Man, it's been a really slow week over here. When no kids come into the office to talk to me, I spend all day writing postcards and trying to keep myself occupied. (Every time I write or say the word "occupied," I remember being on our honeymoon in Mexico and watching TV in the evenings, where one of the commercials was always for "The Simpsons" and it was always a clip of Homer sleeping on a toilet and then yelling, in Spanish, "Occupado!" when someone knocked. I think that was a run-on sentence. Oh well.)
Aside from work, I've had an awesome week. Climbed, played vball and worked out on Monday; golf widow day on Tuesday, which equalled shopping for shower/wedding presents; biking and hanging out at the driving range with Gabe and Andrea on Wednesday; and a steak dinner with Ryan R. on Thursday. By the way, Ryan, I know you're reading this, so thank you again! And tonight it's off to Lake City for the annual weekend at Jon's with all the Alma kids. It's going to be a monstrous crowd! I'm hoping to get out on my wakeboard tons and go mountain biking in Cadillac. Last night Mitch and I discussed going midnight mountain biking, which we've wanted to do for awhile. I think it's a go this time!
"So take this broken offering and make me whole,
Set my feet upon the road that leads me home,
let me walk as one fixed upon the goal,
even though I've got a thousand miles to go..."
Set my feet upon the road that leads me home,
let me walk as one fixed upon the goal,
even though I've got a thousand miles to go..."
Friday, July 29, 2005
Monday, July 25, 2005
Redneck Weekend!
Yeehaw, I definitely had a redneck weekend at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes! Dave and Mariah (Mitch's bro and his wife) have a seasonal lot at one of the campgrounds up there, so we went to spend the weekend there. First off, I had an awesome time. Dave and Mariah's friends there are all really nice and positively hilarious, so any descriptions here are not meant to be negative at all.
So this campground, at least the seasonal section, is like the coolest trailer park ever. If you could ship all your friends to a trailer park and have a constant party, this is what it would be like. Most of these people are here for the long haul, as in they will have their lots for years and year to come, so they've built decks off their campers, put up storage sheds on their lots, even hooked up outdoor TVs and surround sound systems underneath their canopies. Every Friday night is Texas Hold 'Em night and every Saturday night is group dinner night. Everyone can tell whose sand dune vehicle is whose when they start them up in the mornings, just by the sound of the engine. Everyone watches out for and feeds everyone else's kids, people are two-waying each other on Nextel to get ready for go-carting adventures...basically, it's a riot all the time.
Most of the men look the same, with the exception of this one British dude: barrel-chested, beer bellies, short haircuts and facial hair. Most of them spend all day with a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other, except when they are on the dunes and then there's no beer. Lots of swearing, too, and lots of yelling during card games!
The dunes themselves were awesome. It's hard to describe, so I'll try to post pictures when I have time. There's one huge hill, called Test Hill, and besides driving up it, people sit in their trucks at the bottom and the top and watch people try to make it up. The bottom is not as cool as the top, though. We spent a good couple of hours sitting in Dave and Mariah's Blazer at the top of the hill watching these two awesome dune buggies lauch themselves over the top of the hill. We also saw a Bronco flip over when he came over the top of another small hill too fast. It was really steep on the backside, and he just dug his bumper into the sand and flipped upside-down. I think everyone was OK, but they still had to be taken down in a truck with a backboard (you can't get an ambulance up there) and their Bronco had to be towed away. Interesting thing: on the sand dunes, your vehicles have no insurance, so if you break them, you're paying the whole thing. Someone told me your health insurance is not valid either, but I don't believe that one at all.
So this campground, at least the seasonal section, is like the coolest trailer park ever. If you could ship all your friends to a trailer park and have a constant party, this is what it would be like. Most of these people are here for the long haul, as in they will have their lots for years and year to come, so they've built decks off their campers, put up storage sheds on their lots, even hooked up outdoor TVs and surround sound systems underneath their canopies. Every Friday night is Texas Hold 'Em night and every Saturday night is group dinner night. Everyone can tell whose sand dune vehicle is whose when they start them up in the mornings, just by the sound of the engine. Everyone watches out for and feeds everyone else's kids, people are two-waying each other on Nextel to get ready for go-carting adventures...basically, it's a riot all the time.
Most of the men look the same, with the exception of this one British dude: barrel-chested, beer bellies, short haircuts and facial hair. Most of them spend all day with a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other, except when they are on the dunes and then there's no beer. Lots of swearing, too, and lots of yelling during card games!
The dunes themselves were awesome. It's hard to describe, so I'll try to post pictures when I have time. There's one huge hill, called Test Hill, and besides driving up it, people sit in their trucks at the bottom and the top and watch people try to make it up. The bottom is not as cool as the top, though. We spent a good couple of hours sitting in Dave and Mariah's Blazer at the top of the hill watching these two awesome dune buggies lauch themselves over the top of the hill. We also saw a Bronco flip over when he came over the top of another small hill too fast. It was really steep on the backside, and he just dug his bumper into the sand and flipped upside-down. I think everyone was OK, but they still had to be taken down in a truck with a backboard (you can't get an ambulance up there) and their Bronco had to be towed away. Interesting thing: on the sand dunes, your vehicles have no insurance, so if you break them, you're paying the whole thing. Someone told me your health insurance is not valid either, but I don't believe that one at all.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Idealist?
I think I must be monstrously idealistic and naive in many instances. When I hear people I work with saying the things they "spout off" in presentations are "complete bullshit," it kind of shocks me. If you don't believe in what you are saying, why are you saying it and why are you in a job that asks you to say it?
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Apologies
I spoke to Courtney last night and, in the course of our conversation, found out that she and one of her close friends are starting to speak again. Over the winter, her friend started dating this guy who was pretty much the universal definition of a total jerk. After numerous converstions between Court and her friend about what a negative situation she'd placed herself in, they basically stopped talking because the friend essentially chose the guy over her friendship with Courtney. Now they are going through a break-up and she needs Court's support...and Courtney is there, helping her sort everything out. The catch is that her friend has never offered (and never will, according to Court) any sort of apology for the way she treated Courtney, the lack of value she placed on their friendship, etc. Even though Courtney admits their relationship will never be the same as it was, she is still willing to put this whole situation behind her and be there for her friend.
So this got me thinking...I was praying for them before I went to sleep and this thought just popped into my head: this is what Jesus does for us. We leave him behind in so many ways, both big and small, but when the worldy things we've become infatuated with fail to make us happy, we turn back to him and he welcomes us back lovingly. Do we ever say we're sorry? Do we ever even realize we've done something wrong? I know I don't, not generally. Considering the sacrifice he made for us, we should love him above anything else, all the time, and when we falter in that, we've wronged him, just like the friend wronged Courtney when she chose the company of her boyfriend over their friendship. Does Jesus want sincere apologies from us when we slip away then return? Probably, just like Court wants one. But I guess he realizes, like Courtney, that we are not always going to be able to offer a heart-felt "I'm sorry" in every instance because we don't know we really did something very hurtful. Yet he still loves us. Amazing.
I've had this song stuck in my head that kind of goes along with this. It's by Jennifer Knapp and Shaded Red, and it's called "When God Ran." Part of the chorus goes like this:
And then he ran to me,
Took me in his arms,
Pulled my head to his chest,
Said, "My son's come home again."
Looked at my face,
Wiped the tears from my eyes,
With forgiveness in his voice he said,
"Son, do you know I still love you?"
We are all this blessed. Half the time I don't even realize it and for that, I'm sorry.
So this got me thinking...I was praying for them before I went to sleep and this thought just popped into my head: this is what Jesus does for us. We leave him behind in so many ways, both big and small, but when the worldy things we've become infatuated with fail to make us happy, we turn back to him and he welcomes us back lovingly. Do we ever say we're sorry? Do we ever even realize we've done something wrong? I know I don't, not generally. Considering the sacrifice he made for us, we should love him above anything else, all the time, and when we falter in that, we've wronged him, just like the friend wronged Courtney when she chose the company of her boyfriend over their friendship. Does Jesus want sincere apologies from us when we slip away then return? Probably, just like Court wants one. But I guess he realizes, like Courtney, that we are not always going to be able to offer a heart-felt "I'm sorry" in every instance because we don't know we really did something very hurtful. Yet he still loves us. Amazing.
I've had this song stuck in my head that kind of goes along with this. It's by Jennifer Knapp and Shaded Red, and it's called "When God Ran." Part of the chorus goes like this:
And then he ran to me,
Took me in his arms,
Pulled my head to his chest,
Said, "My son's come home again."
Looked at my face,
Wiped the tears from my eyes,
With forgiveness in his voice he said,
"Son, do you know I still love you?"
We are all this blessed. Half the time I don't even realize it and for that, I'm sorry.
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Hair-raising!
Guys, you're not going to care much about this one. I got a haircut yesterday and once again walked away completely frustrated!
I'm not high-maintenance...you all know that. How hard is it to do the following:
1. Leave the shortest layer in the front long enough to go (and stay!) in a ponytail
2. Listen to my daily hair routine (wash and towel dry at night, wake up, either brush into ponytail or scrunch into curly mess) and give me a cut that fits in with that
3. Recommend specific products - for pete's sake, here's a girl that will buy them off your shelves without *much* hesitation!
