Extra Credit Time

I gave my first exam of the new semester on Friday.  If you'll recall from blog postings last semester, I give my students extra credit questions to answer at the end of the exams.  One question I usually start out with on the first exam is "List a random trivia item about your professor here:  __________"

I'm always tickled by the responses and this round of exams proved no different.  It's amazing to see what really sticks with the students by reading their responses...and to realize which one didn't realize I was being sarcastic when I shared a random trivia item while teaching.  Can you figure out which one it is??

• She's   ENGAGED!!!
• She loves her state - PA!  She has hearing aids and is engaged!!  :)
• She's removing wallpaper at home.
• She lost her St. Francis charm :( / She just moved.
• She's getting married soon!!  :)
• Loves her niece & nephews a lot :) .  Engaged and just BOUGHT A HOUSE :)
• Air force brat :)
• Her family, when playing game, puts * by a questionable win/move
• She's from Pennsylvania and is a Woman of Grace :) ----> this one is probably one of my most favorite answers ever!  Loved the Women of Grace bible study I completed twice in Pa in 2007!)
• Has a twin brother - how cool is that???
• She is engaged to be married in May
• She thinks PA is the best state
• She is painting a room in her house blue
• She just recently bought a house and loves to remove wallpaper!

Feast Day of St. Francis de Sales

Today is the feast day of St. Francis de Sales.  Exactly one year ago today to this very minute, I was with most of my family at the conclusion of my dissertation defense that fell on his feast day last year (Godicidentally).  I had just successfully defended my dissertation and shortly after we were enroute to my favorite Irish restaurant in High Point, NC:  Claddagh.  Here is the posting I wrote after that incredible day if you would like to read about it and view pictures!

I have been missing my family today but the memories of that exciting afternoon are bringing happiness and joy to me out here in Ohio as I cuddle with Dusty and attempt to buckle down and be productive. I wish I could say that one year later, I'm not spending long Saturday afternoons doing schoolwork but alas, that is what I took a break from just now to pen this little post.  Someday (soon I hope) I will strike a balance and manage to get it all done without losing my sanity.  This quote, one of my favorite quotes of St. Frances de Sales, has gotten me through many long hours of schoolwork when I would much rather be socializing, sleeping, well doing just about anything else:

“It is love that gives value to all our works; it is not by the greatness or multiplicity of our works that we please God, but by the love with which we do them.” 


However, in light of current wedding planning stress, this one is more appropriate for me these days...patience, patience, patience....something I always seem to need to grow in it seems!

“Know that the virtue of patience is what assures us the most perfection.”

Keeping the Hope Alive

Last night my other housemate returned to our home in Ohio.  As she shared her stories of her day of travel from Texas then on to NC before finally landing in Pittsburgh, I smiled on the inside as she spoke of her brief layover in Charlotte because it was one year ago today I found myself at the Charlotte Airport.  I recall arriving there over an hour early since I was so excited to pick up Adam from there to spend time with him in person for the very first time.  After exactly three months of emailing, talking on the phone, and skyping, I remember texting my friend, Lisa, from the cell phone parking lot in excited anticipation as I waited for Adam's plane to land.  That last hour before receiving that call from him that he was at the terminal seemed to go slower than a spoonful of honey pouring into a bowl but oh my was the outcome so sweet.  Here is the first picture we snapped together in my car that night...looking back on this a year later, it's beautiful to see all the emotions happening in this photo!

