Ski Retreat Update:

I'm sitting in the lobby at the Holiday Inn in Beckley, WV. We've been here 3 days with the Stafford Baptist youth on the winter ski retreat. There has been a total of 21 that made the trip. Highlights so far include:

David going down the black diamond without falling
Paul, Jacob, Jonny, Elizabeth, and Stephanie skiing the first time.
Elizabeth wanting to go down a black diamond (she went down several blues).
Stephanie going all the way to the top of the mountain and wondering why she was up there and how she would get down. She made it down with minimal tumbles.
Paul wiping out numerous times but still going all the way to the top and coming down with us.

It has been a great time and a time of growth for all of us. Right now I'm tired but in a good tired way. Still one more night and a long drive back to Stafford.

The heat pump is dying

I have known this for a while-over 2 years now that our heat pump is dying. I knew this because 1. it was 10 years old in 2006 and most heat pumps die after 10 years so I am told (which is very sad) and 2. it has a leak in it which causes the air conditioner to freeze up in the summer and the heat to refuse to work (making the house 50-60) in the winter and needs transfusions of freon periodically. So now, our trusty heat pump guy, Kurt Lewis is coming out again (has been here only a year ago) on Christmas Eve,God bless him, to let us know the prognosis. Oh joy, we will pay him $200, then figure out how much longer the heat pump has, then research buying a quality new one if there is such a thing. So, I have heard good reviews on Train (I think that is how one spells it), and Carrier. Anyone else for wisdom and help in this matter? In the meantime, I am freezing.

Nancy

The Season

This is the earliest I have had all my presents wrapped thanks mostly to Elizabeth. I would have liked it if she would have wrapped her own presents, but she drew the line there. I have mailed my cards and baked (again mostly Elizabeth) over half of the things we wish to bake. I always enjoyed December 18th for some reason. Possibly because a lot of the busyness and events are done, it is more peaceful and yet there is still pleasant anticipation for Christmas. So I plan to enjoy this last calmer week by baking a bit more and doling it out to whomever such as work, neighbors, friends. After all, my cheesecake did go for $50 at the youth auction and I heard today the person would have paid $100 if the bidding had kept going! That was an ego boost. Some of these old recipes are really worth it.

Jonny: we are done with the testing at the counseling center and I will probably get the results and hopefully some help after the holidays. We had a bad morning today and this unnerved me until I had another friend over who also struggles with her 13 year old daughter.

My friend: I keep reminding myself how precious it is to have and be with my children especially as my friend's daughter is spending Christmas in the hospital with a severe illness like leukemia. She ate our bread and cookies which I feel blessed for the chance to serve her.

Book: I am in the middle of "To Kill a Mockingbird"-don't think I have ever read it. Seems good so far-told from the perspective of a 6 year old in the south. I also grabbed a book of poetry in the library called:Littlefoot by Charles Wright. I have a hard time understanding much poetry but this opening part was interesting:

"It may not be written in any book, but it is written--

You can't go back,

                                you can't repeat the unrepeatable.

No matter how fast you drive, or how hard the slide show 

Of memory flicks and releases,

It's always some other place,

                                                   some other car in the drive in the driveway,

Someone unrecognizable about to open the door.

Nevertheless, like clouds in their nebulous patterns,

We tend to recongregate

                                             in the exitless blue

And try to relive our absences.

What else have we got to d0?...

This book is according to the back flap, the author's meditation on mortality, search for a road map in the skies and for last instructions regarding the "other side of my own death". He is 70 yrs old. It will be interesting how he answers himself and his other question, "Will you miss me when I am gone?"

Dave and I: we have been able to finally carve out some time together-mostly working out in the club due to the weather. We went 2x this week just us 2 which was nice. I am so concerned with our marriage especially as so many of the marriages crumble around us.

David and music: We just returned from David's band concert tonight-the concert band, jazz band and wind ensemble played. David is in wind ensemble. It was excellent. Many students especially the female gender, said goodbye to David. I believe they agree with me, that he is "so cute".

Iceland article in Washington Post

From today's Washington Post:

Tourists Flocking to Iceland

Deck the Halls

Christmas: Well, the gifts are bought (but not wrapped) and the halls are decked except for a few annoying strands of lights. Baking and cards are not even started! I did make a cheesecake for the dessert auction at church that went for $50! (good side money!) But I am finding myself way too busy still. So I talked it over with Dave and we eliminated a few things and evaluated for future Christmases and even for the next 2 weeks.

Arianna: I like Christmas! because of Jesus and the presents! I like the Advent calendar (we get Legos).

The 12 pains of Christmas: If you all have not heard the song, "The 12 Pains of Christmas" you all need to google it and just listen/watch. I find this funnier every year especially the part about the lights!

Jobs: I now have a 3rd job which will probably start in January. But I might quit the 2nd one. It is great to be a nurse (all you prospective students, take note!) I have one friend whose husband lost his job and she is working 2 jobs as a nurse to cover the family expenses. Plus, for missions, medical people are in demand which is exciting for me (such as when I go to Haiti in February).

Nancy

Off to Iceland

Just saw that Colleen Graffy, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy at the US State Department is making a trip to Iceland.  Just thought you would like to know.

Great reading

If you want to keep up on book reviews, movie reviews, music reviews and great thoughts in general, you need to check out http://rabbitroom.com

With writing from musicians such as Andrew Peterson, Ron Block (Alison Krauss and Union Station) to pastors such as Matt Conner and Russ Ramsey, the posts are thought provoking and fun to read. Often times they draw from Frederick Buechner or Kierkegaard, people I normally read or follow.

I'm especially captivated by the current series of advent posts and will be writing another post related to waiting, quietness and the coming of Christ.

Books: If you see the book,  Zorba the Greek, don't bother reading it. I had heard of it and ended up starting it and then finishing it by skimming thinking maybe it would redeem itself but it was awful-immoral concepts, buddhism, promiscuity, hedonism. just yuk.

I finished the Greatest Generation which was good but just kept telling war story after war story.

The Search for Significance by Robert McGee is good-especially for counseling with a Christian perspective.

Now I have to start my school book on Psychopathology.

Nursery/toddlers: I have been in toddlers and nursery at church the last 2 week. I haven't done so in a while but I still was able to calm a crying 1 yr old so his parents could go to church. I enjoyed this much more since I do not have my own babies and toddlers.

The cold: I am already in my winter slump-cold all the time and more tired. I do like the change of seasons but I wish winter was a bit shorter even except if it would only snow. Instead, it rained a lot yesterday.

Gnocci: My Italian friend taught me and my daughters how to make the pasta gnocci yesterday. It was fun and tasting good. (a small pasta made of flour, egg, and ricotta cheese although I have had it made with potatoes.) She also makes homemade pasta so we may make that a youth event.

Decorating: We have over 1/2 the Christmas decorations up. I really enjoy Christmas. I hope to not get too caught up in the busyness.

Basketball: Kevin Dowker is convincing me to get up a 3 person basketball team for the 3 on 3 I must be crazy! He said it doesn't matter how good we are but he does not know how competitive I am. Right now it is me, Elizabeth and I need one more girl. Who do I know over 6 feet?