Apparently hard. This guy came highly recommended but I didn't find him very helpful. Without asking me what I wanted done, he immediately started saying what he was going to do with my hair. When I tried to tell him about the crazy curliness that ensues during the night and my desire to take advantage of that, he ignored me and talked about the "natural wave" of my hair. When I said something about not using a blowdryer pretty much ever, he went right on doing his thing with no acknowledgement of my comment. When I asked him what products I should be using (shampoo, conditioner, something for curliness) he went into this monologue about proteins and mosturizers and not using this or that during the summer but only in the winter...dude, give me a brand! Sell me something! ARGH! He assured me this short little layer he put in the front would go back in a ponytail, and it does...but it doesn't stay! The slightest bit of physical activity and POP! I'm pushing a chunk of hair out of my eyes. I am never getting my hair cut again. That's a lie, but when I have to get it cut I think I am going to be the client from hell. Yes, I am beauty deficient. Yes, I know nothing about hair. But I know what I do with my hair, whether it is right or wrong, and the next person better darn well listen to me or I'm walking out. Seriously. This is crap.
I'm just in a foul mood today. I don't know why.
I'm not high-maintenance...you all know that. How hard is it to do the following:
1. Leave the shortest layer in the front long enough to go (and stay!) in a ponytail
2. Listen to my daily hair routine (wash and towel dry at night, wake up, either brush into ponytail or scrunch into curly mess) and give me a cut that fits in with that
3. Recommend specific products - for pete's sake, here's a girl that will buy them off your shelves without *much* hesitation!
Apparently hard. This guy came highly recommended but I didn't find him very helpful. Without asking me what I wanted done, he immediately started saying what he was going to do with my hair. When I tried to tell him about the crazy curliness that ensues during the night and my desire to take advantage of that, he ignored me and talked about the "natural wave" of my hair. When I said something about not using a blowdryer pretty much ever, he went right on doing his thing with no acknowledgement of my comment. When I asked him what products I should be using (shampoo, conditioner, something for curliness) he went into this monologue about proteins and mosturizers and not using this or that during the summer but only in the winter...dude, give me a brand! Sell me something! ARGH! He assured me this short little layer he put in the front would go back in a ponytail, and it does...but it doesn't stay! The slightest bit of physical activity and POP! I'm pushing a chunk of hair out of my eyes. I am never getting my hair cut again. That's a lie, but when I have to get it cut I think I am going to be the client from hell. Yes, I am beauty deficient. Yes, I know nothing about hair. But I know what I do with my hair, whether it is right or wrong, and the next person better darn well listen to me or I'm walking out. Seriously. This is crap.
I'm just in a foul mood today. I don't know why.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Mmm, ribs...
I think Mitch and I should open a restaurant and serve only ribs, like Dirty Ernie's in West Virginia. We had the Rib King himself and his lovely spouse (aka Gabe and Andrea) over for ribs last night and we devoured five pounds of ribs! We got compliments all night long. Thanks for the recipe, Mom! :)
Mitch and Gabe are probably dragging this morning as a result of packing away six bottles of Bass each over the course of the evening. They swear by the goodness of this and other high-quality beer, but after the unfortunate events that followed my first game of beer pong, I can no longer even think about trying any beer, no matter how many stars it receives from the beer snobs.
I also don't think I can ever play a real game of golf. After nine holes of putt-putt last night, Andrea and I got bored and decided to make new rules on each hole: putt left-handed; with your eyes closed; like you're playing pool; one one foot with one hand; like a hockey game with a goaltended over the hole; with the club upside-down...you get the picture. The hockey one was definitely the most violent!
It's almost the freakin' weekend, baby I'm about to have me some fun. Name that rap/R&B artist. After Mitch gets done with work on Saturday morning, we're heading down to my parents' house for more adventures on the lake and to see some old friends of mine who just got engaged and bought a house. My dad will be away doing the Chicago to Mackinac sailboat race but Mom is staying home to spend time with us. Awww! Her and Bobby will be up at the island on Sunday to pick up Dad whenever he gets in on Monday or Tuesday. I want to go to Mackinac!
OK, work calls. Actually, I have to do the calling, to a few students who had some questions. Hope they're awake...
Mitch and Gabe are probably dragging this morning as a result of packing away six bottles of Bass each over the course of the evening. They swear by the goodness of this and other high-quality beer, but after the unfortunate events that followed my first game of beer pong, I can no longer even think about trying any beer, no matter how many stars it receives from the beer snobs.
I also don't think I can ever play a real game of golf. After nine holes of putt-putt last night, Andrea and I got bored and decided to make new rules on each hole: putt left-handed; with your eyes closed; like you're playing pool; one one foot with one hand; like a hockey game with a goaltended over the hole; with the club upside-down...you get the picture. The hockey one was definitely the most violent!
It's almost the freakin' weekend, baby I'm about to have me some fun. Name that rap/R&B artist. After Mitch gets done with work on Saturday morning, we're heading down to my parents' house for more adventures on the lake and to see some old friends of mine who just got engaged and bought a house. My dad will be away doing the Chicago to Mackinac sailboat race but Mom is staying home to spend time with us. Awww! Her and Bobby will be up at the island on Sunday to pick up Dad whenever he gets in on Monday or Tuesday. I want to go to Mackinac!
OK, work calls. Actually, I have to do the calling, to a few students who had some questions. Hope they're awake...
Monday, July 11, 2005
Music makes everything sound good
I was driving home from my spontaneous jaunt to Grand Rapids when that song, "Wildflowers" by some country artist came on the radio. (What's wrong with me? I keep listening to country and I'll blame it on the lack of a consistently good classic rock station in Mt. P.) Chorus goes:
What ya' say we go pickin' wildflowers?
I got a spot way back in the woods.
Slip away for a couple of hours,
You and me baby, pickin' wildflowers.
I thought to myself, as I listened to the rest of the sexual innuendo in the song ("Gonna' get a little piece...on earth"), "Yeah, wouldn't that be hot?" Um, no. The fantasy was shattered when I remember that fooling around in the woods means contending with lots of pesky insects. (Exception: April nights in West Virginia) So this made me think, not for the first time, that songs make a lot of other less-than-desirable things sound really, really fun. Clubbing does not equal sexy, at least not at the clubs I've ever been to. It's just a lot of sweating and getting your ass grabbed by scary-looking dudes who are probably in their 30s and think high school chicks are hot and available. Lots of drinking in a public places is not cool for me, either. I end up really self-conscious because I don't want to do anything dumb, but I do anyway and then I'm all embarrassed the next day. What else is there...oh yeah, sex in the back of a car. NO. Don't go there. Zero comfort. And a bed of roses, Jon Bon Jovi? Hellooooooo, thorns. And we all know the random sex that's so very sexy in rap songs is really just an invitation for an STD or a little surprise.
That's my rant. I still love the "Wildflowers" song though. :)
What ya' say we go pickin' wildflowers?
I got a spot way back in the woods.
Slip away for a couple of hours,
You and me baby, pickin' wildflowers.
I thought to myself, as I listened to the rest of the sexual innuendo in the song ("Gonna' get a little piece...on earth"), "Yeah, wouldn't that be hot?" Um, no. The fantasy was shattered when I remember that fooling around in the woods means contending with lots of pesky insects. (Exception: April nights in West Virginia) So this made me think, not for the first time, that songs make a lot of other less-than-desirable things sound really, really fun. Clubbing does not equal sexy, at least not at the clubs I've ever been to. It's just a lot of sweating and getting your ass grabbed by scary-looking dudes who are probably in their 30s and think high school chicks are hot and available. Lots of drinking in a public places is not cool for me, either. I end up really self-conscious because I don't want to do anything dumb, but I do anyway and then I'm all embarrassed the next day. What else is there...oh yeah, sex in the back of a car. NO. Don't go there. Zero comfort. And a bed of roses, Jon Bon Jovi? Hellooooooo, thorns. And we all know the random sex that's so very sexy in rap songs is really just an invitation for an STD or a little surprise.
That's my rant. I still love the "Wildflowers" song though. :)
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
The Greatest Fourth in the North
Yup, I think the Lake City Fourth celebration lives up to its name. Mitch and I headed up there after work on Friday and spent the weekend with Jon and his family, playing on the water and just having a good tim in general. As soon as we got there, Jon's mom good-naturedly demanded that one or both of us accompany Jon out on his new HobieCat (small catamaran-type sailboat), so Mitch grabbed a wetsuit (it was cold!) and headed out. I stayed and chatted with Jon's mom and his sister, Lisa. I don't really remember what the heck we did for the rest of the evening, but I know plans were made for a 6 am wakeboard run so I hit the hay early.
At 6:30 am, I swear I heard someone whisper, "They're leaving without you," so I jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom, where Mitch was getting ready for to go out on the boat. Jon was not awake yet, so we went in and jumped on him, learning at that time that we were not going out until 7 am. Losers. I was anxious to try out my new board, and it was awesome except that I think the bindings are too small for me. I need to do a little reading on how they are supposed to fit, but it looks like I may need to exchange them.
After wakeboarding, we headed over to the Missaukee County Beach for the volleyball tournament. Our warm-up game went great, as did our first pool game, but after that we could not seem to get in the groove until the afternoon when we started playing back to back. By some stroke of luck, we made it out of pool play and into the first round of playoffs. I believe we played 5 sets of 2 games to 11 points, one single game to 11 (to break a four-way tie to get into finals) and one more game to 15 in the playoffs. Result: stiff and sore the next day, but happy. To top off the afternoon, we had ice cream for dinner and did some more sailing.
