Floating in Snow

Today I got up early to work on my precept papers due today. I was productive and the Spirit graced me with insightful thoughts. I got ready on time, had my lunch packed and was ready to face the day with a bang. Last night it started snowing around 8 or 8:30pm and didn't stop until noon today. So on my car was another 5" of snow. I went out early and brushed it off. Made sure my roommate got out okay and backed out into the parking lot. Somehow, in a weird twist of something, I ended up with my back left tire fully up on a curb (where the little grassy spot is with the lone tree at the entrance to our lot) and the rest of the car drifting amidst the snowy slush of the parking lot. See they NEVER plow our street and only our parking lot when there is apparently no further threat of snow. So you're on your own until then. Because of all the snow I hadn't even noticed I'd gone up on a curb. So I hop out to assess the situation. Not good. I tried floormats, pushing, 4x4 drive, turning the wheels; everything I could possibly think of to do. I called my mom for some advice. She suggested that I try a few different combinations again (there wasn't much she could do from PA and my dad was in Canada on business for the day). So, with her encouragement, I hopped in and put it in low 4x4 and gunned the engine. Nothing. I tried backing up a bit more. Advanced a bit, but not enough to get off the curb. Backed up again, gunned it and finally slid off the curb and back into my parking spot. Apparently I had put the other tire partially onto the curb and it had given me enough leverage and momentum to push ahead. Praise the Lord! I gathered my floormats and tried to calm down a bit. Just another stressor added to an already packed full week. Class was half over by the time I got to campus. But I got to e-mail a friend who I don't normally see often and make sure I was well prepared for my next class. Another adventure in Snowland--props to Elle for working hard this morning.

On a side note I must add that a guy out for his morning smoke was there the whole time watching me trying to get Elle free. He offered his advice occasionally and did help me push at one point. At least I wasn't out there all by myself.

Royalty Instead of Love

Earlier this week I pronounced myself the Princess of Unrequited Love. My friend Kris has dubbed herself the Queen of Unrequited Love. Two royal endings to sad fairy tales.

Icing on the Cake

So Monday was the big snowstorm. I go to leave the parking lot after The Way and of course Luther can't salt the parking lots, so ice is everywhere. I, unfortunately, was parked in a spot which required me to back down a slope to then leave the parking lot not by way of the large, also icy, hill that leads to campus. I back up just fine and then the spinning begins. So I think backing into a little more snow might give me some traction. Oh no. We spin more. And now I'm back into the snow that hasn't been touched by any car, so it's 8" deep. My two friends Karen and Jane hop out and offer to help push to set us free from our icy merry-go-round. Sadly it was to no avail. We even tried the floor mats for extra traction. No luck. Then along comes the security mini van. So two tough women and one rather large and strong guy try pushing. Nothing. I back down the icy hill (b/c by now we've managed to move out of the snowy part of the lot) and run into two large snow banks b/c I couldn't see where I was going very well. You think all is well then right? Nope. Now we must face the large hill up to campus--which we are currently half way up. We make it up about half way before we start spinning to a halt. So we back down the hill into the previous lot again and let Jane go--sadly she had to walk all the way back to her dorm. But Karen and I managed to make it down the hill and back to our apartment. Way to go Elle the Explorer!

A Real Snowstorm...Ha!

Today, finally a precipitation occurance of white stuff that warrants being called a "storm." For sure there was 6" in the parking lot at 8am this morning and it kept coming down. Didn't stop until 2:30-3pm. Ben and I concluded that there must have been about 8" total and that was only at 12pm. But oh the beauty of a world drenched in white snow!! It's gorgeous out. Took some snapshots this afternoon instead of reading for my paper due next week. Well worth it. Hope your day has some visual beauty in it too.

Dancing visions

"You should be in front because you're shorter."

"Okay, but I'm going to be the cowboy. You have to be the french fry."

"Okay."

He grabs a blanket that's yellow on one side and red on the other and wraps it around himself. Suddenly I have on cowboy boots, a white button-down shirt with 1"x1" lt. blue gridwork on it, and a bandana around my neck. But boy was that dance smooth and well synchronized!!

Back so soon??

You know what it's like to miss someone? Of course we all do. There's always someone out there who's not here with us. I've been thinking of a really good friend of mine lately. A lot. I miss him terribly. And I don't mean just "oh, my pal's not around." I really, really wish we could be together. Long distance is rough on the heart. As one of my favorite movies puts it "Something worse than the total agony of being in love?" Such is my confession. But is my mind clouded and one to misread? What can I do about the fact that this is how I feel? I even tried not to go there. Not because I didn't want to, but because I didn't think it would work. And then I realized that it was too late. I'd already fallen. "I think about you all the time really." "And my wasted heart will love you until you look like this...." Yes, it is agony and bad timing. But I still miss him.

What's on the menu for Lent?

So what am I doing for lent?? Well I've decided this much. I will fast on Tuesdays and will try to be more diligent about spending time musing in scripture with God. I want to finally get around to finding a service project I can do 2-3 times a month. I miss doing that from college. I think Wednesday mornings I will get up a half hour early and do some quality quiet time with God. Just me listening to him. I suspect this will be contagious for me and I'll want more. But that's a good thing, right??

Update

I've added a few new pictures to the blog. Enjoy them! I'll add more later when I get a chance. However, the powerpoint version is available as well.

Dinner out at a restaurant for our last night in Guatemala

The crew outside a huge church in Antigua

Me wearing the piñata!

Typical dress for Guatemalan women

The crew with Fr. Greg (Back left)

It's me in a tree at our second hotel in San Lucas

Ralph with one of our reforestation helpers on his back

Can you see the dirt on us?!?

Washing dishes

Walking back from picking coffee