My friend, Jake. The coolest 14 year old I know...
December 17, 2011
December 15, 2011
in the nick of time...
Time for another honest report on my life.
As you know, I hit bottom, or a bottom (I'm sure I could go lower, but it was a low point either way). And faithwise, I was just sitting there, in the cold and dark, waiting. Turns out there's an odd sort of peace when you are in such a place, one I did not expect. When you are all done trying, when you aren't clinging to a rope for all you are worth, well, you can relax. Your situation hasn't changed, just how you are responding. It was interesting, to say the least.
Part of my bottom was not having a job and being at the end of my finances. Despite applying all over, I had nothing. And then I got an email. It was offering me a chance to apply for a full-time position for a job I had lots of skills and experience in (phone work). But I got the email on a Sunday night, and he wanted a response by Saturday night, the day BEFORE. I was crushed.
Then I figured it couldn't hurt to respond. So I answered all his questions, sent him a note saying I hadn't received it before Saturday, but that I would still like to be considered if possible.
Then it was in God's hands. And let me tell you, I prayed. I had friends pray. And I was strangely calm about it. I figured that if God wanted me to have the job, it would take him opening the door.
Well, long story short, the door opened. And after a phone interview, an in-person interview, observing the job, and a second round of interviews today, I was offered the position.
I'm still touching bottom--it's going to take sometime to hike out of this hole. But at least now I have provision. I'm not trying to jump on my own, I have a trampoline to help.
Thank you, God, for providing. Nothing like waiting until the very last second--I can see where I get my flair for the dramatic.
And welcome back to the full-time workforce. At least I can wear jeans every day...that should help ease the pain, right?
As you know, I hit bottom, or a bottom (I'm sure I could go lower, but it was a low point either way). And faithwise, I was just sitting there, in the cold and dark, waiting. Turns out there's an odd sort of peace when you are in such a place, one I did not expect. When you are all done trying, when you aren't clinging to a rope for all you are worth, well, you can relax. Your situation hasn't changed, just how you are responding. It was interesting, to say the least.
Part of my bottom was not having a job and being at the end of my finances. Despite applying all over, I had nothing. And then I got an email. It was offering me a chance to apply for a full-time position for a job I had lots of skills and experience in (phone work). But I got the email on a Sunday night, and he wanted a response by Saturday night, the day BEFORE. I was crushed.
Then I figured it couldn't hurt to respond. So I answered all his questions, sent him a note saying I hadn't received it before Saturday, but that I would still like to be considered if possible.
Then it was in God's hands. And let me tell you, I prayed. I had friends pray. And I was strangely calm about it. I figured that if God wanted me to have the job, it would take him opening the door.
Well, long story short, the door opened. And after a phone interview, an in-person interview, observing the job, and a second round of interviews today, I was offered the position.
I'm still touching bottom--it's going to take sometime to hike out of this hole. But at least now I have provision. I'm not trying to jump on my own, I have a trampoline to help.
Thank you, God, for providing. Nothing like waiting until the very last second--I can see where I get my flair for the dramatic.
And welcome back to the full-time workforce. At least I can wear jeans every day...that should help ease the pain, right?
December 10, 2011
saturday snapshot...
My chickens really do love yogurt! Gwendolyn is the one looking up, from there (counterclockwise) is Rose, Ophelia, and Cordelia. Aren't they pretty?
December 5, 2011
november reading review...
A once-a-month review of the books I read.
The rating is the same as Goodreads--5 stars means "it was amazing," 4 is "really liked it," 3 is "liked it," 2 is "it was okay," and 1 is "didn't like it."
The Painter of Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein (4 stars)
Epstein understands both words and art, and that made this book a great read. The story of a young girl sold into prostitution by her uncle, we follow her through her two years in the house, her rescue by a government official, her introduction to the art world, and her studies that take her around the world.
Due to the subject matter, I do not recommend this for most reader, and not for any of my teens (wait until your 25, please and thank you!). Dara loaned this one to me, and it's no surprise that she liked it, being so art focused!
A Series of Unfortunate Events, Books 6,7,& 8 by Lemony Snicket (3 stars to each)
The Ersatz Elevator, The Vile Village, The Hostile Hospital
They are still pretty quick reads (2 hours or less), but I'm sorta falling out of enjoyment with them. They are great stories, and if I was a kid or had kid, I'd likely enjoy them a tad more. I'll finish the series, but won't be rereading them soon.