That night a bunch of Jon's childhood friends came over, originally for euchre but it ended up being drinking and a bonfire. No complaints here...I was beat and fell asleep at the fire, but it was fun to meet new, cool people. We made plans to wakeboard the next morning with a couple of them, but I didn't get to go because we got a late start and had to be back in for the breakfast of all breakfasts within about an hour. Mitch, Jon and I did a little sailing, then the guys left for a round of golf. I hung out with Jon's family on a pontoon boat ride, then decided to take a little nap so I could stay up later that night. It worked, too; I was an alert "pyrotechnics assistant" to Mitch while he was setting off everything Mitch's brother brought and even when I did go to bed, I was not falling asleep walking up the stairs like I was the night before.
Like always, we had hoped to go wakeboarding the next morning, but it was raining so we all slept in. We did, however, brave the rain and the thunder to watch the Fourth of July parade. Afterwards, we helped get ready for the BBQ at the Davenports', which ended up being kind of a movie/pool playing afternoon. Since the weather was not cooperating and we'd been able to set off fireworks the night before, Mitch and I decided to head home around 4 pm on Monday. Even though I love being at Jon's, it was really nice to come home, rent a movie and relax in the comfort of our own home.
So that was our Fourth of July weekend, and now it's back to work. Tonight I think Jon and Matt (once I call him and invite him) are coming over for experimental dinner night. I've been wanting to make this apple cherry pork roast in my crock pot for a long time, so that's what we're having. I had to get up a bit early to get it ready, but I think it will be good. Well, I better get some work done.
Tim - if you're reading this, how the heck are you? I haven't heard from you in awhile but I know you're coming home soon, so have safe travels and write when you get a chance!
At 6:30 am, I swear I heard someone whisper, "They're leaving without you," so I jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom, where Mitch was getting ready for to go out on the boat. Jon was not awake yet, so we went in and jumped on him, learning at that time that we were not going out until 7 am. Losers. I was anxious to try out my new board, and it was awesome except that I think the bindings are too small for me. I need to do a little reading on how they are supposed to fit, but it looks like I may need to exchange them.
After wakeboarding, we headed over to the Missaukee County Beach for the volleyball tournament. Our warm-up game went great, as did our first pool game, but after that we could not seem to get in the groove until the afternoon when we started playing back to back. By some stroke of luck, we made it out of pool play and into the first round of playoffs. I believe we played 5 sets of 2 games to 11 points, one single game to 11 (to break a four-way tie to get into finals) and one more game to 15 in the playoffs. Result: stiff and sore the next day, but happy. To top off the afternoon, we had ice cream for dinner and did some more sailing.
That night a bunch of Jon's childhood friends came over, originally for euchre but it ended up being drinking and a bonfire. No complaints here...I was beat and fell asleep at the fire, but it was fun to meet new, cool people. We made plans to wakeboard the next morning with a couple of them, but I didn't get to go because we got a late start and had to be back in for the breakfast of all breakfasts within about an hour. Mitch, Jon and I did a little sailing, then the guys left for a round of golf. I hung out with Jon's family on a pontoon boat ride, then decided to take a little nap so I could stay up later that night. It worked, too; I was an alert "pyrotechnics assistant" to Mitch while he was setting off everything Mitch's brother brought and even when I did go to bed, I was not falling asleep walking up the stairs like I was the night before.
Like always, we had hoped to go wakeboarding the next morning, but it was raining so we all slept in. We did, however, brave the rain and the thunder to watch the Fourth of July parade. Afterwards, we helped get ready for the BBQ at the Davenports', which ended up being kind of a movie/pool playing afternoon. Since the weather was not cooperating and we'd been able to set off fireworks the night before, Mitch and I decided to head home around 4 pm on Monday. Even though I love being at Jon's, it was really nice to come home, rent a movie and relax in the comfort of our own home.
So that was our Fourth of July weekend, and now it's back to work. Tonight I think Jon and Matt (once I call him and invite him) are coming over for experimental dinner night. I've been wanting to make this apple cherry pork roast in my crock pot for a long time, so that's what we're having. I had to get up a bit early to get it ready, but I think it will be good. Well, I better get some work done.
Tim - if you're reading this, how the heck are you? I haven't heard from you in awhile but I know you're coming home soon, so have safe travels and write when you get a chance!
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Interesting Article
I hate "teaching to a test" with a passion, so this made me happy:
KNOX MAKES SAT/ACT OPTIONAL
Knox College has become the first national liberal arts college in Illinois—and one of just three in the Midwest—to eliminate standardized test scores as a requirement for admission. Beginning with the class applying for the fall of 2006, the submission of SAT or ACT scores will become optional.
"Standardized tests don't measure the qualities we value most in our applicants—intellectual curiosity, creativity, and an eagerness for learning," explains Paul Steenis, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission. "We want future students who have excelled in a challenging high school curriculum and who show initiative, leadership and personal maturity."
The college decided to drop the test score requirement this month after faculty, student and trustee committees examined the issue during the past year. Knox also reviewed research that included a 20-year-long study by Bates College, where test scores have been optional for the duration of the study. Bates' vice president William Hiss told a conference last fall that Bates students "earned exactly the same grades, and graduated at exactly the same rates," whether or not they submitted a standardized admission test result.
According to Knox College President Roger Taylor, "We live in a world increasingly obsessed by testing at all levels of education. And 'teaching to a test' has often become more important than actually learning something—more important than developing a genuine love of learning. We decided Knox needed to take a leadership role in reducing the fixation on college admission testing."
Research shows that student performance on tests varies significantly by gender, race and family income. The Bates College study also showed that students from rural areas scored lower on standardized tests but were as successful in college as students from other areas. Despite the efforts by test creators to minimize the discriminatory effects of standardized testing, certain groups of capable students continue to be overlooked by an educational system that places such undue emphasis on test scores.
According to a recent study by educational experts, including former Princeton president William G. Bowen, “poor families have great difficulty investing sufficient personal and financial resources to prepare their children to attend college, do well, and graduate.” A large part of this disparity is the result of the growing need for expensive test preparation.
"High school students can artificially boost their scores on standardized tests by taking expensive cram courses that can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars," Taylor said. “Knox is a highly selective college that is also committed to providing access to a top-notch liberal arts education for all qualified students. The current industry of costly test preparation courses is, in effect, a barrier to college for the students who can't afford them."
"The recent addition of essay components to the SAT and ACT haven't made them more useful, just more expensive for students,” Steenis said. "Knox’s application already included an essay and personal interview for most applicants," according to Steenis. "Knox admission counselors personally review each application and are able to make well-informed decisions based on each applicant's achievements, interests, and personal qualities."
Over the past two years, Knox has received record numbers of applications for admission and enrolled some of the largest classes in the college’s 168-year history. More than 350 new students are expected to enroll this fall.
Other nationally-ranked colleges that have dropped the test requirement include Bowdoin, College of the Holy Cross, Hampshire, Franklin and Marshall, Lawrence University, Lewis & Clark, Mount Holyoke, Sarah Lawrence and St. John's College. In addition to the Bates’ study which found little connection between test scores and academic success, Sarah Lawrence has received a grant to do additional research on the question.
Colleges that have reduced or eliminated use of standardized tests for admission are listed at www.fairtest.org.
KNOX MAKES SAT/ACT OPTIONAL
Knox College has become the first national liberal arts college in Illinois—and one of just three in the Midwest—to eliminate standardized test scores as a requirement for admission. Beginning with the class applying for the fall of 2006, the submission of SAT or ACT scores will become optional.
"Standardized tests don't measure the qualities we value most in our applicants—intellectual curiosity, creativity, and an eagerness for learning," explains Paul Steenis, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission. "We want future students who have excelled in a challenging high school curriculum and who show initiative, leadership and personal maturity."
The college decided to drop the test score requirement this month after faculty, student and trustee committees examined the issue during the past year. Knox also reviewed research that included a 20-year-long study by Bates College, where test scores have been optional for the duration of the study. Bates' vice president William Hiss told a conference last fall that Bates students "earned exactly the same grades, and graduated at exactly the same rates," whether or not they submitted a standardized admission test result.
According to Knox College President Roger Taylor, "We live in a world increasingly obsessed by testing at all levels of education. And 'teaching to a test' has often become more important than actually learning something—more important than developing a genuine love of learning. We decided Knox needed to take a leadership role in reducing the fixation on college admission testing."
Research shows that student performance on tests varies significantly by gender, race and family income. The Bates College study also showed that students from rural areas scored lower on standardized tests but were as successful in college as students from other areas. Despite the efforts by test creators to minimize the discriminatory effects of standardized testing, certain groups of capable students continue to be overlooked by an educational system that places such undue emphasis on test scores.
According to a recent study by educational experts, including former Princeton president William G. Bowen, “poor families have great difficulty investing sufficient personal and financial resources to prepare their children to attend college, do well, and graduate.” A large part of this disparity is the result of the growing need for expensive test preparation.
"High school students can artificially boost their scores on standardized tests by taking expensive cram courses that can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars," Taylor said. “Knox is a highly selective college that is also committed to providing access to a top-notch liberal arts education for all qualified students. The current industry of costly test preparation courses is, in effect, a barrier to college for the students who can't afford them."
"The recent addition of essay components to the SAT and ACT haven't made them more useful, just more expensive for students,” Steenis said. "Knox’s application already included an essay and personal interview for most applicants," according to Steenis. "Knox admission counselors personally review each application and are able to make well-informed decisions based on each applicant's achievements, interests, and personal qualities."
Over the past two years, Knox has received record numbers of applications for admission and enrolled some of the largest classes in the college’s 168-year history. More than 350 new students are expected to enroll this fall.
