contentment

Ahhh - as I prepare for sleep, I'm just overwhelmed by the blessings I've received lately. Life in Florida is getting better and better, and although I miss New York and especially my friends and students there, I'm starting to feel at home in this blistering state. Have I told you how much I love our church? LOL It seems like every week, God blesses our services and blesses Brian and I with new friends.

Today, one of the girls who sings on the praise team came all the way up here to my house! I've been getting to know all the girls on the praise team pretty well, especially since almost all of them were at the crop at church a few weeks ago! I didn't even know they scrapped! :-) But anyway, Heather came up today and we had a great time just talking and laughing. We had planned to go shopping, but we couldn't shut up long enough to get in the car! (Imagine that!) We finally went out and had dinner and shopped a little before she had to head back down south. She is just so much fun and she's a talented decorator, so she gave me some ideas for my house. It was awesome!

I'm really enjoying my new (temporary) job! It's just busy work, but it's fun for me and it's nice to have a schedule. We're eating at more normal times - before I was having lunch sometimes at 3 or 4:00 and dinner at 9 or 10! Brian is getting up with me and going in to work earlier, which means he gets to leave earlier. Soon it will be cool enough to walk outside together in the evenings and I'm looking forward to that. While I'm LEARNING to enjoy exercise (can you feel the sarcasm), the treadmill is really starting to bore me. Walking outside is MUCH MUCH better for me, personally - it keeps my eyes occupied and that helps pass the time. So I can't wait for it to cool off - even if it was in the 80's it would feel downright cold!

Only seven more articles for me to write, and then my writing project will be complete. I'll miss it, but I hope to still do some freelancing now and then. Now that I have some experience at it, I feel more confident about pitching ideas. Normally you pitch an idea to a publication, and they hire you to write what you've pitched. In other words, they buy the article BEFORE you write it. (The writing job I've worked on most recently buys the articles before you write them, but assigns topics.) Brian has been doing some writing too, and I definitely expect to see some of his stuff in print someday.

I'm rambling. I didn't really have a lot to say tonight, but I just feel content and wanted to share it. I wish I had time to communicate with all of my friends from everywhere more often. Some of my fab college friends are reading this blog and I'm so glad for the Internet that keeps us better in touch. I know my NY girls are reading - I miss you guys so much, I know you know that.

To the Farinaccis - you have no idea how much I miss you. I've started several times to write you a note, but it makes me sad. I miss you most on Mondays! I also have a package I've been meaning to send you - maybe someday I'll actually make it to the Post Office. Susie, thanks for your words of encouragement this past winter. I love you guys! I'm sorry I haven't been in better touch. Oh, and I planted some Salvia Farinacea in my garden in honor of you! (I couldn't believe it when I saw that plant!)