What I'm Doing These Days

Okay, I have to start out with some livejournal-style entries to get my brain back in blogging mode…

Current mood: Exhausted.
Currently listening to: Celine Dion’s “That’s the Way It Is.”
Current movie playing downstairs: Ocean’s Eleven.
Current weather: 37 degrees and fair.
Currently reading: The Oxford Book of Christian Verse.
Current Holy Day: Ash Wednesday. (As in the Catholic holiday – Ashley’s birthday is in December, you sillies!)
Current friend I’m catching up with on IM: Christine.

Alright. I think I’m back in gear now.

For those of you out there who are thinking, “I didn’t know Leeann was a Celine Dion fan,” well, it’s news to both of us. I liked some of her songs in high school, so I guess I’m going retro on y’all. This song just happens to be on the radio as I write this and I just noticed the lyrics for the first time, adding substance to a pretty awesome beat: “Don’t give up on your faith, love comes to those who believe it, and that’s the way it is.”

I’m mostly writing because I have been harassed now on multiple occasions for not having posted in a while. This may well be the first time I’ve not posted in a week absent extraordinary circumstances, like going to San Diego. It’s been an insane but wonderful week. We had a wonderful houseguest, the much-missed Brianna, who came in on Thursday night. We spent Friday night grocery shopping and cooking till 1 a.m. Saturday was ESOL and then rushing home to make myself look decent for the Nelson wedding. (You can see some of the wonderful pictures here, as I shamelessly plug one of my best friends’ awesome talent.) Contrary to some reports, this was indeed a wedding and not an officially-sanctioned PHC reunion. Actually, I think more people came back for this wedding than the PHC homecoming! It was terrific to celebrate with Jonathan and Jenny with so many wonderful friends. The terrifying part was seeing the little ones – there are so many of them, both actual babies and those on the way… it was one thing to hear about them, but actually see these children?! A new… generation? What? I’m so used to being the youngest, and these kids clearly have the competitive edge in youth and cuteness. My reign of terror is over. *sigh*

Anyway, we had a ton of people over to our place after the wedding – what a blast. Food of every type was in abundance (the product of aforementioned going to bed very late the night before). But what was even better was the fun conversation, debate, and copious amounts of laughter, and the presence of so many out of towners – Jonathan, Derby, Kevin, and of course Brianna, as well as those who are pretty close by but we rarely see. It was terrific fun, even though it meant my getting roasted at some points. Oh well, one small sacrifice for a glorious evening with friends!

What else happened this week… I actually accomplished some scrapbooking, was asked to be a Maid of Honor for the first time (the MOH diet starts… tomorrow. It was going to start today, but we had a barbeque lunch delivered… *ahem*), talked to Megan for the first time in forever, and Cassidy got her assignment with the Navy – Pearl Harbor! I am excited for her because she’s so elated about it, but I must admit I will be loathe to see her leave the East Coast. I know she’ll be out here now and again to see her family, but it will be hard to manage the six hour time difference again! But the Lord will provide. If our friendship has survived for the last eleven years, I have no doubt we’ll make it work for another eleven and beyond, deo volente.

Today was crazy. Boss had two hearings that ended in very similar fashions… I don’t want to say too much for fear it’ll end up on Heard on the Hill, but suffice to say “neener neener neener” is now allowed to go into my letters, because it’s definitely something my boss would say. Out loud. In front of a room full of people.

I’m glad he has spunk. It’s much more motivating working for someone who has passion for what they do.

But now, I am going to bed, or I will be out of spunk when morning comes… and that is not conducive to letter-writing. But before I sign off for the night, I wanted to share a poem with you that I read last night. I thought it was gorgeous. It’s anonymous, but the author is known by God, and is surely now in their rest. The last two stanzas are particularly lovely.

O Gracious God, O Saviour sweet,
O Jesus, think on me,
And suffer me to kiss Thy feet,
Though late I come to Thee.

Behold, fear Lord, I come to Thee
With sorrow and with shame,
For when Thy bitter wounds I see,
I know I caused the same.

Sweet Jesu, who shall send me wings
Of peace and perfect love,
That I may rise from earthly things
To rest with Thee above?

For sin and sorrow overflow
All earthly things so high,
That I can find no rest below,
But unto Thee I fly.

Wherefore my soul doth loathe the things
Which gave it once delight,
And unto Thee, the King of kings,
Would mount with all her might.

And yet the weight of flesh and blood
Doth so my wings restrain,
That oft I strive and gain no good,
But rise, to fall again.

Yet when this fleshly misery
Is master’d by the mind,
I cry, ‘avaunt, all vanity,’
And ‘Satan, stand behind.’

So thus, sweet Lord, I fly about
In weak and weary case
Like the lone dove with Noah sent,
And found no resting place.

My weary wings, sweet Jesu, mark,
And when Thou thinkest best
Stretch forth Thy arm from out the ark,
And take me to Thy rest.