Other nationally-ranked colleges that have dropped the test requirement include Bowdoin, College of the Holy Cross, Hampshire, Franklin and Marshall, Lawrence University, Lewis & Clark, Mount Holyoke, Sarah Lawrence and St. John's College. In addition to the Bates’ study which found little connection between test scores and academic success, Sarah Lawrence has received a grant to do additional research on the question.
Colleges that have reduced or eliminated use of standardized tests for admission are listed at www.fairtest.org.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Liquid Force Diva
http://www.liquidforce.com/boards_diva.htm
My new wakeboard...ordered from Bart's yesterday, along with Liquid Force Element bindings...should be on my doorstep by Friday, just in time for a lovely weekend at Jon's where I can break it in!
I decided last weekend I wanted a new board, but rather than order it right away, my bro suggested I check out Dick's (formerly Galyan's) and see if they had what I wanted. So, in conjunction with rendez-vous-ing with Roberta to return her stuff and having dinner in Lansing with my parents, I popped up to their watersports section and found...nothing. Cock's - I mean Dick's - has such cheap crap compared to the quality merchandise Galyan's used to sell. Do you know they have the climbing wall still but don't sell climbing gear?
Kid: (After climbing wall at Dick's) Wow, that was great! Mom, I want to get into climbing!
Mom: OK! (Turns to salesman) Where can I get my child a harness and some of those fancy shoes?
Salesman: (Pimply-faced boy who knows nothing about climbing except how to belay, which he learned only five minutes before when we was transferred from the shoe department to the climbing wall) Well, (reluctantly) we don't really sell any climbing stuff. I guess you can go online or something...maybe you can just make a harness from the clothesline we sell in the camping department. It should hold him, he's pretty light...
OK, so I've never heard any conversations like that, but seriously, is it not accurate?!?!
Back to the acquisition of the wakeboard...thanks to Bobby and Nextel, I found my way to a Modern Skate and Surf, where the female wakeboarding staff was very knowledgable but unfortunately was all out of chick boards. Bummer. They tried their best to find something at another warehouse and make arrangements for me to rent, but basically they said because it was peak season, they weren't going to be able to get anything. As soon as I walked out the door, I called good old Bart's, a watersports catalogue, and checked on the availibility of the board I wanted. Yes, in stock, yes, can order, yes, will ship the next day, yes, will be there in 1-3 business days. "Contented sigh."
My new wakeboard...ordered from Bart's yesterday, along with Liquid Force Element bindings...should be on my doorstep by Friday, just in time for a lovely weekend at Jon's where I can break it in!
I decided last weekend I wanted a new board, but rather than order it right away, my bro suggested I check out Dick's (formerly Galyan's) and see if they had what I wanted. So, in conjunction with rendez-vous-ing with Roberta to return her stuff and having dinner in Lansing with my parents, I popped up to their watersports section and found...nothing. Cock's - I mean Dick's - has such cheap crap compared to the quality merchandise Galyan's used to sell. Do you know they have the climbing wall still but don't sell climbing gear?
Kid: (After climbing wall at Dick's) Wow, that was great! Mom, I want to get into climbing!
Mom: OK! (Turns to salesman) Where can I get my child a harness and some of those fancy shoes?
Salesman: (Pimply-faced boy who knows nothing about climbing except how to belay, which he learned only five minutes before when we was transferred from the shoe department to the climbing wall) Well, (reluctantly) we don't really sell any climbing stuff. I guess you can go online or something...maybe you can just make a harness from the clothesline we sell in the camping department. It should hold him, he's pretty light...
OK, so I've never heard any conversations like that, but seriously, is it not accurate?!?!
Back to the acquisition of the wakeboard...thanks to Bobby and Nextel, I found my way to a Modern Skate and Surf, where the female wakeboarding staff was very knowledgable but unfortunately was all out of chick boards. Bummer. They tried their best to find something at another warehouse and make arrangements for me to rent, but basically they said because it was peak season, they weren't going to be able to get anything. As soon as I walked out the door, I called good old Bart's, a watersports catalogue, and checked on the availibility of the board I wanted. Yes, in stock, yes, can order, yes, will ship the next day, yes, will be there in 1-3 business days. "Contented sigh."
Monday, June 27, 2005
The Stipend Proposal
So this weekend, we were at Minda and Derek's helping to load the trailer, and Mitch's mom told Christa that either he or I needed to give her a grandbaby since the other kiddos will all be out in Colorado. Christa had the greatest answer ever: "Well Mom, I think you'll need to give me a monthly stipend to support a baby if you want me to have one!" As one of Minda's kids was in the middle of one of her "terrible twos" tantrums, I added that it would need to be a rather large stipend at this point. Looks like mom-in-law better start working on her other daughter-in-law, because I don't think Christa and I are going to cooperate!
Anyway, the moving went fine. The trailer is still completely full and parked at Mitch's parents' house, but Dave and Mariah (Mitch's brother and his wife) are meeting us out there this evening to unload. We could not have picked a hotter day, but no one felt like working on it after mud volleyball last night. And speaking of mud volleyball, there's a good chance that this was the last year we'll play. The novelty of rolling around in the mud finally wore off, after four years, and yesterday we were just frustrated by the fact that were not playing "real" volleyball. Carries were commonplace on the other side of the net and people magically transformed into my least favorite animal: net monkeys. It was just, well, not fun to be playing jungle ball and this year the muddy goodness could not make up for that. We're just too serious, I guess, and after the great twos games we've had lately, this was a monstrous let-down. Redeeming factor: the food was great, as always, and we got to hang out with Roberta for a bit.
I really hope this week goes by fast, because I'm excited for the Fourth. Mitch and I are playing in a beach volleyball tournament with Jon and will probably stay up there the whole weekend unless plans change. And next week is only and four-day work week...woo-hoo! And speaking of work, I suppose I better do some, or something. Later!
Anyway, the moving went fine. The trailer is still completely full and parked at Mitch's parents' house, but Dave and Mariah (Mitch's brother and his wife) are meeting us out there this evening to unload. We could not have picked a hotter day, but no one felt like working on it after mud volleyball last night. And speaking of mud volleyball, there's a good chance that this was the last year we'll play. The novelty of rolling around in the mud finally wore off, after four years, and yesterday we were just frustrated by the fact that were not playing "real" volleyball. Carries were commonplace on the other side of the net and people magically transformed into my least favorite animal: net monkeys. It was just, well, not fun to be playing jungle ball and this year the muddy goodness could not make up for that. We're just too serious, I guess, and after the great twos games we've had lately, this was a monstrous let-down. Redeeming factor: the food was great, as always, and we got to hang out with Roberta for a bit.
I really hope this week goes by fast, because I'm excited for the Fourth. Mitch and I are playing in a beach volleyball tournament with Jon and will probably stay up there the whole weekend unless plans change. And next week is only and four-day work week...woo-hoo! And speaking of work, I suppose I better do some, or something. Later!
Thursday, June 23, 2005
In Response
If you haven't, check out Robin's comment on my last post. It really got me thinking so I figured I'd better respond!
To my wonderful Robin:
You're right, it can be so rewarding to discover a new area and have new experiences. All of us took that step when we left our homes and came up here, because by the time we walked out with our degrees, Alma had become a home to many of us. I'm glad I took that step away from all that was comfortable and familiar, but at no time during my "settling in" process at Alma did I feel as discontent as I did in Cadillac. I have no doubt that someday Mitch and I will take the plunge and seek out new ventures...maybe when we decided to go to grad school, since it's unlikely we'll choose CMU as the place to earn our MBAs. But as much as I would have liked to be able to embrace all that Cadillac had to offer, I just couldn't. Maybe it wasn't the right time, or maybe it's not the right place, but even though I sometimes feel I've "given up" on living in a new place (especially in light of the challenges you and Grant have overcome in your new home), I know there was a reason I went there and a reason Mitch and I left. New locales are for some people more than others and I haven't felt, so far, like I'm missing out on anything by returning to a place of comfort. I hope, though, that Mitch and I can come visit you while you are out there so you can show us some of the wonderful things you've come to love about the Bay.
OK, switching tracks now, things at work are coming along. We have another "Becoming a Scot Day" tomorrow, which means students who have deposited/committed to Alma come and hang out for the day while we make them sit through sessions on academic advising and college transitions. It's kind of like being a grown-up OC. We had another one last Friday and I pretty much just hung out in Dow and tried to be useful, but this time I'm taking a group of kids around to their sessions. I also have to kill half an hour in a "get to know your classmates" activity. Now no offense to anyone, but I'm definitely opposed to those cheesy games. They are great for people who are already semi-comfortable around each other (aka, OCs or RAs during training) but I don't think they serve any purpose with these poor incoming freshman who basically (most of them) just want to blend in and not do anything stupid. So, I think I'm going to randomly pair them up, give them some ideas of stuff to talk about for 5-10 minutes, and then have each person tell the group about their partner. We had to do that for OC interviews and it was by far the easiest way to get to know someone quickly and painlessly. None of this "say your name and an adjective starting with the same letter that describes your personality" crap. Boo.
