The other day while I was running errands, I found this place, "Art by Alexander" in Jamestown! I didn't know that my friend in Hershey, PA, had an art store down here in NC! ;)
At the end of 2011, I asked Alex to create a picture for me after seeing his awesome artwork on Facebook. He asked me what some of my favorite things were that make me most happy...can you guess what they are based on his preliminary sketches??
Here we are during my Spring Break in Harrisburg where he unveiled his beautiful masterpiece! It now hangs in the guest room I use here in NC where it greets me every morning! You know...the holidays are coming up and Alex, the awesomely talented artist, does it all. Let me know if you'd like to contact him for a custom made photo, picture, or other artwork for personalized and unique gifts!
Over Fall Break, I was fortunate enough to go to York, PA for a fast few days. It's always wonderful catching up with Ashley and Monika and I even got to see a friend from my old job for an unexpected lunch treat at Sweet Frog on Friday afternoon. The respite from NC went way too quickly, as it always does, when I'm home. Friday was spent running errands, relaxing, and playing with the pups after my hair appointment at my old studio. It's the simple things in life, like going back to a favorite hairdresser or being in the house you called home for 2 years, that are so sweet & what I look forward to when life is super busy or challenging.
Dusty resumed his usual spot on the steps as I unpacked late Thursday night. I think he likes being on this set of steps b/c he would feel like he could keep watch over Ash and me at the same time even though we were in separate areas of the house. Or maybe he likes it b/c it's near the front door. Who knows?!
First time at Sweet Frog and it was yummy!
Chipotle and Sweet Frog...delicious combo!
Nothing is written in stone....how reassuring that we can change things in our lives since nothing is written in stone!
Can you tell I was excited for Wicked the next day when I took this photo??
Happy pups reunited!!
Dusty Shamrock loving the quality time he was spending with Ash & Monika and the puppy cam!
How talented is Ashley's Mom?? Love her & her artwork!
Awww!
On Saturday, we all were so excited for Wicked! 3 of us had seen it before while 2 of us were viewing it for the first time that afternoon. We left York around noon to get to Baltimore well ahead of the 2pm start time. Little did we know that a marathon was occurring in the downtown area that had traffic backed up and us sitting on a bridge for close to 30 to 40 minutes. We got to the theatre 20 minutes after the show had started but since the play had started late, we only missed about 15 minutes. However, someone was sitting in our seats!! So, we spent the first half of the show sitting in a Box Seat. It was nice having more leg room but disappointing not being able to see half the stage due to the lighting and speaker fixtures obstructing our view. During the intermission, we made a beeline for our "real" seats and watched the second half of the show from a more clear vantage point. It's such a great story and really makes you look at some of the characters from the Wizard of Oz in a different way.
Look what building we were stuck in front of as we tried to make our way to the Hippodrome Theatre!
FANTASTIC play! I highly recommend it after having seen it in San Francisco and now Baltimore! :)
After the play, we headed over to Fells Point for drinks & dinner. It was great being by the water and amidst the arts and culture of the historical area. Gosh, I love traveling and better yet, being with good friends!
The sculpture on the right was a door covered entirely of pennies and it spelled "4GIVN"...what a powerful message!
The next day, Dusty and I swung by Hanover for mass and to visit with Michaelann and Jeremy, a cute couple who lives in an adorable house and are such good friends to me. Michaelann and I went to mass then visited for a bit before Dusty and I hit the road to return to NC. Dusty Shamrock seemed to enjoy his new bed...he blended right into it!
My little angel sleeping...I wonder if he feels like he's sleeping on top of himself since the lining feels like his fur..haha.
This is at a stop Dusty and I usually take advantage of in Nelson County, Virginia. It's on the side of a mountain and has a large picnic and yard area where Dusty can run around stretch out his little legs.
There were two pumkin flavored beers in my sampler pack...mmm!
I loooove the fall. This past weekend was a fun fall one. On
Friday night, the Young Adults group at my church did an Oktoberfest
Theology on Tap event in which we learned more about social justice from
Fr. Vince. Everyone who came brought a 6 pack of a beer or soda.
Then, at the conclusion of the TOT, we divided up our beverages and went
home with a sampler of different drinks. The drinks were tasty and
delicious as I drank them throughout the weekend.
Then, on Saturday, my niece and nephews painted pumpkins before I headed off to the Corn Maze with my friend, Jim. We had fun being silly and finding 5 of the 6 stations hidden in the maze. What a terrific afternoon of being outside enjoying the autumn air!
The last few days have been super stressful school-wise. I've been trying to "work ahead" since I'll be in Minneapolis for a conference very soon.
