as a father to a son. This is why Derek considers him his spiritual father. Since we met with him, I have been rethinking so many things in my life. Through this man's words, God reminded me that I need to stop relying on my own strength and wisdom as I go through life. Although it is not bad to plan, I need to stop overplanning; it is nothing but a sign of the lack of my faith and the depth of my worry.

Through prayer, I am relearning how to cast my burdens on Him, and to really surrender them from off my own shoulders. Angela's prayer last night reminded me that surrender is a simple act often overcomplicated by adult minds. We simply have to do it and then live like we have done it. Once we are free, we are free. We should live as if we are free.

So, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, the kind of thinking that makes your brows scrunch together and your head actually hurt. The thinking is intense, but I've realized something: in all this thinking, I have somehow stopped worrying, which seems ironic. And these past two nights have been my best two sleeps in months.

Matthew 6:25-34: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
    "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

{ it's just one of those days }

Today was one of those days where I could literally feel my blood pressure rising. I pulled another 8 hour shift at work, where I was harrassed and picked on by several of my coworkers with seniority. I work with them again tomorrow, and after a pep talk from my friendly coworkers, my family, and Derek, I will be much more prepared to deal with their bossy and snippy remarks. (My mom even gave me a few lippy comebacks to have on hand, and I must say, they're pretty good).

I just got home, and it's already 11:20 pm. I'm getting used to these long days, but in another way, I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to quite adjust to them. I am looking forward to only two things tonight: having a bath and washing my greasy burger flipping hair, and crashing down on my feather pillow. Tomorrow morning I can wake up with two more things to look forward to: I will have an hour of free time before my shift starts to read the latest book I'm delving into (Waking the Dead by John Eldridge), while sipping on my free grandé specialty latté from the Starbucks kiosk (I bought nine and get the tenth free).

Sometimes it's the little things that help get us through the tough days.

{ Happy Thanksgiving! }

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian counterparts! My holiday weekend has been a bit of a blur thus far, but I have been enjoying every moment. Yesterday morning we had the chance to go to the inner city and serve Thanksgiving dinner to 500 homeless and low-income families. It was my first time ever doing anything of the sort (Derek couldn't believe this; he was so sure that I had done it before with him, but I hadn't), and I have to confess I was a little bit terrified before doing it. I have never had any personal encounters with homeless people other than the negative ones most people have on the streets downtown or in the subway tunnels. I have been hassled and harrassed by haggard men who represent only a small proportion of the city's needy people. There were sweet young children that showed up yesterday, good (but tired) looking young men who said sweet pleases and thank-yous when I handed them their plates, little old ladies wearing their Sunday best, and old men who wanted nothing more than hot coffee and a friendly smile in response to some of their jokes. It was such a rewarding experience to know that I was helping people; more than that, however, it was a rewarding experience for me to break down my stereotypes and fears. I know that I will absolutely do it again some time.

Last night was my uncle's low-key wedding, which was a pleasantly intimate family affair. We did it potluck style, with the groom as the night's only host or M.C. and the bride, my now auntie, dressed in a layered red dress. My cousins' young children, all tiny princesses dressed in purple, kept the night lively with their dancing, singing, and cooing.

Today Derek and I took in two turkey dinners (lunch at church; dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's). Tomorrow evening will usher in our third of this weekend when we head out to "the acreage" to visit with Derek's side of the family. I can't wait to greet his cousin's wife for the first time since finding out she is pregnant with her second baby. How exciting!

Aside from all these blessings, today was also a surprisingly gorgeous day. The sun was shining, and the temperature was the highest it's been this month! I hear tomorrow will only get better. The best part of tomorrow, even better than the dinner feast and warm weather? Derek and I both have tomorrow off (this hasn't happened in months, literally), and we have nowhere to be until supper. We can sleep in together, wake up together, have a leisurely breakfast together, go for a walk together, and have the freedom to do whatever we want. Now that is something to be truly thankful for.

{ the trip that drove me sane }

Well, I promised to give a rundown of our Girls' Weekend Out Road Trip, and here it (finally!) is. Better late than never, right?

My grandma ended up accompanying us on our trip, which was so much fun! Altogether it was me, my sister (Amy), my mom and my grandma in a tiny little Chevrolet Tracker, off to the (other) big city. We hardly noticed the three hour drive, which was filled with lots of chatter and laughter and lots and LOTS of flat land (Welcome to the prairies, folks!).