Well, one hour of work left and then I'm a golf widow again. I never thought Mitch would actually take up golf, but he says "business gets conducted on the golf course," so he needs to learn how to play a respectable game. I'm not quite sure if the key to being "respectable" is hanging out with Jon, Gabe and Matt, but he's having fun. Last night was a laundry day for me, which was actually an excuse to sit around and relax because I didn't want to start anything else when I knew another load would be coming out of dryer "any minute." Tonight, though, I swear I'm going to clean up the rest of the apartment and pack for the weekend. Mitch and I are going down to Minda and Derek's tomorrow after work, staying the night, loading a trailer of furniture and such the next day and driving because to Carson City with the truck and trailer. M & D plus all four (as of June 28!) kids are moving to Colorado because that's where Derek got a job offer, but they are not planning to stay long so they're storing everything but what fits in their two cars at Jeff and Carla's house. They're also going to live with Jeff and Carla for about a month before they make the trek out West. So anyway, we're bring the trailer home and unloading it, Jeff and Carla are staying for baby Mia's birth then bringing the three older kids back with them, and Minda, Derek and Mia will follow once Minda can travel (she's having a C-section and getting her tubes tied, so this is the last Smith child). Anyway, when we're also playing mud volleyball at Mitch's church on Sunday, but we're currently one player short, so if you're reading this and want to play, please call me!
Well, I guess I should be productive, so back to work! And you, I know you are just procrastinating from SOMETHING, so get to it! Hehehe! :)
To my wonderful Robin:
You're right, it can be so rewarding to discover a new area and have new experiences. All of us took that step when we left our homes and came up here, because by the time we walked out with our degrees, Alma had become a home to many of us. I'm glad I took that step away from all that was comfortable and familiar, but at no time during my "settling in" process at Alma did I feel as discontent as I did in Cadillac. I have no doubt that someday Mitch and I will take the plunge and seek out new ventures...maybe when we decided to go to grad school, since it's unlikely we'll choose CMU as the place to earn our MBAs. But as much as I would have liked to be able to embrace all that Cadillac had to offer, I just couldn't. Maybe it wasn't the right time, or maybe it's not the right place, but even though I sometimes feel I've "given up" on living in a new place (especially in light of the challenges you and Grant have overcome in your new home), I know there was a reason I went there and a reason Mitch and I left. New locales are for some people more than others and I haven't felt, so far, like I'm missing out on anything by returning to a place of comfort. I hope, though, that Mitch and I can come visit you while you are out there so you can show us some of the wonderful things you've come to love about the Bay.
OK, switching tracks now, things at work are coming along. We have another "Becoming a Scot Day" tomorrow, which means students who have deposited/committed to Alma come and hang out for the day while we make them sit through sessions on academic advising and college transitions. It's kind of like being a grown-up OC. We had another one last Friday and I pretty much just hung out in Dow and tried to be useful, but this time I'm taking a group of kids around to their sessions. I also have to kill half an hour in a "get to know your classmates" activity. Now no offense to anyone, but I'm definitely opposed to those cheesy games. They are great for people who are already semi-comfortable around each other (aka, OCs or RAs during training) but I don't think they serve any purpose with these poor incoming freshman who basically (most of them) just want to blend in and not do anything stupid. So, I think I'm going to randomly pair them up, give them some ideas of stuff to talk about for 5-10 minutes, and then have each person tell the group about their partner. We had to do that for OC interviews and it was by far the easiest way to get to know someone quickly and painlessly. None of this "say your name and an adjective starting with the same letter that describes your personality" crap. Boo.
Well, one hour of work left and then I'm a golf widow again. I never thought Mitch would actually take up golf, but he says "business gets conducted on the golf course," so he needs to learn how to play a respectable game. I'm not quite sure if the key to being "respectable" is hanging out with Jon, Gabe and Matt, but he's having fun. Last night was a laundry day for me, which was actually an excuse to sit around and relax because I didn't want to start anything else when I knew another load would be coming out of dryer "any minute." Tonight, though, I swear I'm going to clean up the rest of the apartment and pack for the weekend. Mitch and I are going down to Minda and Derek's tomorrow after work, staying the night, loading a trailer of furniture and such the next day and driving because to Carson City with the truck and trailer. M & D plus all four (as of June 28!) kids are moving to Colorado because that's where Derek got a job offer, but they are not planning to stay long so they're storing everything but what fits in their two cars at Jeff and Carla's house. They're also going to live with Jeff and Carla for about a month before they make the trek out West. So anyway, we're bring the trailer home and unloading it, Jeff and Carla are staying for baby Mia's birth then bringing the three older kids back with them, and Minda, Derek and Mia will follow once Minda can travel (she's having a C-section and getting her tubes tied, so this is the last Smith child). Anyway, when we're also playing mud volleyball at Mitch's church on Sunday, but we're currently one player short, so if you're reading this and want to play, please call me!
Well, I guess I should be productive, so back to work! And you, I know you are just procrastinating from SOMETHING, so get to it! Hehehe! :)
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Workity Work
Well, it's the last half hour of another busy day, so rather than find something to do, I think I'll just give you all an update. I'm really liking my new job (and not just because I haven't uncovered any "personal use of the Internet" restrictions, either)...it keeps me busy and I actually feel like I am accomplishing things when I come into the office. Mainly, the last week and a half has been filled with learning the ins and outs of the office, figuring out the admissions process from an internal standpoint, learning about the schools I'll be visiting, putting together a preliminary fall travel schedule and trying to decorate the sterile box called my office. I've also taken over files from one of the reps, Deedee, who is on vacation in Greece for three weeks. I have kids to call about getting essential information in and a whole stack of students who have not told us whether or not they want to come to Alma. Those ones are the hardest, because at this point most of them are going somewhere else. But if I can get just three more deposits, I think I'll have fulfilled Deedee's quota for the year. I've also started contacting kids who are interested in coming here next year.
So enough about work! We're loving life in Mt. Pleasant...just in the past two weeks, we've gone climbing twice, mountain biking, played volleyball, had company for dinner and basically just had fun! Over the weekend, we went to my parents' house for Father's Day, and that was awesome. I think we spent a lot of money, between having our wedding portait framed and buying Mitch some golf clubs (he wants to learn to play better with Jon this summer), but that's OK. We've been saving for "fun things," and I'm thinking of taking some of my funds and investing in a wakeboard. I've always just used Bobby's, but I think it's time to get my own so I can use it at Jon's this summer. Anyway, at home we also got the chance to hang out at the lake, which resulted in sore muscles from skiing and wakeboarding and a nice bit of sun on my face and tummy. Hey, Bobby was complaining that I was so white, it hurt his eyes to look at me, so I'm on my way to tan-ness!
Tangent: My dad is awesome. I was so proud of him this weekend. He's been restoring an old Chris Craft (gorgeous wooden boats) for the last seven or so years and though he launched it last fall, this weekend was kind of like its first entrance into the boating world. When he got it, it was a piece of crap...I'll see if I can post some pics on Yahoo. Now it's a work of art...beautiful, smooth, shiny wood, awesome details...still having some trouble with the carberator, but it's the original engine for pete's sake. Anyway, on Sunday, all that he had done just kind of hit me. We took him skiing behind it, and skiing is probably something he loves as much as working with wood. He was grinning the whole time, which is so cute because he's usually all serious and focused. See, he's not your typical recreational skier...he skies the course and is basically better at it than anyone I know personally. So there's my dad, rippin' it up behind his very own creation. Awesome.
So back to the update...yesterday I woke up exhausted and sore from the weekend of activity, but we were determined to get some climbing and volleyball in after work. Despite being sore, I made giant improvements in one top-roping route that is one of my goals. Caleb says it's a 5.10 but I think it's more of a 5.9+. The start is hard because it's overhung and requires a lot of hand strength, and then the move right before the finish is tricky. That's where I got, and I just spent too much time thinking about the move instead of doing it, which made me too wimpy to actually make the move. Next time, for sure. I didn't do too much bouldering, but there don't seem to really be many routes I can handle. Give it time, tbough. So after about an hour, I went to play vball with Mitch, Gabe and Jon. The first weekend we were in Mt. P, we took Gabe up to Cadillac and then to Lake City to hang out with Jon. The four of us played a few awesome games of twos, and though I don't think we played quite as well last night, we're not as rusty as we thought. My serves, especially, are improving. I made more than I missed last night, which is NOT the norm. I hope I can keep it up, because we are playing in a Fourth of July tourney with Jon. Unfortunately, I rocked my neck trying to bump a ball over backwards from the back line. Result: headache all day long today! I think I'm more sore today, but I have tonight and tomorrow to rest those muscles.
Speaking of tonight, we are having a wine and cheese party at Jon and Caleb's behest. I think there are eight people coming over, which means I'm (1) buying some bar stools so people can sit at our counter/bar thing and (2) making an enormous pot of spaghetti. Oh yeah, and I have to clean, too. All in about an hour from the time I get home. Or maybe it's more like a half an hour. I dunno. It'll be fun, though, and kind of a send-off for Ben Tidman, who is going to New Zealand next Monday for the whole semester. It can also be a congratulatory evening for Jillian and Chelsey, who are getting married this summer.
Well lookee there, I killed a half an hour! Time to pack up and roll outta here!
So enough about work! We're loving life in Mt. Pleasant...just in the past two weeks, we've gone climbing twice, mountain biking, played volleyball, had company for dinner and basically just had fun! Over the weekend, we went to my parents' house for Father's Day, and that was awesome. I think we spent a lot of money, between having our wedding portait framed and buying Mitch some golf clubs (he wants to learn to play better with Jon this summer), but that's OK. We've been saving for "fun things," and I'm thinking of taking some of my funds and investing in a wakeboard. I've always just used Bobby's, but I think it's time to get my own so I can use it at Jon's this summer. Anyway, at home we also got the chance to hang out at the lake, which resulted in sore muscles from skiing and wakeboarding and a nice bit of sun on my face and tummy. Hey, Bobby was complaining that I was so white, it hurt his eyes to look at me, so I'm on my way to tan-ness!