With 6 days remaining until I fly to Minnesota, I've managed to:
make arrangements for the class I'm teaching by creating an online discussion board prompt on (what else) self advocacy;
my work partner and I have figured out what portions of the assignment we will do so that I can try to get a lot of reading done on the plane rides;
my colleague and I have revamped and discussed our presentation that we will do at the conference (and will probably discuss more on the plane rides);
submitted a proposal to a conference in Santa Fe, NM (woohoo!); and
get a rough draft of a paper submitted a week early
BUT
in the next six days, I still have to:
prep for the classes I'm teaching tomorrow and on Thursday;
do reading for class tomorrow night;
work on another manuscript;
pack;
clean;
ZUMBA!!;
create materials for a reading study I'm currently involved with;
pay bills;
work on my Literature Review that needs months of work done to it; and
touch base with the California lady I'm working with
so yes, I'm feeling anxious, stressed, worried, and nauseous thinking about it all. Yet I forced myself to pray for a moment and read this:
No matter what your circumstances may be, you can find Joy in My Presence. On some days Joy is generously strewn along your life-path, glistening in the sunlight. On days like that, being content is as simple as breathing the next breath or taking the next step. Other days are overcast and gloomy; you feel the strain of the journey, which seems endless. Dull gray rocks greet your gaze and cause your feet to ache. Yet Joy is still attainable. Search for it as for hidden treasure.
Begin by remembering that I have created this day; it is not a chance occurrence. Recall that I am present with you whether you sense My Presence or not. Then, start talking with Me about whatever is on your mind. Rejoice in the fact that I understand you perfectly, and I know exactly what you are experiencing. As you continue communicating with Me, your mood will gradually lighten. Awareness of My marvelous Companionship can infuse Joy into the grayest day.
My Mom told me a story yesterday morning as I drove to Burlington for a work meeting. It's a painful one and I wish so badly it were not happening to a dear family friend (or to anyone for that matter) but it is.
Jack, a Jesuit priest in Boston and a family friend, is taking care of his ailing parents. He's an only child but we have "adopted" him as one of our own in my family. We met him through my Aunt Maureen years ago when he first became a priest and since then he has been there for us through thick and thin.
When my parents renewed their vows in Rhode Island, he officiated. When my older brother and sister-in-law got married in Pennsylvania, he married them in only the way Jack could do it. When I was in need of some serious spiritual direction/counseling over the years, Jack has been there at the drop of a hat. Quick to email, share a joke, provide words of wisdom/reassurance, yet also shine the light on the truth, Jack covers it all.
I pray and hope that when I get married some day, he will be available to preside at my wedding.
Jack has helped hundreds of, if not more, people through his ministry, humor, and overall wonderfulness.
So, yesterday's story was hard to hear as I drove to my meeting. The melancholic rain down here in North Carolina matched Mom's somber tone up in Pennsylvania as she shared with me that Jack's beloved mother is battling both lung cancer and bone cancer and she recently has moved to hospice care in Massachusetts, an hour from where Jack's father lives, who's health is also on the decline from heart ailments. The other night, when Jack was sitting with his mother, he asked her if she would like a bowl of ice cream. She perked up and said yes so Jack got a bowl of ice cream and when he went to hand it to her, heard a loud cracking sound. Jack's mother's arm broke just from reaching out for that bowl of ice cream. The doctors are unable to put on a cast or do anything for these bones that are breaking.
How helpless Jack and others must feel in not being able to do anything to lessen the pain. My eyes are tearing up just now as I think about it and recall the last time I saw Jack's parents. My best friend from 8th grade through 12th grade, Meredith, and I had driven up to Massachusetts for New Year's Eve. My Aunt Maureen hosted a small dinner party to celebrate. Jack and his parents were there and oh what a lovely couple his father and mother made. Though they had been married for many many years, they acted like it was the first day they fell in love. I can only hope to have a steadfast and long lasting love like that someday. Mr. Butler's humor was only surpassed by Mrs. Butler's beauty as the two shared stories and laughs with those of us sitting at their feet and around the cozy living room that cold winter night.
I emailed Jack last night not expecting to hear back from him any time soon since he's dealing with so much right now. However, leave it to him to respond quickly and to provide words of comfort to me when that was my intent in emailing him! If you have a minute, please pray and keep the Butler family in your prayers. God works in mysterious ways and we still need to trust.
"The steps of faith fall on the seeming void and find the rock beneath.." - Walt Whitman ♥
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Megan,
It brought and brings me great comfort! Thanks for the thought,
prayer and support. It is in the kindness of these phone calls, emails
and gestures that God, who is love, is manifested. Mom is at the end,
her strength, faith, courage and intellect throughout
this whole ordeal has been truly amazing! I have a strong sense you are
the same kind of woman!
Thanks again,
Jack
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As I was finishing this blog, at 9:20am, I got the message that Jack's mother passed away about an hour ago. Heaven just got another angel and may Mrs. Butler enjoy all the ice cream she wants now!
