Finding a Voice
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Making Ready, Reviewing the Old Year
Tonight's goal was to set up and install the shelves that Jeffrey and I brought back from Spiritwood: some in the closet, hutch for my desk (table), and headboard for the bed. Then there's supervising the gnomes I've recruited to help clean the kitchen, bathroom, and floors.
Okay ... so there aren't any gnomes. Just me. Jeff is out at a New Year's Eve party while I, having had more than enough parties before Christmas, have elected to stay in this evening. Tonight is about physical and internal housekeeping. For the internal part, I pause to look back on the past year.
One year. Feels like 2007 actually stretches all the way back to July 2006 when I quit my day job at Briercrest. I took one year off to finish one project, my thesis, and discern direction for the next season.
January
- Health problem--cysts--finally resolves. Much relief. Good to have my energy return.
- Lots of training shifts with Spiritwood's homecare office.
- Work on the thesis.
February
- Continue to work on the thesis
- A few shifts at homecare office
- Help deliver singing telegrams with my mom as a fund raiser for the nursing home on Valentine's Day. Make front page news with it--twice!
March
- Birthday!
- Still writing.
- Sing with Mom at the Grand Ol' Country weekend in Spiritwood.
- Search and apply for lots of jobs.
April
- Final cram to finish the thesis. Get sick in the last days.
- Defended thesis successfully on Monday the 9th. Mom came with me.
- Interview at a small Christian college. It seems like such a good fit, love the school and they seem to love me, but we can't agree on one key doctrinal point, so I don't get the job. Confused. Wonder what's next.
May
- Present paper at Research in Religious Studies Conference in Lethbridge, AB.
- Attend and facilitate CACSD Conference in Calgary, AB.
- First house concert in Red Deer, AB. Good experience. Want to do it again.
June
- Home in Spiritwood. A few shifts at homecare.
- Planted some herbs, especially excited about stevia, spearmint, basil, and lavender.
- Have a quiet month.
July
- Second house concert in Medicine Hat, AB. Another good experience.
- Sing at The House, coffee shop in Calgary.
- Several shifts at homecare office.
August
- Lots of shifts at homecare.
- Realize it's time to go on tour ... start emailing people
- Realize it's time to say good-bye to my cats. Have a good cry. Take them to a farm near Spiritwood. (Apparently Delilah has disappeared. Sigh.)
- Final revisions on thesis. Drive to Caronport in the last week to consult with proofreader and submit it to the print shop. Forget my USB stick in Mom's computer. Panic for a moment, but Canada Post comes through with overnight delivery from Spiritwood to Caronport!
September
- Plan for house concert tour.
- Set out on tour September 15th. Drive to BC, stopping along the way to sing and/or visit.
- Feel like something new is going to happen in November. Don't know what. Pray about it ...
October
- Touring, touring, touring. Delightful, exhausting, exhilarating. So many lovely reunions with old friends and introductions to new ones.
- Praying about the next step for November.
- Thanksgiving weekend, my brother Jeffrey invites me to live with him and help with his arts business: pottery and photography.
- Attend CACSD executive meetings in Ontario; take guitar for a couple of house concerts.
- Attend GMA Canada (Gospel Music Association) conference in Calgary, attend 3 of 5 workshops by Steve Bell. Learned much.
- Final house concert is in Caronport--fitting and nostalgic.
- Hallowe'en: arrive in Duval, hand out candy and pottery seconds.
November
- Rest on the 1st, apply for job at newspaper (Last Mountain Times) on the 2nd, get the job on the 3rd, start the job on the 6th! Supposed to be 2 days a week, but it's Christmas rush so end up working 3.
- Help Jeffrey get ready for Open House on the 10th: cleaning, pricing pottery, cleaning.
- Sing at the Open House.
- Invited to join a worship team at Strasbourg Alliance Church.
- As with touring, all this adjustment and orientation is exhausting and exhilarating.
- Take my "free" trip to California to see friends Jean and Becky. Take only carry-on luggage, a good book, and my journal. Good to be unencumbered and not responsible for anything.
December
- The newspaper's proofreader resigns, so I'm called in for another day per week, making it four now. Glad for the hours and the experience.
- Help prepare for Christmas pottery sales.
- Sing at a Ladies' Night at the Pentecostal Church in Imperial, SK.
- Involved in Christmas events at Strasbourg Alliance Church.
- 23rd - Jeffrey and I go to Spiritwood until the 28th. Just the single siblings with Mom and Dad for Christmas--Jeffrey, Starla and me. The Christmas feast table is filled out with Grandma and Mom and Dad's international boarders (two from Mexico, three from the Philippines).
- Work three days at homecare--last ones. Feel wistful.