We had left home at around 9:30, fueled up at Starbucks (this weekend was all about luxury), and finally arrived at our destination around 12:30. Overcast skies and BUSY traffic were there to greet us. I tell you, I have never seen traffic so busy on a Thursday morning! It makes me realize that my hometown is a lot more laid back,
even though we, too, have a population of over a million.

At any rate, we immediately made our way to our favorite hotel, the Sheraton, and we were able to unload our gear and change from our car ride outfits to our shopping outfits. We all got dolled up and put on our best walking shoes (well, actually, I put on my cutest (read: most uncomfortable) shoes and brought my good walking shoes in the car. I ended up having to change shoes after only two minutes of being in the mall.) Thursday was all about shopping for my sister, who was the only one with a decent amount of money to spend. She had us on various missions: to find checkered Vans shoes, to find two new pairs of jeans, to find a cute new t-shirt for the concert she would attend the following night. We blew through American Eagle, Jacob, and any other store in our way, doing significant damage. By the end of the day my sister had spent a considerable amount of money and had found everything she had set out to find (and then some). We enjoyed a late hodgepodge lunch in the mall food court before we headed back to the hotel. By the time we were headed back, it was already 8:30, all our favorite TV shows were starting at 9:00, and we hadn't yet had dinner. There was only one solution: McDonalds. We all chose our favorite item and even had time to savor it since our hotel was only across the street.

Once we were back in our "home sweet home" hotel room, we enjoyed watching our favorite Thursday night shows: Survivor, ER, and The Apprentice. Once the last show had ended, we were all fast asleep, all tuckered out from our day's excursions.

The next morning we were up bright and early, prepared for more of the same. There was only one problem: we were loading our car with our purses and coats when we heard my mom gasp. We all jumped out to see what she was looking at. This was the tire that greeted us. "It's flat as a pancake," my grandma said. We had to call the tow truck and wait for the guy to come and put the spare on. Then we had to run an extra errand to take the tire in to be patched so that we could drive home on it instead of the spare. We were able to drop the tire off, go to the mall, and pick it up later. While the tire was in the shop, we enjoyed more shopping, more eating, more talking and laughing and walking.

Later that night, the proper tire had been replaced, and we dropped my sister off to meet up with some of her friends to take in a concert. I went back to the hotel with my mom and grandma to enjoy a nice long soak in the hot tub. It was relaxation in its purest form. That night we waited up for my sister to arrive home via her friends. Once back, she recounted hilarious renditions of terrifying stories that had us all howling (she got the meet the band; the groupies wanted to kill her; they stood behind her in the concert and pulled her hair; her friend fainted in the mosh pit; they had to be rescued by security guards). It was quite the ordeal, apparently.

Saturday morning came too soon, and we found ourselves already packing our belongings and stuffing them back into our tiny vehicle. The ride home was much quieter than the ride there had been; those of us not driving were snoozing and we let my sister's iPod occupy most of the silence. Nevertheless, even the drive home was pleasant and relaxing.

Overall, that two and a half day getaway was exactly what I needed coming out of September and into October. It was short, but it did the trick. It reset all the things in my life that had been weighing me down, and it gave me a new slate to begin with. I had my interview for becoming a Substitute Teacher on Monday morning, and I think it went very well. I won't know the verdict for another two or three weeks, but I am anticipating a good outcome. It was refreshing to get back and to feel like I was heading in a new direction so soon.

Even grocery shopping yesterday brought a new spin on things. It was refreshing to have money in the bank again and to do something as simple (yet satisfying) as stock up on groceries. We bought chicken! It sounds ridiculous, but we had no meat in our house for the entire month of September! We ate no meat at home last month! (We enjoyed a lot of toast, cereal, porridge, pasta, and canned corn) Yesterday we headed to M&M Meat shops and bought so much that it hardly fit in our freezer last night. It was lovely this morning to wake up to a fridge full of so much selection.

Yes, October will be a better month than September. My sanity is regained; I have job prospects on the horizon; tuition is paid; I can cook chicken.

Here's to October!

{ home sweet home }

the family home, where I lived for 18 years
We pulled up at my parents' house yesterday at around 4:00. Then it was off to dinner with Derek and friends, with a movie following. Next was home to the condo and straight to bed, then off to church this morning. Just got home again and am in dire need of a rare nap.

Weekend rundown still to come.