Berry season!

I spent yesterday and last night at my sister, Deby's.  She lives on the outskirts of Tacoma in a beautiful, quiet area that looks like country.  The house across the street is for sale, and includes a barn, pasture area and lots of acreage that is full of berries.  The last time the owner was there she got permission for us to go over and pick them. 

So yesterday afternoon, in the shadow of  Mt. Rainier, we filled our buckets with blackberries and blueberries.  There were a couple of raspberries, but most of those were already gone.  We brought them back and made the most wonderful berry cobbler.  Yum yum!  It would be easy to gain weight up here!

Little of this and that

     I spent Thursday night with my friends Patti and Hank in Redmond so I would be fairly close to the location of my interview Friday morning.  The school is called the Open Window School, and is in Bellevue, near and a bit south of Seattle.  It is a private school for gifted students, and has two classes of 18-20 for each grade K through 8th.  It was a nice modern campus up on the top of Cougar Mountain.  I'd never been there before, and was tremendously impressed with the view.  And in this area of tremendous views, that's saying something!

     As I made the drive west from Carson City, I was awed over and over by the beauty of the mountains.  I can not find words to describe the magnificence of this mountainous area, beginning in northern California and continuing on up through Oregon - Mt. Shasta, Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, and into Washington - Mt. Rainier.  Magnificent, awesome, beautiful, unbelievable - no words are enough.  I didn't realize how much I had missed this scenery.  It feels like home: restful, peaceful, comfortable.

     The interview went okay.  It wasn't what I was hoping for.  The position was called Instructional Assistant, and is pretty much like a teacher's aid, paying slightly more than McDonalds.  So I keep searching.

      It's been a while since I started this, and it's now Tuesday.  I'm at my friend Gloria's and will go with her to our class reunion on Saturday.  We've made plans to get our old "gang" together before the actual event, so it will be nice to have some time to spend with just us. 

     This week I've been sending out resumes into Oregon.  I plan to call all the places I apply before I leave here and see if I can come interview on my way back to Nevada.  So as the process continues, I will keep you informed as to how it's going.

     Thanks for keeping me in your prayers.  It means more to me than I can say.

And continues . . .

     It's been over a month since I've been at my Mom's house in Carson City (and that long since I've posted, too!).  During that time, I have spent every day continuing the hunt for a job.  I filled out the paperwork in order to transfer my PA certification to NV - I'm still waiting for that to be finalized.  I have bookmarked numerous job sites that I check every day, and I can't even remember how many resumes I have sent out.

     As my Mom and I got into the daily routine of sharing a home, I discovered that she isn't really ready to move yet.  She loves her doctor that is treating her back issues and she has a great support system with the friends she has at the Senior Center as well as a neighbor.  So I spent a considerable amount of time looking for teaching positions in Carson City only to discover that until that NV certification comes through I can't be hired.

     My sister Amy and I have talked about this at length (she is now living just two hours from my Mom) and have come to the conclusion that I need to find a job, and just trust that the rest will work out when the time is right.  So I once again broadened my search to include Oregon and Washington.
   
     Oregon is the same as Nevada in that I can't be hired until I have Oregon credentials, but Washington gives you a year to complete all the paperwork once you're hired.  So while I wait on the bureaucracy of Nevada and Oregon, I have concentrated on Washington.

      Yesterday I started the drive to Washington - for two reasons.  First, I'm hoping to have an interview at a school in Bellevue (near Seattle) on Friday.  And second, I have a high school reunion the following weekend!  More on both of those tomorrow as I want to get back on the road.

     So for now, from Grant's Pass, Oregon, stay tuned as my journey continues. . .

Many Thanks

I have arrived at my Mom's in Carson City, and am adjusting to the dryness.  My body isn't used to  the lack of moisture, but I'm sure I will adjust.

I want to take the time to say a couple of thank yous.  To Lyn Marsh for giving me some new CDs to listen to.  They definitely helped me through some of the boring parts of the drive.  To Doug Hefner for suggesting I carry a roll of paper towels and a bottle of Windex!  Best suggestion ever!  To Elaine Hefner for checking in with me through Skype as I made my way across the country.  And especially to all of you who continue to pray for me and my journey.  I know God is guiding me, and I value your prayers more than you will ever know.

I am getting my information together to begin sending out resumes, and will keep you up to date as the search progresses.  Thanks again to all of you for your friendship and prayers.

The Grand Canyon

It was dark when I headed out to the Grand Canyon.  I gave myself two hours to drive the 80 miles I still had to go to reach the canyon, and I wasn't sure what kind of road I'd be traveling.  I wanted to be sure to get there before the sun rose.  As I reached the park the sky was just starting to lighten.  I drove to the gate and found a sign that said "Guard gate closed.  Enjoy the park!"  I was so early I didn't even have to pay to get in.