The next week and a half were a blur as we covered ground from Winston-Salem to High Point to Greensboro to Stoneville in North Carolina.  He met my family, colleagues, and friends from church and school/work.  We read the book, "It is Well", by Chris Faddis and went to Geeksboro Cinema gamehouse for the first time.  A family dinner was prepared by us as my parents got to know him over dinner conversation.  My niece and nephews fell in love with him pretty quickly calling him "Mr. Adam".  We witnessed my friend, Sarah's wedding to her hubby and ate a delicious meal at Southern Roots after the wedding.  Quiet time was had at the Adoration chapel at Maryfield, the St. Francis Springs Prayer Center, and little St. Kevin's at Pennybyrne but then we stayed up half the nights talking about anything and everything.  Snow fell that week which delayed some of my student teaching observations allowing for more time together in the early mornings before I had to go to work.  He listened to a run-through of my dissertation defense on campus and we enjoyed a dinner out at Melting Pot.  We kicked off the 2014 Theology on Tap series at a local Italian family style restaurant and by the end of the visit had discerned we were going to give this relationship a try in spite of the distance.  One of the hardest things I ever had to do was to put Adam back on the plane and watch him walk away in Charlotte at the conclusion of that trip.  I remember crying as I pulled away from the curb and not stopping until I was about halfway back to High Point knowing I was going to see him again that night on Skype but when would I be seeing him in person again??

Then the real world reminded me it was still there and panic set in as I began to think about the dissertation defense that very next afternoon.  Even though I was prepared as I was ever going to be, it felt like I was on an emotional high from having spent time with Adam but then doubting whether or not I would pass my defense the next day.  I have been thinking of that dissertation defense lately because of not only the time of year it is now but also because I will be giving that same speech at a conference presentation in one month in St. Louis through my poster presentation and again over St. Patrick's Day week in New Orleans at a platform presentation.  I will have to blow off the dust on that presentation and wear my cosmic Jamberry nail wraps (they look like rainbows and will tie nicely with my rainbow analogy I give in my presentation...it's the little things right?  Doesn't take much to make this girl happy..ha!).

So, today is fortunately a day away from campus...one that will find me on a Skype call with Margo to talk about manuscript revisions at 8:30am before having coffee at my neighbor's house at 10am.  Next, I hope to spend a significant amount of time at the new house painting and vacuuming helping to prepare Adam for his transition from being a guest to resident in our new town and state.  What an incredible week that was last January as well as this one as we help Adam get settled in our new home!  It's amazing how much can change in one quick year with only 128 days remaining until the wedding and I get to move to our cozy little house!  We haven't skyped since mid December since thank God we've been together in person every day since I flew out there for the holidays and we drove cross country back to Ohio.  You would think after 710 hours  30 minutes and 35 seconds of Skyping everyday since November 11, 2013 (except for four days we missed) we would be out of things to talk about but we're still chatting away these days.  I'm so thankful for healing mercies, redemptive suffering, and forgiving grace through God & that He brought us together in spite of our past mistakes, flaws and all.  This morning, I sit here in awe at all that He has orchestrated. I can hardly wait to see what He does next in our lives!

For those of you reading this who may be struggling with despair or wondering if things will ever turn around for you...please know you're in my prayers and please do hang on to that hope even if it's just a lingering feeling you may have.  It is never too late to change destructive patterns or to change your ways to be on a better path no matter how far you may have strayed from it on your journey.  Maybe we need to improve our prayer life or perhaps we need to devote more time to cultivating relationships with one another.  Or there may be room for growth at work or in gaining personal knowledge in an area.  Some may feel called to engage in different dating habits (e.g., courting vs. dating, being more intentional in whom you date/what you do with your dates) while others may want to change what is you do in your spare time or others may need to put themselves out there beyond their comfort zones.  Work may need to be done in some of these areas or maybe only one needs to be the focus.

However, none of this is in vain since all things do work for the good of the Lord, even if we don't see the results just yet (or even if we never do).  Ask God to help your unbelief if this is something you may struggle with and be open to whatever it is He wills for your life because it really could all change in an instant.  From someone who's been there...don't lose the hope...!

Conclusion of Road Trip!

Yesterday Adam, Dusty Shamrock, and I packed up his car and headed on west from my parents' home to Ohio for the final leg of our journey.  Dusty was a patient back seat driver albeit a comical one with his furry handlebar mustache that got more and more pronounced each time he raised his head from his doggie bed.