Tangent: My dad is awesome. I was so proud of him this weekend. He's been restoring an old Chris Craft (gorgeous wooden boats) for the last seven or so years and though he launched it last fall, this weekend was kind of like its first entrance into the boating world. When he got it, it was a piece of crap...I'll see if I can post some pics on Yahoo. Now it's a work of art...beautiful, smooth, shiny wood, awesome details...still having some trouble with the carberator, but it's the original engine for pete's sake. Anyway, on Sunday, all that he had done just kind of hit me. We took him skiing behind it, and skiing is probably something he loves as much as working with wood. He was grinning the whole time, which is so cute because he's usually all serious and focused. See, he's not your typical recreational skier...he skies the course and is basically better at it than anyone I know personally. So there's my dad, rippin' it up behind his very own creation. Awesome.
So back to the update...yesterday I woke up exhausted and sore from the weekend of activity, but we were determined to get some climbing and volleyball in after work. Despite being sore, I made giant improvements in one top-roping route that is one of my goals. Caleb says it's a 5.10 but I think it's more of a 5.9+. The start is hard because it's overhung and requires a lot of hand strength, and then the move right before the finish is tricky. That's where I got, and I just spent too much time thinking about the move instead of doing it, which made me too wimpy to actually make the move. Next time, for sure. I didn't do too much bouldering, but there don't seem to really be many routes I can handle. Give it time, tbough. So after about an hour, I went to play vball with Mitch, Gabe and Jon. The first weekend we were in Mt. P, we took Gabe up to Cadillac and then to Lake City to hang out with Jon. The four of us played a few awesome games of twos, and though I don't think we played quite as well last night, we're not as rusty as we thought. My serves, especially, are improving. I made more than I missed last night, which is NOT the norm. I hope I can keep it up, because we are playing in a Fourth of July tourney with Jon. Unfortunately, I rocked my neck trying to bump a ball over backwards from the back line. Result: headache all day long today! I think I'm more sore today, but I have tonight and tomorrow to rest those muscles.
Speaking of tonight, we are having a wine and cheese party at Jon and Caleb's behest. I think there are eight people coming over, which means I'm (1) buying some bar stools so people can sit at our counter/bar thing and (2) making an enormous pot of spaghetti. Oh yeah, and I have to clean, too. All in about an hour from the time I get home. Or maybe it's more like a half an hour. I dunno. It'll be fun, though, and kind of a send-off for Ben Tidman, who is going to New Zealand next Monday for the whole semester. It can also be a congratulatory evening for Jillian and Chelsey, who are getting married this summer.
Well lookee there, I killed a half an hour! Time to pack up and roll outta here!
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Forgiveness
Sometimes it feels soooo good to be angry, to let others know they are being big jerks and make them apologize before you let the situation improve. It's not what God wants us to do, and it's a battle to do the right thing in his eyes. Often, I fail and pull that satisfying anger close to me. But that feeling of grim, self-righteous anger is nothing - nothing - compared to the feeling you get when you let something go that you've been holding onto. That moment when you let that anger flow out of your heart is so uplifting, but even that pales in comparison to the high you get when you have to prove that you've really forgiven someone...and you can do it!
I've experienced the "proving my forgiveness" part twice in the past week and I'm on a real high. It's so amazing when you can talk to someone who has wronged you, hurt you, and truly feel nothing but satisfaction that he or she is happy and healthy. When I think of all the pettiness I've been a part of in the past, I'm just so grateful that God has worked his way into my life and shown me the power of forgiveness.
I've experienced the "proving my forgiveness" part twice in the past week and I'm on a real high. It's so amazing when you can talk to someone who has wronged you, hurt you, and truly feel nothing but satisfaction that he or she is happy and healthy. When I think of all the pettiness I've been a part of in the past, I'm just so grateful that God has worked his way into my life and shown me the power of forgiveness.
Monday, June 13, 2005
My First Day
Well, today was my first day working at Alma's admissions office. Lots of training, lots of new information, and Mancino's for lunch, on the college! I loved that part, by the way. My office is really tiny though, and it needs some major decorating. I took a mini-trip to JoAnn's on the way home and picked up some minor things, so we'll see how this progresses. I hope I can make the space "mine" in a way my offices at Mercy never were. I also hope they get my computer hooked up soon.
This past weekend was wonderful. Mitch and I went up to Cadillac to close the place down, and we took Gabe along with us. He helped clean in exchange for beef jerky from Powell's in Tustin, some greasy Lake City pizza and a few awesome volleyball games at Jon's. I thought I was going to be terrible at volleyball after being out of practice for so long, but a lot of stuff just came back and some things - like serving - were going better then ever, almost. Mitch and I are scheduled to play in a tourney with Jon at "The Greatest Fourth in the North" in Lake City, but before that, it's mud volleyball! Look's like this year's team will be me, Mitch, Matt, Roberta and Gabe, with possibly Andrea and Jon. (Gabe, have you asked your lovely wife if she would like to play in the mud with us on June 26th?)
Sunday Mitch and I went mountain biking at Ithaca's Jailhouse Trail, which is in severe need of maintenance. We are planning to go clean up parts of it this week and next so our arms and legs don't get torn up by thorns. Then we hung out with the in-laws, went for a swim at Matt's pool and had a yummy dinner back at the apartment with Matt. By the way, I love having friends close by. I am much happier here, even if Gary calls us townies now.
Well, time to get out of my cute new work clothes and into something more comfortable. Mitch is making hamburgers for dinner, so I better go make some contribution to this meal.
This past weekend was wonderful. Mitch and I went up to Cadillac to close the place down, and we took Gabe along with us. He helped clean in exchange for beef jerky from Powell's in Tustin, some greasy Lake City pizza and a few awesome volleyball games at Jon's. I thought I was going to be terrible at volleyball after being out of practice for so long, but a lot of stuff just came back and some things - like serving - were going better then ever, almost. Mitch and I are scheduled to play in a tourney with Jon at "The Greatest Fourth in the North" in Lake City, but before that, it's mud volleyball! Look's like this year's team will be me, Mitch, Matt, Roberta and Gabe, with possibly Andrea and Jon. (Gabe, have you asked your lovely wife if she would like to play in the mud with us on June 26th?)
Sunday Mitch and I went mountain biking at Ithaca's Jailhouse Trail, which is in severe need of maintenance. We are planning to go clean up parts of it this week and next so our arms and legs don't get torn up by thorns. Then we hung out with the in-laws, went for a swim at Matt's pool and had a yummy dinner back at the apartment with Matt. By the way, I love having friends close by. I am much happier here, even if Gary calls us townies now.
Well, time to get out of my cute new work clothes and into something more comfortable. Mitch is making hamburgers for dinner, so I better go make some contribution to this meal.
Monday, June 06, 2005
The Move
Well, the move this weekend went very well. After work on Friday, Mitch, my mom and I hauled boxes down to the trailer Mom brought until probably 9 pm or so. It was tiring work but it felt good to get it all done. Bobby and Dad came up that night and in the morning, we tackled the furniture. It probably took three hours or so until the trailers were ready to roll out, but Mom and I stayed behind to clean the carpet. It’s required in our lease, though Mitch says it’s a state law that the landlords have to clean the carpet and they can’t make their tenants do it. Oh well, I wasn’t in the mood for a battle. It took about an hour, so we were on the road by noon, I think. We stopped twice on the way: once to clean up Chip’s cage because he had a little, stinky accident and once to pick up subs from Subway. That side trip took longer than expected, though, because I locked the keys in the car and had to call Cingular Roadside Assistance for the second time in less than a year. Oops. I’m trying to get in the habit of using the clicker to lock my car once I get out of it, to prevent this from happening again.
So, here’s what our apartment is like. It’s on the second story, all the way to the back of the complex and in the far back corner of our unit. The kitchen has more cupboard space than our old one, and is just to the right as you walk in the door. It also has a dishwasher…yay! The living room is just to the left as you walk in, and it’s significantly smaller than our old one, so with the big sectional, we’ll call it “cozy.” We have a big window on the far left side of the living room that looks out onto our balcony, and there’s just a regular door around the corner to go outside onto the balcony. We have a nice view of the pet run area, which is a huge, grassy, football field-sized lawn. Best part: you have to pick up after your pets, so I’m thinking football and Frisbee games. OK, back inside, there is a dining area on the right side just past the kitchen, and then you just walk straight into a hallway that leads to the bedrooms and bathroom. The guest room is on the left, and across the hall is a bathroom. The master bedroom is straight back and it’s huge! We easily have enough room for our dressers, the bed, and even the bowl chair that would no longer fit in the living room. There’s also a walk-in closet that’s about as big as our old bathroom. Weird part: we have a sink and mirror in our bedroom. Odd. I think I can deal, seeing as you barely notice it when the bedroom door is open. We have some very nice trees by the windows, to Chip hops up onto the window sills, watches the birds and even talks to them! Seriously, they chirp and he meows right back. It’s very cute.
For most of Saturday evening, we unpacked, then hit the hay at about 10 pm because we were so beat. Yesterday we did even more unpacking and some repacking, especially in the kitchen where I rearranged almost all the upper cupboards. I think I’m picky. Anyway, it started to feel comfortable and I was really happy. I hope we can make this place feel like home. Cadillac never really felt like home. We were so excited when we moved here, but the novelty wore off quickly when we discovered that we didn’t really fit in up here. I hope Mt. Pleasant can be different. I think it will be, mainly because of the fact that we already know some people in the general area, like Gabe, Andrea, Baleja, Jon D. and all the kids still at Alma.