I pulled in to the parking lot of the first outlook I came to, hoping I would have a good view of the sunrise.  I was completely alone.  Bird twittered all around me.  It was almost cold with a breeze blowing occasionally.  It was so quiet I could hear the wind as it whooshed down the canyon.  The sky continued to lighten and by the time the sun peeked over the horizon I was chilled through.  But it was so beautiful I couldn't stop taking pictures.

By the time the sun was up there were eleven other people talking and disturbing my space, so I left and drove around to the next outlook point.  Every time I stopped I took more pictures and enjoyed the scenery even more.  I don't know what I had thought, but I didn't realize that the canyon wasn't just an empty canyon.  There are rock formations of all shapes and sizes throughout the bottom and up the sides of it.  I guess that makes me sound a little stupid, but I never really thought about it before.  I stopped at three or four different outlook points, and every one of them had a different variation of the beauty of the canyon.  It was magnificent.  At one place I was sitting alone warming up in the sun, and decided in the quiet that I would read the devotional I had skipped that morning when I left so early.  Here is my message from Jesus for June 27th:

Rest with me a while.  You have journeyed up a steep, rugged path in recent days.  The way ahead is shrouded in uncertainty. Look neither behind you nor before you.  Instead, focus your attention on me, your constant companion.  Trust that I will equip you fully for whatever awaits you on your journey.  (That's from Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young)  Isn't that just perfect for where I am in my life?  It is exactly what I needed to hear.  I left the Grand Canyon rested, encouraged and ready to move ahead on my journey.  I am so thankful that He knows me and knows exactly what I need to hear.  I'm thankful He has a plan for me, and will show me each step as I reach it.  I look forward to discovering what comes next!

Flagstaff

The drive from Albuquerque to Flagstaff, AZ, wasn't too long.  I arrived in Flagstaff around 2 pm - though since I had now gone through another time change, the hotel said it was 1:00 (I'm now officially three hours behind all you Pittsburghers).

About 30 miles before Flagstaff, I started seeing signs for the Meteor Crater National Monument.  So I thought I'd check it out.  It was a few miles off the main road, but well worth the detour.  It is amazing to me that a piece of metal the size of a volkswagen created such a huge dent in the earth.  The effect it had on the plant and animal life must have been astounding.  I'm glad I stopped to take a look. 


They let me check into the hotel in Flagstaff early, and I debated about whether I should head out right away and go see the Grand Canyon.  But as I drove into town, it seemed to be so unique that I decided to explore a bit.  Some of the towns I pass through have Walmart, Office Max, Target, etc, the same as every other town.  But this one has retained it's individuality.  I wandered down one of the main streets and browsed through shops that had Indian artifacts, jewelry, candles, local foods and wines.  It was such fun to see something different.  I probably spent a couple of hours wandering, then had dinner at the Wildflower Bread Company, and decided to turn in early in order to see the Grand Canyon at sunrise.

Oklahoma City

Years ago we lived in Oklahoma City.  In fact Connor was born there; Aaron was only 2.  It had been about 15 years since we had even visited, so when I arrived at my friend Trish's house on Friday, I didn't recognize much.  It has grown and changed so much that there weren't many landmarks from which I could get my bearings.  So the entire weekend I had no bearings!

Trish took the time to drive me around and show me the new stuff, and the little old stuff that remained.  We drove by our old homes in Midwest City, and both looked good and well cared for.  Another friend, Cheryl, came over and had a sleep over with us on Saturday night, and we spent hours reminiscing and reminding each other of old friends - and "where are they now?"  It was so nice to relax and spend time catching up with old friends.

  

 Monday morning I headed out again, heading west toward Amarillo.  It was a beautiful drive.  The rolling hills were several shades of green - the sage brush, the roadside grass, and the shrubs dotting the fields.  It was pretty easy to tell which way the wind normally blows.  All the trees,whether they were grouped together in a gully, gathered protectively around a homestead, or standing alone in the field, all leaned the same way.  Made me chuckle.  As I crossed from Texas into New Mexico, the scenery became dull and brown.  Flat fields of dry scrub, an occasional brown bush, no trees, and a long, long straight road that seemed to go on forever. 

I finally made it to Albuquerque, where I had planned to spend the night.  Normally, I just drive along looking for a Motel 6 or some other inexpensive hotel along the highway and pull in for the night.  But that was not possible here!  Traffic was so fast, and of course everyone else knew where they were going, and which of the four lanes of traffic they wanted to be in.  I swept along with everyone else until I felt as though I was heading out the other side of the city.  I decided to take the next exit no matter what.  Once I was off the highway, I found a Best Western -   little more pricey that I was used to, but it was welcome after a long hot day.