 

Here is a blurry Welcome to Ohio state sign as we crossed the bridge to enter good ol' Steubenville last night.  Even though OH is not CA, I hope Adam can grow to like it as we set out to make a home here together after the wedding!  Please keep him in your prayers as he goes through this huge life transition of moving from one coast to the other. 

We spent the first couple hours back at the house opening three weeks' worth of mail and Christmas gifts that had arrived while I was in California.  Thanks to friends and family for all the holiday love!!

Dusty loved being back home with his familiar toys and had lots of energy to burn after being in the car the last five hours!

I took Adam over to campus to show him some of my favorite areas on campus.  Unfortunately, with it still being break, the buildings were locked.  It's nice to know that my work is so secure though!

 

Stained glass windows outside Christ the King Chapel

We even had snow on our first night back in Ohio!  We were thankful to be in a cozy warm house as the snow fell in the moonlight.

Excuse the mess as I worked to unpack while Adam got his work station set up for work today.

 

I am already reaping the benefits of having Adam here....I'm LOVING the dual monitor set up for work!  Now off to work on getting Blackboard ready for all four of my classes in time for next week's start of the new semester using both my laptop and desktop monitors!!  Here's to a super duper productive afternoon of getting schoolwork done in half the time through the dual monitors.  Fingers crossed!!

Road Trip Adventures on Pause

The last few days have been spent at home in sweet home Schuylkill County.  Adam and I made it back to my parents' house in time to celebrate New Year's Eve with my NC niece and nephews who were here for a few days visiting their grandparents.

Today was the first quiet day we had since my sister-in-law picked them up today.  The last few days were a whir of eating, playing with the children, relaxing, eating, watching football, eating, and running errands.  One of the errands included ensuring Adam was appropriately dressed for the winter by using the Kohl's gift cards from some of my family to buy Adam a winter coat and gloves to match the hat and scarf from my little brother.

Until today, Adam had never heard the sound of falling ice...

We got those items just in time due to the ice storm we received today!!  Fortunately, the weather did not keep us from enjoying our dinner out after mass at Oak Hill Inn off 61.

The "Little Schuylkill" Punch was delicious!

Cheers!

 

Our dishes were almost too pretty to eat!

 

 Tomorrow we will be back on the road as we finish our our road trip and reach our final destination for now.....Ohiiiiio!  :)

Road Trip Adventures: Day 4

Tuesday turned out being our longest day of travel since we spontaneously decided to continue pushing on through Virginia home to my parents' house in Pennsylvania around midnight or so.  Originally we had planned to go to Asheville, NC to break up the drive from Nashville, TN to Frackville, PA but ditched that plan and kept driving which put us on the road for about 14 or 15 hours.

As we ate our breakfast at the hotel on the last morning, we were surprised to learn that snow was in the forecast for California!!  We wondered if we might encounter any of the winter weather as we drove that day.  Up to that point, we had been blessed with mostly sunny weather and experienced no obstacles to the driving.  Throughout the day we drove in and out of some light mist and sprinkles of rain but otherwise enjoyed the cloudy cover.  The further north we drove, the brighter the skies became and the more my excitement grew as I knew my North Carolina niece and nephews were at my parents' for a few days and I also was itching to get my hands on my little pup.  Having not seen him since Thanksgiving, I certainly missed his furry greetings!!

Nashville skyline

The key on the right is my new charm I bought in Memphis, TN that will help me to remember this epic road trip!

We outdrove the clouds!

This was our riskiest state sign picture yet....standing along the dark highway in the cold as trucks and cars whizzed by....we opted to not do this when we crossed into Maryland and Pennsylvania a few minutes later during the trip.

 Once we arrived home, we greeted Mom and Dad and checked in on the kiddos.  They were asleep since it was a little after midnight but I couldn't resist taking these pictures upon seeing them in their beds.

