Mood:  on fire

I got to attend my first province day on Saturday with the Sisters!  I was nervous that I really wouldn't know much about what was going on, but I was able to participate in the table discussions that we had and was even asked for my opinion when I didn't speak up.  I really felt like I was a part of that group.  I feel sooooo blessed!

On Sunday I got to go to a newly remodeled church that some of the Sisters work at.  Since I'd never been there before I didn't know what it had looked like before the remodel, but it was really nice.  We went into the undercroft to have snacks and talk a little.  My old boss was there and I could tell that she was still not happy with me, so I really tried not to cross her path too much.  I did give her a hug though.

The Sisters that we were visiting had a player piano in their house.  Sr BC and I were the only two out of the group from the church that went over to the house.  Everyone else went on their way.  The piano was the old kind of player piano that you have to pump with your feet.  It was kind-of like riding an exercize bike.  Anyways, Sr BC couldn't get over the fact that I actually pumped that thing for two hours straight playing roll after roll of music.  I had soooo much fun!  Then after that, Sr R joined me at the bench and we tried to pick out the song "Heart and Soul".  (I play by ear, and only knew a part of the song...she knew the rest!)

This is my week to lead prayer.  I'm not totally excited, but I'll get over it.  Leading things is just not my cup of tea.  I do just fine following things instead of leading!  I guess that this is just going to be something that will be a growing edge for me.

Friday is Sister Suz's birthday.  I wonder if we will go out to eat to celebrate!

Mood:  not sure

I've been feeling a little under the weather for the past few days.  I don't know what's up, but I can't afford to go to the doctor's office yet because I'm not insured at the moment.  My tummy has been hurting.  I hope that I can find something that would be healthy for me to take, like peppermint tea or something of the sort...instead of medicine.  Medicine seems to do alot of bad things to your system just to "fix" one illness.

 Please pray for me.

I also have a meeting tomorrow with the vocation director and my therapist.  I need to have some goals stated out.

Mood:  not sure

I've got a new job!  It's a little hectic and I don't really know how I feel about it, but it's all in God's hands.  My new boss seems nice, and so do my new coworkers.

I hope I didn't alienate my last boss.  I really wished that she was a friend and not my boss.  It would have been nice to talk with her about lots of things in the community.  She's the closest to my age in this province.

I got two new fish, one's name is Persephone and the other's name is Hermione.  Persephone is red and Hermione is yellow.  They are really neat to watch in the little tank that I  have.

Today my sister and her husband came over to meet the Sisters that I live with and to see where I live.  I think that they had a good time.  The Sisters certainly had a good time talking with them.  Now all they have to do is meet my sister's dog and they would have met all of my immediate family.

I made a present for my former boss's birthday.  It's still a whole month or so before I can give it to her though.  I hope that by then she'd be ok with talking with me.

Mood:  a-ok

Yesterday I got two new fish.  My poor dear little fishie Ginevra (Ginny--Harry Potter fame) passed away last week.  I named these two new fish Hermione (Harry Potter fame), and Persephone (Greek Mythology).  Hermione is a little yellow platty and Persephone is a red platty.  They both seem to be doing ok in the tank together so far...the last time I had two fish in this tank at the same time, one killed the other.

 I got to watch the fireworks from the roof of the school next door.  It was exciting!

I got a new job too!

Mood:  happy

Well,

I'm interviewing for a job.  I'm very happy about the change.  It doesn't bother me too much that I'm currently unemployed.  My trust is in God.  I know that this will all turn out for the better.  I've already learned so much from this experience.  I've got two interviews within next week.  One's at Little Red Schoolhouse (corporate office), and the other's at Goddard school.  Both are near where I live with the Sisters.

I'm able to breathe more easily.  I feel incredibly relieved!  I can't really explain the "why" of this.  It just is.

