Starbucks

All of you know how much I love coffee. We just got a programmable coffee maker, and so up until now, the first thing I did every morning was stumble to the coffee maker and switch it on. Most nights before bed I had the smarts to fill the resevoir with water and the filter with fresh grounds. It really is a wonderful way to wake up - the smell of coffee brewing, the pop pop of the steam escaping the back of the coffee maker, and the drip drip as fresh coffee fills the carafe. I. Love. It!

And, now I love coffee even more!! YAY!! Today was Bill's first day at his new job as a Starbucks Barista. It may not seem like the ideal job to the average man, but it is a perfect fit for him and for our family. This particular store has not hired a new Barista in several years. Most of his coworkers have been with the company for at least that long. They have a very low turnover rate because Starbuck's treats their employees well. For the most part he will have a routine schedule from week to week. There is always opportunity for growth and development within the company. Bill seems to be most excited about the chance to interact with the public and be around people. His particular store is right down the street from a major company that employs literally thousands of people. Many of them at the executive level are regular customers at his Starbucks. What a great way to love on people who are often overworked, and stressed out, but seem to "have it all". As Bill and I continue to work towards planting a church in our new community Starbucks seems to fit the bill for maintaining an income while still working towards our calling. And, you can't beat a free pound of coffee every week! YAY!

Life in the Land of Cotton

Moving to the 'South' really is an adventure for a 'Northern girl'. Now, thankfully, we have not descended clear into the deep delta South, but we are definitely "South" enough. So here is my list of Signs you now live in the "South":
1. Everyone says "Ya'll", including me
2. The temperature is around 40 degrees and people are "freezing". The local weather man said in a very ominously dramatic voice on last night's newscast, "Will it get to single digits tonight?
3. When you order tea at a restaurant the waiter asks if you want sweet or unsweet.
4. Everyone belongs to church (but only half of them go).
5. There are streets named: Dixieland, Cotton and K-L-A-N (I just couldn't type it straight for fear some crazy would find my blog through a search engine)
6. BBQ. There are BBQ places and smokehouses everywhere. I think I've gained 10 lbs since moving.
7. There are Cotillions!! The uppity socialite ladies wanted to put together one for some local low in-come girls. I don't think those girls really care that much about a fancy dress that they will only wear once.
8. Football - I really don't think I have to say much more.
9. Chick-Fil-A!! I love this place. Next time you go to one, say "Thank you" to the staff and see how they respond. They are instructed to say the same thing every time they hear "Thank you". It's great!!
10. And, everyone is friendly.
I think I can get used to it here.

Community

I am not a huge tv watcher. I used to scan the channels and watch whatever caught my fancy. But, now, with my new more routine schedule and the addition of a DVR, I have specific shows that I watch. I haven't fallen into a 'show for every day' routine, rather just a few nights a week. Tuesdays is The Biggest Loser. I love me some good cryin'. And, I do cry every. single. week. Thursdays is my line up of NBC favorites; Parks and Recreation, The Office and my new fave - Community. Community is about Jeff, a lawyer who gets disbarred and must get a real college degree from the United States, not Columbia - as in the country. So, he lands at a community college and forms a spanish study group with the washed up athlete, the retiree trying to keep his mind fresh, the 'hot' girl who took a detour in life, the middle aged single mom making a fresh start, the kid with social skills issues and the too smart for her own good overachiever. After making a wreck of the group's emotions, he calms them down with an eloquent speech that ends with the statement "And, now you are a community".
This show is absolutely hilarious, but also very thought provoking. How does a motley crew like this seem to meet one another's needs academically, emotionally, and sometimes even physically (Jeff has to live with one of the other students when he gets kicked out of his apartment and is found living in his car - classic) when they are all so different? It all comes down to that word "Community". The word community can refer to the location in which you live, but that does not necessarily mean that you are living in true community.
The origin of the word "community" comes from the Latin munus, which means the gift, and cum, which means together, among each other. So, community literally means to give among each other. And, that is true community. Giving of one's self, time, emotions, talent, efforts; all of you. True community is risky. It has the potential to hurt you. You may not be able to walk away unscathed, but isn't that kind of the point. To NOT walk away. Rather, to fight and give till you have nothing left to give. True community comes with so many more blessings and rewards. You find relationships that will last a lifetime. You have love and support during your darkest times. You have joy and celebration in the good times.
My community is not where I live - although I am enjoying my new residential location very much. My community is where my heart and soul live with others, spread out all over the country, but connected by a love for one another and a passion to serve God. He is at the center of my community. Although, the proximity of my community has changed recently, I know I will forever give of myself together with them. Love you guys (oh, you know who you are!)