 Soon after, us grownups went to bed for we knew the children would be up bright and early on New Year's Eve the next day!  Yesterday was a relaxing day with Adam working (a little), enjoying Christmas cookies and treats, and playing with the children.  In the evening, we attended mass for the holy day at St. Patrick's in Pottsville.  It was nice being back in church with the NC children again and I loved cuddling with them as we listened to Father talk.  After mass, we walked up to the front of the church and spent some time viewing the Nativity scene and talking about the Holy Family.

All four children (and Adam..hehe) managed to stay awake until midnight last night!!  The children were sound asleep by 12:10am and us adults followed suit soon after as it had been a long day!  This morning Mom asked if it had sunk in yet that Adam and I were now in the same time zones.  Thinking of all the different ones we had driven through the past few days I jokingly asked, "which one?"  Now that 2015 is here, I can hardly believe this is the year we will get married and the wedding is only 142 away from today!! 

This was the only snow we saw in California over Christmas.  It was the fake snow at Magic Mountain last weekend but little did we know, one week later that Murietta, Lake Elsinore, and some of Corona, CA were going to get the real white stuff!!  They can keep it this winter and let's hope Ohio doesn't get any!  ; )

  

Road Trip Adventures: Days 2 & 3

On Day 1, while at a rest stop somewhere in Arizona, I talked to a retired Navy veteran who had spent 26 years of his life serving our great country.  I told him about my Dad and his service in the Air Force.  It was neat seeing a similar retired hat perched atop another gray haired guy so far from home.  While talking to the Navy gentleman, for a second, it felt like my Dad was there with Adam and me.  

We had a bit of an historical experience on Sunday morning when we attended 7am mass in the oldest Catholic Church in Albuquerque, San Felipe de Neri (the church was built in 1793).  As we exited the church, we talked to a woman who was born and raised in the area.  She wished us a good trip as we departed the plaza in Old Town Albuquerque to make our way over to Rebel Donuts for an eggnog frappe and a couple donuts to go (Choco  Rebel, Salted Caramel, and of course the Maple Bacon donut).  I still prefer the breakfast donut from the Lancaster Farmer’s Market my friend, Michelle, gave me over the summer followed by the breakfast donut Adam, Doris, Natalie, and I ate from Voodoo Donuts in Denver.  However, these sweet treats definitely helped as we traveled from ABQ, NM to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Day 2.

This store reminded us of one of our favorite songs of Dawes:  A Little Bit of Everything.  However, as Adam pointed out...a store with this name (A Bit of Everything) should not be a specialized football store as it doesn't really have a bit of everything..hah!

Adam and I also worked to finish our monthly book today as we drove.  One of my housemates gave me Dr. Scott Hahn’s most recent book, “Joy to the World:  How Christ’s Coming Changed Everything (and Still Does)” as a Christmas gift.  The start of Chapter 12:  Flight Into Joy sounded extra familiar considering Adam’s and my current circumstances:

Christmas means travel, with all of its attendant busyness and bother.  In our highly mobile society, that’s what Christmas means to more and more people every year.  That is just as it should be.  Families should make an effort to get together for holy days.  And Christmas, after all, would be the appropriate time.  It’s the feast whose biblical backstory involves the most mileage.

Random facts from Day 2:

There is a concerto that is devoted to the four seasons.  I guessed correctly one 1 of the 4 in trying to match up the music with the season.  Guess I have some more learning to do from Adam in his taste of music.

In Adam’s words, “there is a whole lot of nothing between these two cities” when traveling on 40 East.

Sunday does not equal a day of rest for the farmers we saw hard at work riding their tractors yesterday afternoon as we traveled through New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma.

Cadillac Ranch is right off the highway in Amarillo, Texas so it is very easy to make a pit stop and look at the cars half in and half out of the dirt there.  If we had had more time, I would definitely have stopped to look at them in person!

