Why I Heart Recess

A couple housekeeping items to begin with. Many thanks to Kelly Sau… er… Langner (at least for another few weeks) for the blog facelift. Apparently, planning a wedding and moving isn’t enough to keep this girl busy. *grin* The new look highlights a picture from the coastline of Scotland (above) and a hunter green trim. No, it’s not black. Yes, I’m sure.

Next, major kudos, congrats, and praises to God for Chris becoming the assistant campaign manager for Michael Golden, who is running for State Delegate down in the greater Springfield area. So I guess we’ll see him again sometime after November 2. I have a baggie of Emergen-C waiting for you if you happen to stop by. Gotta have the campaign essentials!

Third item has to deal with my absence of late. It's called recess and all the computer work done during said time. I had the blessing of having something of a mini-vacation this weekend; spent Thursday with errands and working from home, then spent Friday and Saturday in Purcellville, helping Kelly move and Naomi celebrate her birthday. Also had coffee with Faith and saw Sweet Home Alabama.

I have to confess, though, I think the best part of the weekend was simply getting to drive. When I was driving out to Purcellville on Friday afternoon, it was cloudy and cool. I turned up some Carolyn Dawn Johnson as my surroundings went from citified to suburban to rural. Just as you start descending down 7 west, just past Tyson’s, there’s a moment that the valley is situated just so all you see are the trees around you and the deep blue hills straight ahead. Makes a girl feel like she could drive for days.

As more and more grass came into view, I rolled the windows down and let it whip through my hair. The air was fresh, and, dare I say it, crisp. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is late August and I believe we are quickly approaching the actual end of summer and running to the golden embrace of autumn. I will do a more comprehensive post about the glories of fall in the near future, but this is just a rambling post, so all coherent thoughts are to be kept to an absolute minimum.

I also enjoyed being out at the house Kelly and Kate are sitting. It’s out in the middle of a huge field of… something… I’m not sure what, but it is green and seemingly endless. When it rained yesterday, it was so perfect. I felt so inspired. I could’ve set up camp there – oh, if only it had been a cabin! – and written for days. But I’d get fired eventually. This whole responsibility thing is highly overrated. I enjoyed freedom while I could, with chai and a lot of laughter.

So many thanks to Sarah for leaving me the keys. Well, I guess I should thank her sister for getting married in Ohio, but I’ll stick with thanking Sarah. Who gets home tonight. Yay!!

In other news, done a lot of thinking about looking for grace lately – in others’ lives as well as my own. We’re so prone to be critical, and I know I have a particular vulnerability to harp on others’ faults. I’m also prone to look at how I think I am not blessed – or to put that in more common terms, coveting what I don’t have. But God has given us everything we need to be complete in Him, and the very fact that He has redeemed us is grounds for infinite praise. May I never be so focused on what I don’t have that I miss the very rich reality God has given His all to provide for me. I am so blessed… “and I feel like I’ve found my way… I thank God for all I’ve been given… at the end of every day… I have been blessed… with so much more than I deserve…”

But actually, no, I’m not listening to country. The music of choice at the moment is a bit retro for me. I’m reverting back to my high school habit of… smooth jazz. Yes, some people call it elevator music. I happen to like it. It reminds me of the easygoing lifestyle of San Diego. And it features some very talented instrumentalists. You have to have an ear for it, I guess. I think it’s nice. And there’s not nearly as many commercials as on other stations.

Well, here’s to another week. Think I am going to take a short nap before evening service. Just five days till the big Labor Day excursion to lovely Virginia Beach! Atlantic Ocean, here we come!