A Season of Change II

Little did I know two years ago when I wrote the previous post exactly how much change was really ahead for me and my family! With the most recent changes, I am feeling the urge to blog again. I don't know how long it will last, but I will do my best to post a few thoughts from time to time. It may be funny quips about my kids or my job or may be some deep thoughts about life and its ever changing, yet constant meaning.
So, today I will leave you with a verse that I am pondering.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be joyful always;

Pray continually;

Give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

A season of change

Well, school begins today and there is change in the air. I think everyone in our home is experiencing some kind of change right now.
Robby begins first grade. This is a grade with a number!! He is very concerned that there are letter grades this year as well. Overall, he is excited but still a little aprehensive of the possible differences from his much beloved Kindergarten class. He really loved his teacher last year. As we dropped off school supplies, he was anxious to meet his new teacher, but really wanted to go say hi to his old one. I know he is going to do great.
Robby is also starting his first competitive sport, soccer. I've always wanted to be a "soccer" mom. Yay, now I am one. They supposedly don't keep score at his age, but who are we kidding. Those parents are keeping track of every goal.
Melanie is going to take another year before beginning Kindergarten. As a child who has a summer birthday and didn't go to school until I was 6, I understand the many advantages to waiting. I can look back now and see that the extra time allowed me to be a little bit more mature and an above average student when it really mattered most... Jr. High and High school. I hope my daughter experiences the same advantages that I did. She does get to start a new preschool program at a new "school", though. She is very excited. Somewhere she heard the term Pre-kindergarten and has self labeled her class "pre-Kin". It's very cute.
I, too, anticipate some changes this fall. I will begin a new work schedule since I work primarily with at-risk teens and their families, I have to wait till they are out of school to meet with them. I will also be developing a school program for at-risk kids for the rural schools in our area. In time I may be able to work exclusively during the school day at the local schools. But, until then I anticipate a pretty hectic schedule.
I have also added a couple of new "hobbies" if you will. I have played around with running for a couple of years now, but had never gotten hooked. I hadn't experienced that "runner's high" or the addiction that Others,ahem, HETH have illuded to. But, this last spring I began to take it more seriously and now I'm signed up to run a half-marathon. That's 13.1 miles, people. I think I must be on something. I'm not athletic and have never liked running, but somehow the bug has bit. I'm battling through some foot problems, but I've started to treat it appropriately and already feel better.
I've also taken up knitting . Yes, the old lady craft with pointy sticks and balls of yarn. I don't think I will share with you my first project, a washcloth, because it is hideous. It has double knit stitches and dropped stitches and all kinds of bumps and bulges. I'm hoping the recipient of this labor of love will appreciate each knit and purl I put into it, though. There is a lady in our community collecting washcloths to send to orphan children in Somalia with a bar of soap and literature on daily hygiene. I can just picture it now..."My washcloth isn't as nice as yours"...hopefully orphans aren't picky.
With my crazy schedule, Bill is going to end up with a couple of bedtimes a week and running Robs to his soccer practice, so he may get a little "Mr. Mom" syndrome this fall until my schedule gets more settled.
It seems like with each new school year, we as parents experience change as well. I'm looking forward to this fall and all tha tit holds for us.

Ten things that bring me JOY

This is a list I've been working on through out this summer.

1. Beautiful flowers. Gladiolas to be exact.



2. S'Mores.

3. Late Summer nights filled with friends and laughter.



4. The POOL.



5. Freshly done Kitchen.



6. Summer Camp.







7. The loving arms of my husband.







8. Sweet kisses and "I love you"'s from my little ones.


9. Brand new school supplies.

10. School starting this week!!!!

Here's What I was Thinking

A couple of weeks ago, I posed a very simple question: "What was I thinking?"
Well, here's what I was thinking. I have been thinking about redecorating my kitchen since we moved in 4 years ago this month. In fact, I was so set on redecorating the out-dated, somewhat tacky, just a little too Amish (nothing against the Amish, I love their cinnamon bread)for my taste kitchen...that I ripped down the icky, falling off the wall basket border within weeks of moving in. Thinking this would motivate me to take care of it right away, I continued to slowly peel away pieces of the Amish quilt patterned wall paper over the next couple of years. Instead of motivating me, each new layer of wall revealed simply frustrated me even more. Pretty soon the cabinet doors were even falling off their hinges right before my very eyes...literally. Thankfully, I have a handy dad who can fix almost anything. He willingly repaired the doors for me. But again, instead of motivating me, they sat in the garage, "fixed", for about a year.
I knew the general direction that I wanted to go right from the beginning, but finding the time to do it is ridiculous. I knew I wanted to put up paintable wallpaper, so that I could change the color as I wished. I actually purchased the wallpaper over a year and a half ago. With the repairs needed on the cabinet doors I knew they would need painting. This was a more difficult decision for me. Do I paint over the cream with something else light, just to freshen them up or do I go for something bold, a big change. Well, here are some fun pictures of my new "Coffee Kitchen" as Robby calls it.



I found this great border that incorporated all the colors I had already chosen to complete my "Coffee Kitchen". It is only on one wall, so it isn't too overpowering.

I decided to go with black for the cabinets. It is a "hot" color right now, yet still neutral enough if we decide to sell the house anytime soon.


Here is a close up of the quick thinking trim I came up with. I had an odd sized gap between the cabinets and the soffet above them. In some places it was very small, an eigth of an inch and in others much larger, like a half an inch. I wasn't sure what to do with this space so I hot glued a cotton-poly rope trim normally used in fabrics into that space. It seems to be working just fine and I think it looks great.

So, that is what I was thinking dumping the contents of my kitchen onto my dining room floor. It was a very long week with several late nights, but I am very happy with the results.