The song below by Bryan Adams was my favorite tune of the day:  

"A Little Love"

Some people walk the straight and narrow - some walk the rocky road
some get the silver spoon and some get the heavy load
there's a man in a paper box he smiles whenever we walk by
we just walk a little faster and say "there but for the crazy of God go I"
But a little love - just a little love - a little love can change it all
i've been up and down this highway and I ain't seen a road sign yet
it's cold hard world baby you gotta hang on yo what you get
I don't believe in miracles but that don't mean they don't come true
well I may not get to heaven but I get a little closer when I'm with you
but a little love - just a little love - a little love can change it all

well I get a little tired walkin' down the street
people on my side - everyone I meet
but they don't know what's on my mind
and they don't know what they might find
a little love - just a little love - a little love can change it all

right when you think you don't need love is when you need it most
even if you got the father the son and the holy ghost
well there's more to truth baby than what we know is true
ya we wander round in the darkness
but every now and then a little shines thru
and a little love - just a little love can change it all 

When crossing into Texas, we were able to snap this shot of the NM sign since we hadn't gotten one the other day.

As we got more comfortable with each other's driving styles, some of us felt comfortable enough to nap while the other drove.  :)

Supposedly this is the largest cross in the Western Hemisphere (somewhere in TX)...?

Cotton?

Missing my pooch even more (today is Dusty Shamrock's 8th birthday)!!

 

~ ~ ~

                                                                                                                                                                            

Originally, we had planned to end Day 2 by staying overnight in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma but instead ventured 20 minutes northeast of the city to Arcadia to try out a place called, “Pops”, at the suggestion of a friend when she heard we were going to be in the area.  What a fun place this was!!  Built in 2007, from the outside, the building looked like some sort of futuristic building one might see on the TV show, “The Jetsons”, and we were surprised to see the gas pumps in front of Pops.  We joked that instead of dispensing fuel the pumps would fill gas tanks with soda.  Yeah, it doesn’t take much to keep us amused and entertained.  ;)  

I can’t even do the description of Pops justice with words but I will try.  The entire front and back walls of the huge convenience store were lined with hundreds and hundreds of colorful bottles of soda on the floor to ceiling shelves.  The flavors we saw ranged from Ranch (???!!!!) to chocolate to peanut butter and jelly (!!!) to more traditional flavors such as birch beer from Kutztown (where I got my Master’s degree!!).  Adam and I excitedly scooped up a bottle of Orange Dream that is supposed to taste just like an orange creamsicle and a bottle of Cherry Limeade to keep with the seasonal spirit.  We can’t wait to imbibe of our “spirits” when we share them with Mom and Dad in PA.  While dining at Pops, some teenagers walking by our table tripped and dropped their newly purchased soda.  One of the bottles broke open and showered us, and our food, and the shelves above us, and our hair, and my jacket with soda.  I was just thankful my ears didn’t get drenched with the sticky stuff.  We laughed it off and I sure hope the boy who had tripped and fallen wasn’t on a first date with the girl…how disastrous!  After dinner, we checked out the backyard and enjoyed the pretty lit up trees before hitting the road again and driving on a bit further on back roads to get back on 40.  The back roads provided a nice break from the highway driving and showcased some holiday lights.  My only regret from this portion of the trip is that we didn’t find Delilah on the radio sooner! 

 

We could see this "pop" bottle from over a mile away and no, it isn't lit up as a Christmas light decoration!  ;)

My "pop"ular guy standing in front of the entrance (check out those windows behind Adam!).

These are the windows that were behind Adam.  The waitress said before each worker can go home from his/her shift, each has to clean at least two shelves...that is a lot of dusting/polishing. FYI:  the bottles are glued to their spots on the shelves as they are for display only.

YUM!

Adam pointed out these cool pictures of landmarks that can be seen as one drives along Route 66.  The neat part about these photos was that we had seen many of these landmarks ourselves earlier that day or during the day before even if we didn't physically stop at them.

We both loved the peanut butter shake we shared..hand-spun and all!

 

We were excited to see this soda!  I got my Master's Degree from Kutztown University....and never knew Kutztown had a bottling company much less its own soda!

