Since I don't have enough to fill in for some of the categories from my usual blog posts, and more than abundant details for others, I'm going to nix the topic divisions and just wing it today!
Well, today to start off with, I had a (much needed) chiropractor appointment. With my already wicked cool back curvature issues, any stress, good or bad, seems to settle in those wacky areas. The adjustment was a relief. Also today, we had all kinds of maintenance schtuff going on. Since we renewed our lease, we got a complementary carpet cleaning (for which I was unreasonably excited). We also have realized, as things have been slowly warming up this spring, that our AC is kaput. As in, everything has to be replaced with it kaput. I expected all of these to at least be begun by 10:30am. Well, also today my parents came up briefly to KC to hang out with me for lunch and to pick up the car we've been borrowing from them. They arrived at 12:30. Maintenance did not begin until 2:30 as my parents were leaving! So I spent a lot of my day fretting about and beginning cleaning projects that I really should have waited on but I wanted to get done. Also, the AC was not able to be completely fixed, so we have another week for it to be fixed. It has been getting up to 10 degrees warmer in here than it has been outside, so not exactly looking forward to it getting warmer in the mean time, but thankfully we're addressing the issue now than in the summer, and that we even will have it. Too blessed to stress :-P.
Last night I had my second, and final for the school year, Junior High Youth Group. I was really excited for this one. I planned an evening of Minute to Win It games, and felt much more prepared for it than last time, as I also had a feel for how many kids to expect. The games worked well for the most part, but unfortunately some aspects didn't work quite as well as I hoped and there were some confusing scoring issues. Add on top of that that some of the kids were getting there 10-15 minutes late, and I just felt like the evening didn't flow as smoothly as I'd hoped. Ah, well, the kids insisted they'd had fun. I'm typing out for myself what I do at each meeting, what did and didn't work, and what to anticipate in the future. I have a lot to work on in planning fluid, flowing meetings. As in, for instance, the kids who were running late. How do I begin a meeting semi on time with kids trickling in so that they get as much info as possible and I don't run over time? Or how many games do I put out so that it's not overwhelming? Just small detail type of things that I'll grow into. It's a good problem that I'm going from a group of 2-3 from the last parish at which I worked to a group of 10-15 and how to work with the changing numbers.
In the reading area, I finished Imitation of Mary and Jane Eyre! Jane Eyre is not my favorite literary character of all time. I think she's a bit...eccentric? She will act very stoic in one instance and more eccentric and loose in another. I think it's a bit with how the book is set up, with the different settings...each setting feels like it's own story, and sometimes it was difficult for me to see that it was the same Jane from place to place as she grew and developed. But then her complexity is also what made me keep coming back for more (and also why I read the second half of the book in about 2 nights). Still working my way through Once and Future King. For faith reading, I have moved on to the most academic book I've read since completing my master's. Actually, it was "suggested reading" for my "Lewis and von Hildebrand on Love" course, which, psh..."suggested reading." But I'm reading it now! It's "I Will Give Them a New Heart: Reflections on the Priesthood and the Renewal of the Church" by Conrad Baars, M.D. This link has some interesting reviews. I'm excited to see for myself. I've also been slowly reading some church documents that go with lesson planning for YG, along with very ever so slowly working on Amoris Laetitia. I have refused to read any opinions on it till I make it through myself. So far I find it quite encouraging, definitive yet embracing.
Matt has been a gem. Keeping up with me keeping up with work is not something I would wish on anybody, but he takes it (and me) in stride. It's difficult for me to not already be anticipating August and September events, but he helps me to stay calm and tackle one project at a time.
As a side note, I'm super impressed with this lady. She is from a more evangelical Christian background, but her insights into youth groups, modesty and dating standards are way and far above most people her age. I honestly wish I had been as wise as her in high school. I will definitely be using some of her material in future youth group settings.
