leaving....

This morning one of my very best friends and most influential mentors left with her family and belongings to move to South Dakota for a job promotion. The Dilling family rescued us. They swooped into our family when we were the most overwhelmed and underprepared, when our defenses about presenting a perfect family persona were compromised....they saw our junk and loved us anyway.

Kent and Natalie showed us that the "pop-in" is a sign of true intimacy and affection.....true community is about having friends who will just drop in, and it's okay. It's those people who you feel so comfortable with that you don't have to apologize for the appearance of the house or explain why there are piles of laundry all over the living room. They are the people who show up with random food items at meal time to combine with whatever random food items you might have, and you have the most amazing meal together...they are the friends who keep your kids regardless of what else they have planned, including them as part of their own family....they help with household projects like stripping wallpaper, putting up shelves in the garage, and hanging amazing tree swings....they are the friends who call you in the morning to make sure you're out of bed and tell you what God's shown them in scripture that day (and not to make themselves seem more holy, but because they really love you)....they are the friends who ask you hard questions about how much you're loving God and how your life choices reflect that....they kick your butt when you're being a jerk, and love you when you're in the mirey pit of depression.

It's a sad day today, even though I was trying to pretend it wouldn't be that big of a deal. It's not over, we have cell phones, we'll visit and send pictures and still encourage eachother....but it makes me so incredibly grateful to have tasted authentic community outside of the college setting.....and incredibly determined to never again be satisfied with less.

Job Posting:

I contacted some of my good friends who have been involved in the political scene over the years to ask them to keep an eye out for opportunities for me if I wanted to get back in on a part-time basis....I started getting nostalgic about those late-nights at campaign headquarters, being called into the office to do voice-overs for campaign commercials, walking precincts, talking to constituents about policy issues or problems they were having with state agencies....teaching American Gov't at LLCC for my teaching internship and getting so excited about teaching about the Judicial Branch.....

...and one friend brought me back to reality with this amazing job opportunity:

I have an opening in my office. However, because I want to remain in
some kind of civilized communication with your family, I am loathe to
mention it.

As will all others you will thank me at first and then you will come to
hate the job and those who ensnared you in the hideous grasp of state
government. You will come to see me as some kind of source of your pain
and associate the two in your mind.

These people have driven me, a formerly self-motivated, self-reliant,
god-fearing, intellectually curious, strong-willed (yet solution
oriented) individual to the brink of insanity. I am sure they can do the
same for you?

It would probably be in the 30-36k range if you worked full time (they
might bring you in at the top in plus? If you have a masters. More
likely you will be seen as a threat by the ignorant and weak minded).
Part of it would be for a weekly newsletter, some analysis work, and
babysitting the assistant director whose senility is no longer, merely
just theory.

Job is heavy on written English, deduction and patience skills for those
who are not qualified to shine your shoes or slop your hogs and are
completely lacking in real world skills. Many of them have never been
able to hold down a real job outside of government. Do not be surprised
if you have to deal with people who have never had an original thought
in their life, but will recognize when you have one and try to crush
your spirit so that you don't look good to the boss.

The assistant director's method of motivation is to bore the heck out of
you, make you read along with her, or drone on about subjects she has
absolutely no idea about.

The director is incredibly hostile and narcissistic and thinks that
screaming and rude behavior is her right as a director. She would have
been sued out of her job years ago if she worked in the private sector.

I have others who tell me I have it pretty good here, but I cant really
see it since I am submerged in an ocean of illogical, logic and mind
numbing minutia. On a positive note for you, they and most of management
are bed wetting liberal democrats who usually protect their own.

Let me know?

hmmm....I'll have to think about it......

A sad, sad story

Once upon a time, Uncle Pete and Aunt Janet bought the girls scooters....




Uncle Pete was the Hero!



Then the scooter broke.





Thanks alot, Uncle Pete.

THE END.


Okay, that's not really the end.....we fixed "The Patrolman" and it and "Shueng Huo" are cruising the driveway once again.....the real END will probably involve a broken arm or something.....

And somehow, Uncle Pete is still the hero.











just for fun.....

you know it's a lazy day when.....

....you spend 6 hours watching cheesy movies on the Hallmark Channel

That was our Saturday...we did play a little tennis and had Apryl and Jason over for dinner....but mostly....it was laziness

And since our mongo-tv is broken (and a mere $400 to fix), if one would want to watch 6 hours of the Hallmark Channel, one would have to watch it on our 13-inch tv in our bedroom....so it may sound like a pitifully lame way to spend a Saturday, but I must say that at some level, I really enjoyed cuddling with the 4 of us in the bed, watching that kid from Home Improvement play Tom Sawyer.....

Moments of Clarity...

I've neglected to blog about an excellent day last week....Sunday after church I was surprised with a graduation party by my sweet husband and amazing friends!! Note, I told Todd 3 weeks ago "please don't throw me a party!"....for some reason, in addition to the relief and pride from finishing graduate school, there's also a little embarassment there due to the 13 years it took me to complete the degree. Regardless, my husband knew better and I was very surprised by the friends who showed up to eat and laugh and say kind things to me. Funny how I like to think I'm so independent, yet it felt so good to fill up on the love of my good friends.....

One bit of icing on the cake was that a generous friend gave us a 15-foot pool for the backyard!!! Although we intend to put up a fence, the rest of my family talked me in to setting the pool up before we get the fence part figured out. It is so great! But holy cow, is it a kid magnet! So now God is working hard on me about sharing my pool, my family, my privacy, my yard.....the fence will be an important thing for safety and privacy....but I have a feeling it's still going to require some figuring out to know where to establish boundaries, and where to pass on the generosity that's been shown to me over and over again in my life......

sigh.....I guess it's a good thing that there's still so much more for me to learn....