 

Looking at the back of Pops from the yard will show you just how large this building was in terms of other "convenience stores".

We stayed overnight in a motel that left a lot to be desired.  We didn’t have a laundry bag, WIFI was not free (hence no blog posting last night), and there was no free breakfast.  In spite of these inconveniences, or perhaps because of them, we hit the road bright and early at 6:30am to get a head start to Memphis.  We were able to watch the sun come up over the farms and cattle that dotted the rolling plains of Oklahoma as we steered toward Arkansas and Tennessee.  We have been really fortunate with the weather but today’s leg of the journey has proven to be a bit slower due to construction and a little more traffic than on previous days.

Pottsville!!! Apparently Arkansas likes to borrow names from other states/countries such as Pottsville, Menifee (!!!!), and even Palestine.

Crossing over the Mississippi River and from Arkansas to Tennessee!!

I didn’t realize so many famous folks were from this area of the country, the heartland of America.  It was neat driving on the Garth Brooks Blvd. and seeing the sign marking Shannon Miller’s hometown.  I think it’s the same Shannon Miller I enjoyed watching perform gymnastics on TV as a child.  However, what really excited me was that this morning, we drove through Checotah, the town where Carrie Underwood grew up…I could only get through one (twangy/country) verse of Carrie’s “I Ain’t in Checotah Anymore” on my iPod before Adam put his classical music back on the radio.  

We pulled into Central BBQ in downtown Memphis on the recommendation of a friend.  I'm so glad we followed his suggestion because the pulled pork nachos I ate there were DELICIOUS!!!!  Adam enjoyed his ribs too.  After driving through a little of downtown Memphis and enjoying the view of the river we pulled back onto 40 East.  However, much to Adam's chagrin, I realized there was a Pandora store in the mall and immediately pulled over to see if I could find a charm to add to my bracelet of mementos.  Two hours and another store later, I was successful!  Thanks, in large part to my Aunt Marie and Uncle Bill's gift card from this past fall, I was able to buy a dangling sparkly key with a heart in the center that I can wear either on my bracelet OR on my necklace that will help me to remember this adventure of a road trip Adam and I are currently on when I see it!

Look at all those yummy sauces! 

 

Just after this pyramid we drove past the St. Jude Children's Hospital!

By the time we got back on the road it was dark so we didn't think we wound up pulling over about an hour before Nashville at a hotel MUCH better than last night's!  Yay for free WIFI & breakfast too!!

  

Random facts from Day 3:

The welcome center rest stops in Oklahoma and Arkansas are AWESOME!  They looked like rustic cabin lodges and more importantly, gave away FREE coffee.  The welcome center in Arkansas had a fire roaring in the fireplace that made the whole area smell like campfire.  Very cozy!

Items lost so far:  2.  My toothbrush did not make the trip from Albuquerque, NM to Shawnee, OK and my small dangling St. Francis of Assisi charm that I bought (ironically) on Adam’s birthday in 2011 from the St. Francis Springs Prayer Center fell off my bracelet. : /   I’ve worn that charm every day for the last 3+ years and miss seeing the peaceful image throughout the day.  I hope to make it back to the prayer center in NC someday to replace the beloved charm!

When traveling through Arizona into New Mexico on our first day, we were just a few miles from the Native American reservation, Fort Defiance, which is where my brother and his wife completed one of their pharmacy rotations in the early 2000s.  I remember back then thinking how cool it was they were “so far away” and how I would probably never find myself out that way….and here we were traveling the same roads they did back then.  Cool!

For some reason, no matter where we went today (in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennesee), we were greeted with very poor customer service (in restaurants, stores, and even at the current hotel).  It was very trying at times and I'm glad the day is over so we can all have a fresh start tomorrow...if you have a moment, please send up a prayer/positive thought for all those who may be unsatisfied or unhappy with their current jobs that they may find peace or fulfillment in their work.