"Find your delight in the Lord who will give you your heart’s desire.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will act. And make
your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like noonday. Be
still before the Lord; wait for Him." Psalm 37:4-7
In 3 days, I get to go home! Well, to my "second" home of York, PA. Last year, for Fall Break, 2 of my best friends from college, came down to visit. From the moment they met me at school on Thursday night to when they left on Sunday evening, we had non-stop fun from ziplining to having a Thirty-One party to doing a ghost tour and First Fridayin downtown Greensboro! When I went to York for part of my Spring Break, Ashley, Monika, and Ashley's Mom gave me a beautiful birthday bracelet that I wear almost every day. In class on Monday night, I signed the word, "language", which consists of bringing both hands, in the "L" shape, from the center and wriggling it out to your sides in both directions. As I wriggled my left wrist, I heard the clink, clink of my charms on the bracelet the girls gave me last March. Below, you can see the beautiful Pandora bracelet from my friends.
This bracelet goes beyond keeping my best friends with me wherever I go but also has overcome obstacles and attempts at getting lost. In the summer, my barely 4 month old Pandora bracelet got run over in driveway as I was about to depart for the Women's Retreat Weekend in Outer Banks. You see, a few times between March and July, the bracelet had not properly clasped together and stayed on my wrist but the few times it happened, I simply picked up the bracelet and put it back on without thinking twice about it. Well, when it happened at 5am in the dark driveway that summer morning, I hadn't realized it had fallen off until after it was accidentally run over....square on the clasp. There was no saving it but I thought all would be okay once I got to Outer Banks where I would just get a replacement bracelet at a jewelry shop and heck, why not get some kind of charm to remember the retreat and OBX by while I was at it?! I was in for a shock when I did some internet searching for the closest Pandaora retailer in OBX. I had NO idea how much the charms and the bracelets themselves cost!! I also saw in my online search that since the bracelet was under a year old, I might be able to get a replacement due to warranty..IF I could prove the damage wasn't due to carelessness. A few days after the retreat weekend, I went to a store in Greensboro to see about getting a replacement. It took some finagling but I walked out of there with my new bracelet...whew! I thought that would be the end of my bracelet issues and promised if I were to have other issues with the clasp on the new bracelet, that I would let them know rather than waiting until something seriously damaging happens to the bracelet. A few months ago, while I rushed to the gym after school one night, I quickly changed into my workout clothes and dropped them into a heap near where I did Zumba with my friends, including the jewelry that I gingerly placed on top of the clothing. In my haste, I hadn't thought to grab my gym bag from my car, just the gym clothes to change into so that was my first mistake. Then, on the way out, I was in deep conversation with my friend, and didn't realize until we got to the parking lot that I had forgotten to close the bracelet and 2 of the dangling charms had fallen off the cord! We backtracked and actually did find the "Friends Forever" butterfly charm on the gym floor but thought we had lost the Shamrock charm for good. As a last ditch attempt, I asked the boys working the front desk to keep an eye out for it while cleaning up that night. I didn't really expect for the shamrock to be located but thankfully, it was and I was I able to get the charm the next night!! So, I went back to that Pandora retailer in Greensboro a few days later and promptly bought a clip to ensure the charms would not fall off any more should I inadvertently not clasp the bracelet closed when not wearing it. So far so good in not misplacing or running over the bracelet any more!!
Can't wait to have some fun with these gals this weekend!
Sometimes I'm jealous of my dog. Yes, tonight, while I read nine readings for the class I'm teaching....yes, nine!, he was curled up on the couch and sleeping away the evening...using me as a cushion, or twisting himself up and getting tangled with my feet, or even at some points, perching atop the couch where my head would have been had I been sitting upright (sometimes I think he thinks he's a cat). The funniest position tonight though, was when he got up, stretched out his little legs, and with a shake and wriggle, proceeded to walk up me, as if he were balancing himself on a tightrope, narrowly missing the flash drive, to circle around twice, shake himself again, before squeezing down between my shoulder and the cushion. Have you ever tried to read and type with a dog wedged firmly by and on your shoulder? I didn't mind though since tonight is the first cool fall night of the season and his little body provided warmth and heat as I read the homework I had assigned to my students. I'm lucky to have such a loving cuddlebug for a pup!
Lately, the song, "Should I Stay or Should I Go?", has been playing in my head. Other than being a catchy little tune, I think it's in part due to my wondering just what the future holds. In a year and a half, who knows where I will be??!! Life is a blank canvas just waiting to be painted on...will I move to a new city and live a hectic life of energy and bustle? Will I go to a rural area where the pace of life is a bit slower or will I return home and pick up where I left off in York/Harrisburg area??
Even if I did return home, things will be different....and for someone who doesn't do well with change, that's worrisome to me. I can't help but wonder about the unknown...even as I strive to live in the present.
Will I be a professor at a university? Will I go back to LIU #12? Will do trainings out of Harrisburg? Will I do research or strictly teach? All this preparation over the last 3 years, soon to be 4, and there are so many confounding variables. I look forward to settling down in wherever I end up in 19 short months. Should I stay in the South, stay at home or should I go somewhere new!??
I do love to travel & explore new places....almost as much as I love my home state of PA. So, I suppose no matter where I go, I will do okay. Dusty Shamrock will be there as well as the love my family and friends!