I was able to name what I need to grow in, and I am sure that I wouldn't have been able to grow where I worked previously....by no fault of theirs.  They were simply keeping up the child to teacher ratio that the state had set.  I just know that it was hard for me to have 5 older infants by myself and try to implement lesson plans and keep the kids from killing each other in the mean-time.  I just didn't feel adequate enough to do this.  It's better for everyone if there's someone else in the room with me most of the time.  That way assistance is there when needed.

I have nothing against where I worked previously and I wish them well.

Please keep me in your prayers as I am continually stepping through open windows...you know, where a door closes, God always opens a window.

God Bless!

On Tuesday of this week, I found a kitten in the parking lot of Krogers grocery store.  It was trying to climb up into the hub of a car wheel.  It was so small and I was afraid that it would get run over or the owner of that car would pull away without realizing that there was a kitten in it.

 I took the kitten home with me and then took it on to mass at the Mercy Center.  Luckily at the Mercy center there was a couple who could take it home and take care of it.  Thank God!

The kitten was soooo cute and I'm not sure what I would have done if no one wanted it.  It was sooo small and shouldn't have been away from its mother, but the mother was nowhere to be found when I found it.

Well, I'll post more later about some reflecting I've been doing.

Mood:  chillin'

In a few minutes I'll be driving up to Dayton to join some women who are in various stages of formation in various religious communities.  I'm super excited that I'll be able to meet some people who are close to the same stage that I'm in.  I'd been feeling the lack of peers lately.  This will give me some good reflection time!

Please pray for me because I think I may have put my foot in my mouth during my last meeting with the vocation director.  I hope that God will be able to smooth this one out if this is where He wants me to be.

Pray also for my grandma.  She just had surgery on her eye.

 Well, going to close for now.   Work is going a whole lot better since I got up the nerve to talk a little with my boss.

Mood:  amorous

Today I went with some of the Sisters to a showing of The Sound of Music...preformed with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra.  It was awesome to watch and I had the experience of bonding with some of the sisters.  I'm always glad for an opportunity like that!

I got to represent the community in a game of musical chairs (in which the vocation director was also playing) along with Sisters from different orders.  The winner got money for her congregation (500 dollars).  I didn't last very long, but I got to take home a chair (which I'm giving to my local community because they can use it more than me).  I was just happy to play the game.  One of the times one sister went to sit down in a chair but I was already in it...  (I was warned before I started not to knock any sisters over during the game).  I'm honored that the Sisters allowed me to represent the congregation in this way :-)

Mood:  amorous

Jesus is my Saviour.  I want to devote myself to living a life for Him. 

 Can one be in love with a religious congregation?  Every time I'm with the Sisters (during a big gathering), I feel as if I'm in love.  It's really strange, but I'm on cloud nine whenever there's a big gathering of the Sisters of Notre Dame that I'm allowed to participate in.  I realize that there'll be plenty of ups and downs in my time ahead, but I feel that I've finally found somewhere that I can be myself and be accepted for who I am...and it's in a community that has a link with Saint Julie Billiart!!!  What more could I ask for?

I feel as if I could throw my lot in with these women and I'd be the happier for it!  People are always telling me now that I look and seem alot happier since I've been living with the Sisters.

Mood:  hug me

I had an awesome end of the week.  Sunday I got to see my second Notre Dame  first profession of vows.  I also got to see my friend Sandy and meet her sister.  We also went up on top of the tower at the Heights.  That was one of the the most exciting things that I've done in awhile...I didn't even know people could go up there!  The sights were breath-taking! (I'm a little afraid of heights though).

 The vow ceremony was really nice.  The chapel was really well lit because the stained glass windows were not there because they are being revamped.  The sun was blindingly bright.  The brunch that followed was also nice.  I got to see alot of people that I normally wouldn't have gotten to see.

I love the feeling of being with community.  I really feel as though I belong.  We'll see if this is really where God wants me to be.

I'm having a little trouble at work.  Please keep me in your prayers.