The rating is the same as Goodreads--5 stars means "it was amazing," 4 is "really liked it," 3 is "liked it," 2 is "it was okay," and 1 is "didn't like it."
The Painter of Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein (4 stars)
Epstein understands both words and art, and that made this book a great read. The story of a young girl sold into prostitution by her uncle, we follow her through her two years in the house, her rescue by a government official, her introduction to the art world, and her studies that take her around the world.
Due to the subject matter, I do not recommend this for most reader, and not for any of my teens (wait until your 25, please and thank you!). Dara loaned this one to me, and it's no surprise that she liked it, being so art focused!
A Series of Unfortunate Events, Books 6,7,& 8 by Lemony Snicket (3 stars to each)
The Ersatz Elevator, The Vile Village, The Hostile Hospital
They are still pretty quick reads (2 hours or less), but I'm sorta falling out of enjoyment with them. They are great stories, and if I was a kid or had kid, I'd likely enjoy them a tad more. I'll finish the series, but won't be rereading them soon.
Real Life and Liars by Kristina Riggle (3 1/2 stars)
I picked this one up because it was agented by an agent I'm interested in, and it was well worth the read. A story about a mother who is dying of cancer and her three adult children, this is a well-written exploration of family dynamics.
I'm not a huge fan of the multi-narrator/POV style (The mother is first person, the three "children" are in third), but it wasn't as annoying as some.
This is NOT a book for any of the CPers to be reading--wait until you've graduated college.
I picked this one up because it was agented by an agent I'm interested in, and it was well worth the read. A story about a mother who is dying of cancer and her three adult children, this is a well-written exploration of family dynamics.
I'm not a huge fan of the multi-narrator/POV style (The mother is first person, the three "children" are in third), but it wasn't as annoying as some.
This is NOT a book for any of the CPers to be reading--wait until you've graduated college.
In the Frame by Dick Francis (3 stars)
Another fun read by Francis--this one is about a painter who ends up trying to clear his cousin, who is suspected of murdering his wife. Francis combines the art world, the wine world, and Australia into this one, and it's a blast. What was even more fun was realizing it was written before I was born--in the days when you could travel under any name you liked and had no cell phones :P.
Horoscopes for the Dead by Billy Collins (4 stars)
I think once I have time to really spend with these poems, the ranking will go up to 5 stars, but on first read, I had a harder time than usual getting into this collection (that's to say it took five poems instead of the normal one!). Collins is still the best, and I love hi,
Another fun read by Francis--this one is about a painter who ends up trying to clear his cousin, who is suspected of murdering his wife. Francis combines the art world, the wine world, and Australia into this one, and it's a blast. What was even more fun was realizing it was written before I was born--in the days when you could travel under any name you liked and had no cell phones :P.
Horoscopes for the Dead by Billy Collins (4 stars)
I think once I have time to really spend with these poems, the ranking will go up to 5 stars, but on first read, I had a harder time than usual getting into this collection (that's to say it took five poems instead of the normal one!). Collins is still the best, and I love hi,
Hold Still by Nina LaCour (3 1/2 stars)
This was another one I picked up in my agent research. LaCour is one I'll watch for in the future. It was really a good read, I just don't know that I'll read it again. This YA tale is about a 17-year old whose best friend commits suicide. A few months later, the MC finds her friend's journal tucked under her own bed. She starts to read and finds out she how much she didn't see, and that her friend left her one final gift--a way to deal with the loss.
While it says YA, I'd say only the older YA set (17+) due to some subject matter.
It looks like I'm going to round out the year just over 100 books. I'm already reading number 99, and the month is young!
This was another one I picked up in my agent research. LaCour is one I'll watch for in the future. It was really a good read, I just don't know that I'll read it again. This YA tale is about a 17-year old whose best friend commits suicide. A few months later, the MC finds her friend's journal tucked under her own bed. She starts to read and finds out she how much she didn't see, and that her friend left her one final gift--a way to deal with the loss.
While it says YA, I'd say only the older YA set (17+) due to some subject matter.
It looks like I'm going to round out the year just over 100 books. I'm already reading number 99, and the month is young!
December 3, 2011
saturday snapshot...
A visitor in the backyard this summer...I never noticed the spider in there before now!
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