- Meet Dominique of Servants Anonymous Foundation. Feel sure this is a divinely orchestrated introduction ...
Okay ... so there aren't any gnomes. Just me. Jeff is out at a New Year's Eve party while I, having had more than enough parties before Christmas, have elected to stay in this evening. Tonight is about physical and internal housekeeping. For the internal part, I pause to look back on the past year.
One year. Feels like 2007 actually stretches all the way back to July 2006 when I quit my day job at Briercrest. I took one year off to finish one project, my thesis, and discern direction for the next season.
January
- Health problem--cysts--finally resolves. Much relief. Good to have my energy return.
- Lots of training shifts with Spiritwood's homecare office.
- Work on the thesis.
February
- Continue to work on the thesis
- A few shifts at homecare office
- Help deliver singing telegrams with my mom as a fund raiser for the nursing home on Valentine's Day. Make front page news with it--twice!
March
- Birthday!
- Still writing.
- Sing with Mom at the Grand Ol' Country weekend in Spiritwood.
- Search and apply for lots of jobs.
April
- Final cram to finish the thesis. Get sick in the last days.
- Defended thesis successfully on Monday the 9th. Mom came with me.
- Interview at a small Christian college. It seems like such a good fit, love the school and they seem to love me, but we can't agree on one key doctrinal point, so I don't get the job. Confused. Wonder what's next.
May
- Present paper at Research in Religious Studies Conference in Lethbridge, AB.
- Attend and facilitate CACSD Conference in Calgary, AB.
- First house concert in Red Deer, AB. Good experience. Want to do it again.
June
- Home in Spiritwood. A few shifts at homecare.
- Planted some herbs, especially excited about stevia, spearmint, basil, and lavender.
- Have a quiet month.
July
- Second house concert in Medicine Hat, AB. Another good experience.
- Sing at The House, coffee shop in Calgary.
- Several shifts at homecare office.
August
- Lots of shifts at homecare.
- Realize it's time to go on tour ... start emailing people
- Realize it's time to say good-bye to my cats. Have a good cry. Take them to a farm near Spiritwood. (Apparently Delilah has disappeared. Sigh.)
- Final revisions on thesis. Drive to Caronport in the last week to consult with proofreader and submit it to the print shop. Forget my USB stick in Mom's computer. Panic for a moment, but Canada Post comes through with overnight delivery from Spiritwood to Caronport!
September
- Plan for house concert tour.
- Set out on tour September 15th. Drive to BC, stopping along the way to sing and/or visit.
- Feel like something new is going to happen in November. Don't know what. Pray about it ...
October
- Touring, touring, touring. Delightful, exhausting, exhilarating. So many lovely reunions with old friends and introductions to new ones.
- Praying about the next step for November.
- Thanksgiving weekend, my brother Jeffrey invites me to live with him and help with his arts business: pottery and photography.
- Attend CACSD executive meetings in Ontario; take guitar for a couple of house concerts.
- Attend GMA Canada (Gospel Music Association) conference in Calgary, attend 3 of 5 workshops by Steve Bell. Learned much.
- Final house concert is in Caronport--fitting and nostalgic.
- Hallowe'en: arrive in Duval, hand out candy and pottery seconds.
November
- Rest on the 1st, apply for job at newspaper (Last Mountain Times) on the 2nd, get the job on the 3rd, start the job on the 6th! Supposed to be 2 days a week, but it's Christmas rush so end up working 3.
- Help Jeffrey get ready for Open House on the 10th: cleaning, pricing pottery, cleaning.
- Sing at the Open House.
- Invited to join a worship team at Strasbourg Alliance Church.
- As with touring, all this adjustment and orientation is exhausting and exhilarating.
- Take my "free" trip to California to see friends Jean and Becky. Take only carry-on luggage, a good book, and my journal. Good to be unencumbered and not responsible for anything.
December
- The newspaper's proofreader resigns, so I'm called in for another day per week, making it four now. Glad for the hours and the experience.
- Help prepare for Christmas pottery sales.
- Sing at a Ladies' Night at the Pentecostal Church in Imperial, SK.
- Involved in Christmas events at Strasbourg Alliance Church.
- 23rd - Jeffrey and I go to Spiritwood until the 28th. Just the single siblings with Mom and Dad for Christmas--Jeffrey, Starla and me. The Christmas feast table is filled out with Grandma and Mom and Dad's international boarders (two from Mexico, three from the Philippines).
- Work three days at homecare--last ones. Feel wistful.
- Meet Dominique of Servants Anonymous Foundation. Feel sure this is a divinely orchestrated introduction ...
posted by Colleen McCubbin at 1:18 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home