Happy List, cont.

3. Returning Home
There is a little place in Eastern Kentucky called Breathitt County. There is a little road called Morris Fork, where the little brown church on the hill resides. When I am there, I am home. Because life changed in many ways, I had not been there in what seems like a lifetime. Leading up to Bible School, I didn't know if maybe my time as music leader at Morris Fork was over. Something had changed, mostly me, I guess, and my boys have all grown up. Things there have changed so much; yet, maybe they haven't really changed at all. The point? I was more worried about the Habitat trip, and I was feeling quite strange as I traveled on 64 and then the Mountain Parkway. When I hit Booneville, my nerves actually started to awaken. Why the anxiety? Then, I drove through the familiar terrian of 28, and when I drove past the church, I saw the sign. "Welcome Southport. (And Jacqui)." That was Saturday afternoon. By Sunday, Biloxi was a lifetime away. I was home. No, things will not remain the same. Not in Morris Fork or anywhere, but there is simply a part of me that belongs there in the hollers of Eastern Kentucky. I can't really explain it, but I know I was so glad to be home.

(I cannot figure out why this keeps publishing in two different sized fonts. Oh well.)

Summer, Summer, Summertime

I want to bring a classic back.

In order to capture this summer and what it has meant to me, I feel the need to bring back the Happy List.

Summer of 2009 Happy List, part 1

1. Eddie
Eddie was the cook at Camp Victor, the place we stayed on the Habitat Trip. On our first night, we were introduced to him as he was standing behind the glass of the serving line. Next, I saw him walking over to the dish table, parading Jamie around the dining hall with a huge smile on his face. To define Eddie in one word? Exuberant. To add a few more? Joyful. Service-driven. Hilarious. Kind. Humble. For some reason, upon our first meeting (when I insisted that he not give me TONS of red beans and rice when I went back to get seconds), he took to calling me Miss J. He never once called me Jacqui for the rest of the week, and I loved that. I don't know why, but he decided before we ever met that he was going to like me. Actually, that seemed to be the way he worked with everyone. It is a breath of fresh air to meet someone who seeks to serve on a daily basis with thunderous laughter and a knack for remembering names. The team looked forward to getting to spend time with Eddie in the kitchen. He cried when Gabe wrote him a poem. Eddie made a huge impact on me, and I only knew him for a few hours over four days. The power of attitude is extraordinarily strong; I am really thankful to Eddie for that reminder.

2. Gina's Life One of the biggest joys of my life as a teacher is that I get to live (just a bit) vicariously through the creative minds of my students. I am passionate about many things, but I don't have time to "do it all," but I have (or had) students who will embrace something that seems silly and run with it. I love that I often get to be there for the ride. For instance, why not make a movie version of "Gina's Life"? Why not go all out, with DVD cover and premiere party and boom mics held together with tape and paper towels? Why not? It just makes me smile SO MUCH to know there are people like Gabe out there who will actually follow through on something seemingly ridiculous. You know...liking dressing up as the Golden Snitch for the Harry Potter premiere.

More to come...

Last summer was not what I was expecting. My mom got sick, and all other plans changed because of that. I did a lot of grad school work, and each morning, I would wake up trying to figure out what would make for dinner that night that was healthy and without dairy products. I did the dishes after each meal. I didn't really go anywhere, save a bummer-of-a-trip to Turkey Run. Yet, I think I will always remember it fondly. It was the last summer I spent with Nana, and it will forever mark a time in my life when family became more important. Even though I was not always happy, it was meaningful.

This summer has been a bit of a blur. In an effort to "suck the marrow out of life," I have been many places and have stayed busy throughout. I guess I don't know how to have a relaxed summer where I don't feel guilty because the days spent without plans (like today, for instance) have almost always involved sleeping in way too late, eating unhealthy food, and vegging on the couch watching Law and Order: SVU re-runs. I don't know how to function if I am not planning an event or planning for one. Really, I don't. That aspect of who I am freaks me out. How do people who don't have busy lives live on a day-to-day basis? That question might sound condescending, but I am being sincere.

I realize now that these words sound very similar to those I wrote on June 5th. It is now July 19th. Since June 5th, I have gone to camp, led music at VBS, taken a group to Mississippi, spent a day at the lake, tubed at Turkey Run, watched loads of movies, and I had the privilege of being in Dana and Zach's wedding. I have experienced so much, yet here I am, on this random Sunday afternoon, stuck on the same questions. This particular way I am wired tends to bother me a lot, I guess.