One more thing before I sign off for the day: I sold the Probe! A family with a sixteen year-old girl bought it so they could fix it up for her. I hope she has *almost* as much fun as Bobby and I had in that thing. I hope she doesn’t hit any curbs doing donuts in the snow, though, and I hope she doesn’t attempt any monkey business in the back seat, because it’s much too small and uncomfortable for that. I’m happy that it will be some other girl’s first car…I get sentimental about things like this, and I definitely tend to assign feelings to inanimate objects, so I think the Probe will like this arrangement, too.
So, here’s what our apartment is like. It’s on the second story, all the way to the back of the complex and in the far back corner of our unit. The kitchen has more cupboard space than our old one, and is just to the right as you walk in the door. It also has a dishwasher…yay! The living room is just to the left as you walk in, and it’s significantly smaller than our old one, so with the big sectional, we’ll call it “cozy.” We have a big window on the far left side of the living room that looks out onto our balcony, and there’s just a regular door around the corner to go outside onto the balcony. We have a nice view of the pet run area, which is a huge, grassy, football field-sized lawn. Best part: you have to pick up after your pets, so I’m thinking football and Frisbee games. OK, back inside, there is a dining area on the right side just past the kitchen, and then you just walk straight into a hallway that leads to the bedrooms and bathroom. The guest room is on the left, and across the hall is a bathroom. The master bedroom is straight back and it’s huge! We easily have enough room for our dressers, the bed, and even the bowl chair that would no longer fit in the living room. There’s also a walk-in closet that’s about as big as our old bathroom. Weird part: we have a sink and mirror in our bedroom. Odd. I think I can deal, seeing as you barely notice it when the bedroom door is open. We have some very nice trees by the windows, to Chip hops up onto the window sills, watches the birds and even talks to them! Seriously, they chirp and he meows right back. It’s very cute.
For most of Saturday evening, we unpacked, then hit the hay at about 10 pm because we were so beat. Yesterday we did even more unpacking and some repacking, especially in the kitchen where I rearranged almost all the upper cupboards. I think I’m picky. Anyway, it started to feel comfortable and I was really happy. I hope we can make this place feel like home. Cadillac never really felt like home. We were so excited when we moved here, but the novelty wore off quickly when we discovered that we didn’t really fit in up here. I hope Mt. Pleasant can be different. I think it will be, mainly because of the fact that we already know some people in the general area, like Gabe, Andrea, Baleja, Jon D. and all the kids still at Alma.
One more thing before I sign off for the day: I sold the Probe! A family with a sixteen year-old girl bought it so they could fix it up for her. I hope she has *almost* as much fun as Bobby and I had in that thing. I hope she doesn’t hit any curbs doing donuts in the snow, though, and I hope she doesn’t attempt any monkey business in the back seat, because it’s much too small and uncomfortable for that. I’m happy that it will be some other girl’s first car…I get sentimental about things like this, and I definitely tend to assign feelings to inanimate objects, so I think the Probe will like this arrangement, too.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
A Cute Little Taurus Family
Just a quick, brief update:
1. Memorial Day Weekend was lots of fun, even though it consisted of unsuccessful car shopping and painting the cottage. The high points, which outweigh everything else, were my cousin Julie’s wedding on Sunday, mountain biking with Bobby and Island Lake and hanging out at the cottage with the family on Monday. (Note: If/when I show you my wedding album, please don’t poke all the pictures, like my aunts constantly did this weekend.)
2. Since we couldn’t find a car in Southeastern Michigan, Mitch and I took half a day off on Tuesday and went to Traverse City. After almost five hours, we came home with a dark grey 2002 Ford Taurus with power everything and only 41,000 miles. I love it so much that I put my AC alumni sticker in the rear window. Lessons from car buying: don’t go to Williams Chevrolet in TC, because the salespeople are super-pushy. They tried overly hard to get us to lease and attempted to sell us an Aveo (a.k.a. pregnant roller skate). Also, Suzuki Forenzas are nice cars but the acceleration sucks and Chevy Cobalts drive like Sunfires, which is bad. Oh, and wear comfortable shoes.
3. I am a packing Nazi. With a whip in one hand and bubble wrap in the other, I’ve been emptying every drawer, cupboard and closet. There’s still a ton to do, so Mom’s coming up tonight to help. We have a box monster in the living room. Sometimes Mitch uses that term to represent the huge stacks of boxes taking over. Other times, he’s talking about the cat, who loves to play in the boxes as we try to fill them.
4. Today is my kitty cat’s first birthday! If I have time, I’ll be putting pictures on my Yahoo site so you can see just how cute he is: http://photos.yahoo.com/skibunny11282. I never thought I’d be a cat person, but it’s hard not to love the little fella’ when you wake up with him stretched out, snuggled right up next to you, almost nose-to-nose, in the middle of the night.
5. Work at the hospital is awesome this week. I only have time to blog right now because I’m waiting for a nice ICU nurse to come and talk to me for a newsletter article. I have quite a few projects to complete before I leave and little things keep popping up, so I’m staying busy. Hope that nice nurse comes soon.
6. Last week was our six-month anniversary. Mitch says I should enjoy it because this is the only year we get to celebrate two anniversaries (six months and one year), but he took me out to dinner at the nicest restaurant in Cadillac (Hermann’s European Café) anyway. It was wonderful.
1. Memorial Day Weekend was lots of fun, even though it consisted of unsuccessful car shopping and painting the cottage. The high points, which outweigh everything else, were my cousin Julie’s wedding on Sunday, mountain biking with Bobby and Island Lake and hanging out at the cottage with the family on Monday. (Note: If/when I show you my wedding album, please don’t poke all the pictures, like my aunts constantly did this weekend.)
2. Since we couldn’t find a car in Southeastern Michigan, Mitch and I took half a day off on Tuesday and went to Traverse City. After almost five hours, we came home with a dark grey 2002 Ford Taurus with power everything and only 41,000 miles. I love it so much that I put my AC alumni sticker in the rear window. Lessons from car buying: don’t go to Williams Chevrolet in TC, because the salespeople are super-pushy. They tried overly hard to get us to lease and attempted to sell us an Aveo (a.k.a. pregnant roller skate). Also, Suzuki Forenzas are nice cars but the acceleration sucks and Chevy Cobalts drive like Sunfires, which is bad. Oh, and wear comfortable shoes.
3. I am a packing Nazi. With a whip in one hand and bubble wrap in the other, I’ve been emptying every drawer, cupboard and closet. There’s still a ton to do, so Mom’s coming up tonight to help. We have a box monster in the living room. Sometimes Mitch uses that term to represent the huge stacks of boxes taking over. Other times, he’s talking about the cat, who loves to play in the boxes as we try to fill them.
4. Today is my kitty cat’s first birthday! If I have time, I’ll be putting pictures on my Yahoo site so you can see just how cute he is: http://photos.yahoo.com/skibunny11282. I never thought I’d be a cat person, but it’s hard not to love the little fella’ when you wake up with him stretched out, snuggled right up next to you, almost nose-to-nose, in the middle of the night.
5. Work at the hospital is awesome this week. I only have time to blog right now because I’m waiting for a nice ICU nurse to come and talk to me for a newsletter article. I have quite a few projects to complete before I leave and little things keep popping up, so I’m staying busy. Hope that nice nurse comes soon.
6. Last week was our six-month anniversary. Mitch says I should enjoy it because this is the only year we get to celebrate two anniversaries (six months and one year), but he took me out to dinner at the nicest restaurant in Cadillac (Hermann’s European Café) anyway. It was wonderful.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Super Packer
Super Packer
I wish there was a hero called the Super Packer. I can think of many ways that name could be perverted, but he would be the guy who came to the rescue when you had to pack up and move. He could come and bubble wrap the fragile stuff, and because of his vast experience, he would be confident that nothing would break. He would instinctively know when a box was “too heavy” and would have a good way to pack books without creating a backbreaking load. He wouldn’t stop to read old journals or look through old college PIG Books because he’s too efficient for that. And he would know what to leave out so that you weren’t searching for it later when you needed it but had unfortunately already packed it.
Obviously, we’ve started the packing process. I brought home about 10 big cardboard boxes from work and now they are all full. I have 11 more in my office and I’m sure they’ll be full within a few days as well. All the decorations from the living room and bedrooms are wrapped up and boxed up, which makes everything look pretty empty…or it would look empty if it weren’t taken over by the chaos of moving. I keep trying to picture myself sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag for the last few days of work, eating off dishes from my college years and cooking with a $20 set of pans instead of the nice Calphalon set we got for our wedding. The prospect does not excite me. I should have given the hospital two and a half weeks instead of three, and then I could have started my job at the same time as Mitch started his. Then I wouldn’t have to come back here and camp indoors. Oh well, it will be an adventure, right? I can go on lots of walks. Maybe I’ll get a card table and just be a crazy scrapbook lady for a few days. We’ll see.
I wish there was a hero called the Super Packer. I can think of many ways that name could be perverted, but he would be the guy who came to the rescue when you had to pack up and move. He could come and bubble wrap the fragile stuff, and because of his vast experience, he would be confident that nothing would break. He would instinctively know when a box was “too heavy” and would have a good way to pack books without creating a backbreaking load. He wouldn’t stop to read old journals or look through old college PIG Books because he’s too efficient for that. And he would know what to leave out so that you weren’t searching for it later when you needed it but had unfortunately already packed it.
Obviously, we’ve started the packing process. I brought home about 10 big cardboard boxes from work and now they are all full. I have 11 more in my office and I’m sure they’ll be full within a few days as well. All the decorations from the living room and bedrooms are wrapped up and boxed up, which makes everything look pretty empty…or it would look empty if it weren’t taken over by the chaos of moving. I keep trying to picture myself sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag for the last few days of work, eating off dishes from my college years and cooking with a $20 set of pans instead of the nice Calphalon set we got for our wedding. The prospect does not excite me. I should have given the hospital two and a half weeks instead of three, and then I could have started my job at the same time as Mitch started his. Then I wouldn’t have to come back here and camp indoors. Oh well, it will be an adventure, right? I can go on lots of walks. Maybe I’ll get a card table and just be a crazy scrapbook lady for a few days. We’ll see.
Monday, May 23, 2005
The Demise of the Probe
I meant the litany of previous “car issues” as a joke. But obviously, my car read them, thought I was insulting it, and decided to get back at me. First there was the stuttering around 40 mph after a good acceleration. (Who doesn’t love a good acceleration, I ask you?) Then it was the refusing to shift out of first gear without a break in park for a moment. Then it was the false hope that, after some fuel injector cleaner, a new something-or-other valve and a new O-ring on the dipstick, everything would be fine for the time being. Then it was the cruel realization that first gear was apparently as far as it would go without extensive prompting, followed by a series of stalls and an unwillingness to idle. *Sigh* All this happened between Sunday afternoon and lunch time today, after which I turned over the keys to Mitch and said, “I’m afraid to drive it to work, please let me have your car!” We’ve worked out the budget and think we can afford to buy a new car…not that we have any choice in the matter…so we’re going out looking after work today. The poor, poor Probe.
Other than watching the Probe’s death throes, my weekend was wonderful. Adrienne came up and we took her biking at Big M, an old alpine ski resort halfway between Cadillac and Manistee. Mitch and I had never been there, either, and I’ll probably never go back! It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done…even the 400 m dash I ran in middle school can’t compare to this beast. Five and a half miles of hills! Now, I know I say the trails in Cadillac are hilly, but those hills are not nearly as long as these ones! And it seems like the uphills most certainly outnumber the downhills. Good think we’re planning to bike with Dad and Bobby at Island Lake this weekend…I need to get my self-confidence back on something relatively easy!
We followed up our mountain bike adventure with a trip to the beach in Manistee, which I must say is gorgeous. The price for the beautiful beach, the warm sun, the calm water, the soft sand and the refreshing breeze was a rather painful sunburn, but the discomfort is worth it when I look back on how good it felt to just lay there.
On another note, I finally made some progress on my scrapbook and am feeling motivated to move even farther along once I get some more pages. I’m up to the Fourth of July canoeing trip we took last year, woo-hoo! And speaking of pictures, if you have not looked at our West Virginia climbing pictures, you should do so. You will be amazed at some of this stuff if you’ve never seen anyone climb outdoors. There are also some rather entertaining shots on there…go to http://photos.yahoo.com/skibunny11282 to satisfy your curiosity. By the way, why does “curious” have a “u” but “curiosity” does not? Ah, the wonderful mysteries of the English language!
Other than watching the Probe’s death throes, my weekend was wonderful. Adrienne came up and we took her biking at Big M, an old alpine ski resort halfway between Cadillac and Manistee. Mitch and I had never been there, either, and I’ll probably never go back! It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done…even the 400 m dash I ran in middle school can’t compare to this beast. Five and a half miles of hills! Now, I know I say the trails in Cadillac are hilly, but those hills are not nearly as long as these ones! And it seems like the uphills most certainly outnumber the downhills. Good think we’re planning to bike with Dad and Bobby at Island Lake this weekend…I need to get my self-confidence back on something relatively easy!
We followed up our mountain bike adventure with a trip to the beach in Manistee, which I must say is gorgeous. The price for the beautiful beach, the warm sun, the calm water, the soft sand and the refreshing breeze was a rather painful sunburn, but the discomfort is worth it when I look back on how good it felt to just lay there.
On another note, I finally made some progress on my scrapbook and am feeling motivated to move even farther along once I get some more pages. I’m up to the Fourth of July canoeing trip we took last year, woo-hoo! And speaking of pictures, if you have not looked at our West Virginia climbing pictures, you should do so. You will be amazed at some of this stuff if you’ve never seen anyone climb outdoors. There are also some rather entertaining shots on there…go to http://photos.yahoo.com/skibunny11282 to satisfy your curiosity. By the way, why does “curious” have a “u” but “curiosity” does not? Ah, the wonderful mysteries of the English language!
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Changes
If you’re on my email list, you’ve probably already gotten an email from me with the following news…and most of you who read this probably fall into that category, so this will be a bit redundant. But on with it, on with it! I accepted the job at Alma (no more money, though) and Mitch got transferred, with a promotion, to Fifth Third in Mt. Pleasant! We went down yesterday afternoon so he could meet with the folks down there, and within an hour he had a job offer and a raise. Within two hours after that, we had checked out four places to live and chosen one that we both like. It is in a complex called Country Place Apartments and we think it’s right down the road from Andrea and Gabe. It has two bedrooms and one is actually large enough for our bedroom furniture. (Surprisingly, many of the places we checked out would not accommodate a queen-sized bed and two dressers.) The living room is not as big as our current one, but it should be fine for our monstrous sectional and various other furniture pieces. The dining area is about the same as our current one, but we are planning to replace whatever light is in there with the cool one we currently have (think UFO hanging from a silver rod). And the kitchen has more cupboard space, more counter space (I think) and a dishwasher! Yesssss! That will free up a good 20-30 minutes each evening because we won’t be washing everything by hand. Our unit is on the second floor, which means we have a balcony, and it’s bigger than our current one. We’ll have a place for our grill, some patio chairs and maybe even a little table. Oh, and they allow pets, for a small monthly fee. Now when things don’t work, we can get them fixed without worrying about getting caught with an animal.
So here’s what our lives will look like for the next few weeks:
This weekend: Adrienne’s visiting! Play time!
Next week: Start packing (ugh)
Memorial Day weekend: Go to my parents’ for my cousin’s gorgeous wedding and a rollicking Memorial Day party at the cottage (By the way, apparently everyone I sent an email to about the new jobs was accidentally invited by my grandparents to come to the festivities. I’m sure if you want to show up, they won’t mind…hehehe!)
The following week: Finish packing
Friday, June 3: Mom, Dad and Bobby bring massive trailers and trucks
Saturday, June 4: Load ‘em up, drive to Mt. P, move in to new apartment…party with the ‘rents!
Sunday, June 5: Unpack, settle Mitch in, and then I have to come back to Cadillac to finish my stint at Mercy
Monday, June 6: Mitch starts as the sole office manager at Fifth Third in Mt. P
Wednesday, June 8: My last day at Mercy, and a reunion with my hubby in our new place
Thursday, June 9-Sunday, June 12: More settling in to our new apartment
Monday, June 13: My first day as an Alma College admissions rep!
ASAP: Recruit Gabe, Baleja, Davenport (hopefully) and others to sign up for a summer volleyball league, if possible!
Also ASAP: Have fun get-together(s)!
Whew, it’s a good think I just live for whirlwinds of activity!
On a more serious note, I cannot stop thanking God for all these blessings. Despite all the times I was frustrated, scared, worried and didn’t trust him the way I should have, he’s still made everything work out better than I ever anticipated. He forgives my impatience, my desire to have everything happen the way I think it should, and my need to feel like I’m in control, and slowly, he’s helping me realize that the more I trust him, the more patience I’ll have; the more I let him work things out in his time, the more content I’ll be; and the less control I try to keep, the more I’ll see his work in my life. I’ll close with a verse that always gets me thinking:
“Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world – wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important – has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. This world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out – but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.”
1 John 2:15-17 (The Message)
So here’s what our lives will look like for the next few weeks:
This weekend: Adrienne’s visiting! Play time!
Next week: Start packing (ugh)
Memorial Day weekend: Go to my parents’ for my cousin’s gorgeous wedding and a rollicking Memorial Day party at the cottage (By the way, apparently everyone I sent an email to about the new jobs was accidentally invited by my grandparents to come to the festivities. I’m sure if you want to show up, they won’t mind…hehehe!)
The following week: Finish packing
Friday, June 3: Mom, Dad and Bobby bring massive trailers and trucks
Saturday, June 4: Load ‘em up, drive to Mt. P, move in to new apartment…party with the ‘rents!
Sunday, June 5: Unpack, settle Mitch in, and then I have to come back to Cadillac to finish my stint at Mercy
Monday, June 6: Mitch starts as the sole office manager at Fifth Third in Mt. P
Wednesday, June 8: My last day at Mercy, and a reunion with my hubby in our new place
Thursday, June 9-Sunday, June 12: More settling in to our new apartment
Monday, June 13: My first day as an Alma College admissions rep!
ASAP: Recruit Gabe, Baleja, Davenport (hopefully) and others to sign up for a summer volleyball league, if possible!
Also ASAP: Have fun get-together(s)!
Whew, it’s a good think I just live for whirlwinds of activity!
On a more serious note, I cannot stop thanking God for all these blessings. Despite all the times I was frustrated, scared, worried and didn’t trust him the way I should have, he’s still made everything work out better than I ever anticipated. He forgives my impatience, my desire to have everything happen the way I think it should, and my need to feel like I’m in control, and slowly, he’s helping me realize that the more I trust him, the more patience I’ll have; the more I let him work things out in his time, the more content I’ll be; and the less control I try to keep, the more I’ll see his work in my life. I’ll close with a verse that always gets me thinking:
“Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world – wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important – has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. This world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out – but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.”
1 John 2:15-17 (The Message)
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