Furlough Life: Week Two

I've had a bit of free time on my hands lately, fourteen days of free time to be exact.  Here's what fourteen days of free time leads to:

That's Doug participating in an initial costume fitting.  He was less than thrilled about wearing a cardboard box, much less thrilled than he was during prior attempts to play dress-up with him.    

This week I also had time to watch the Monarch Butterflies migrating to Mexico.  

It was nice to watch the butterflies from the sidewalk instead of smashing droves of them with my car while driving to and from work.  Chris wasn't so lucky, however, as evidenced by the carnage on his radiator.

On Wednesday, I taught my Pathfinders the worm honor.  I love teaching the worm honor because it involves live worms.  I bought bait worms at Wal-Mart in the sporting department.  At least one of the bait worms tried to escape his destiny:

After we finished the worm honor, my Pathfinders asked if I could be their teacher next year as well as this year.  The worm honor earns a teacher major cool points.  

Other highlights from week two of my furlough include a picnic lunch, leading a Saturday evening vespers program, watching Disney movies in preparation for my upcoming vacation, attending my first high school football game in the Valley, and a last minute concert.  With so much going on lately, I'm not sure I'll have time to go back to work once the government reopens.  

Furlough Wife

Today is day seven of the federal government's partial shutdown, which means today is also day seven of my status as a furlough wife.  As a furlough wife, I run errands, clean the house, cook the occasional meal, and take my dog on extra long walks.  Sometimes a forced stay-at-home vacation isn't so bad. 

Doug and I on an early morning walk.

A woman, however, can only tolerate so many domestic duty days before she becomes BORED OUT OF HER MIND!  Thankfully, on Thursday Chris and I drove to San Antonio along with some friends.  We started the long weekend with dinner downtown at Mi Tierra.  I was unable to order my favorite dish (the chicken gorditas) because it is only available as a lunch special, but I thoroughly enjoyed the festive atmosphere that is Mi Tierra.

I love all the lights at Mi Tierra.

On Friday, the boys headed to a local state park for two days of camping, long hikes, dehydrated food, and a duel with a small gang of rattle snakes (for real!).  The girls stayed in San Antonio.  We kept busy on Friday by visiting a local art museum, eating a late lunch at a historic home turned restaurant, and shopping at a speciality grocery store.

Trying on hats at the McNay Museum.

The grounds at the McNay.

The McNay Museum in the background.

Lunch at the Guenther House.

Friday Evening Vespers.

We finished off the day at the hotel pool.  We discovered that pool water is very chilly in October.  To overcome the shock of the chilly water, we decided to jump in the pool together.  This was followed by ten seconds of gasping and splashing from the shock of the water temperature.

On Saturday, the girls headed to Guadalupe River State Park.  We hiked along the river at our leisure, ate a picnic lunch, and swam in the shade of large cyprus trees.  To our surprise, the river was much warmer than the pool at the hotel. 

The girls under a Cyprus Tree.

Saturday worship by the Guadalupe River.

Exploring Guadalupe River State Park.

At the end of our hike, Rachella crossed the park boundary line.

The lovely Guadalupe River.

Enjoying the cool river water.

My silly face caused by a river creature pinching my bum. 

Guadalupe River State Park is a beautiful place.  I had such an absolutely wonderful day at the park that I forgot all about my furloughed status until I saw this sign along the freeway on the way home.  The other side of the sign read "Go ahead, shut it down."

Field politics.

As we were leaving Guadalupe River State Park, a state park ranger stopped Stella, who was driving for the day.  With a very serious face, the park ranger advised Stella that he wanted to talk to her about "her speeding."  She was driving 28 miles an hour.  I almost laughed at the park ranger when he very categorized 28 miles an hour as speeding, but I caught myself before making the situation worse.  We escaped with nothing more than a verbal warning, an unlikely outcome had I laughed at the park ranger's warning.

The boys returned on Sunday morning to shower at the hotel.  I was very glad the boys were back because my car had a dead battery that would not charge.  I think the boys enjoyed the opportunity to show off their mechanical skills.

Sean and Chris change the battery.

After replacing the battery in the vehicle, some of us made one final stop at Big Lou's for an oversized 42 inch pizza lunch.  We carried home our leftovers (of which there were plenty) in oversized pizza boxes.

The long weekend was awesome - a perfect retreat in the midst of my uncertain furlough status.  

Period Costumes at the McNay

Over the weekend, I saw a costume exhibit at an art museum.  Here is a costume that Johnny Depp wore in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.  

Most of the costumes were dresses, and most of the dresses were very elaborate pieces of craftsmanship.

I really like the monochromatic details in this
wedding dress from a Jane Eyre movie.

This dress has so many pleats, layers, patterns,
and textures.

Which is less flattering:The jelly-roll arms or
the form-swallowing waist that drapes from
above the bra line?

Many of the costumes were just impractical.

Please, I need at least 60 inches of floor space
at all times.

No sitting in this gown.

If the dress reflects red on the wall, the red is
certain to reflect on a woman's skin as well.
Woo-hoo for a ruddy complexion!  

Many of the dresses featured fur elements.  

Something simple to keep my hands warm.

"Feathers are not enough!  Quick, add some
fox tails!" 

Proper accessories include a pin, a hat, and a fox fur complete
with a head and four legs.

After seeing all the costumes, I realized that my "fancy" church clothes are very plain and boring, but also very comfortable.  I like comfortable.

Phoneless

I left my phone in at my aunt's house this weekend.  My aunt lives 450 miles away, so I am officially phoneless for a few days while my phone travels through the U.S. Postal Service.  Had I not forgotten my phone . . .

1. I wouldn't have stopped at a gas station on the way to the airport on Sunday to verify that I had taken the correct exit;
2. I would have a beautiful picture taken from an airplane window of a sunset over the Dallas skyline, a picture of the humorous pumpkin people crafted this afternoon by four attorneys, my new betta fish named Mr. Fish, and the comical government shutdown countdown clock ticking away on CNN; and
3. I could have communicated with the four teenagers who failed to meet me this evening as scheduled to prepare for an upcoming church program (tsk, tsk, tsk). 

In the end, however, I made it to the airport on Sunday with plenty of time to spare, I don't really need pictures of a sunset or a countdown clock, I can enjoy Mr. Fish and my pumpkin person in real time, and I will see those silly teenagers this Wednesday.  Phoneless isn't so bad afterall.  

Early Morning Festivities

Only good friends meet for a farewell devotion/birthday party at 7:00 a.m. before heading our separate ways for work.  

What the Valley lacks in flashy attractions, it makes up for with good people.  

Rain, Rain, Rain

September has been a very rainy month.  Very rainy.  I think it rained everyday for over two weeks straight.  All that rain worked wonders in the yard.  The sweet potato vine is fuller than ever;

My spider plant is growing a number of spider babies;

Mushrooms and clover sprouted all over the place;

And everything is green, green, green!  September has been a very rainy month, and I love it.

Dog Day of Summer

According to the internet, today is National Dog Day.  I've seen unreliable and/or questionable information on the internet before (gasp!), which causes me to question the genuineness of National Dog Day.   The National Dog Day website promoting DogTV and calling National Dog Day a Fourth of July for Dogs doesn't exactly assuage my authenticity concerns.  Nonetheless, in honor of National Dog Day, I share with you Chris's sketch of Doug that exaggerates Doug's physical and behavioral characteristics.  Happy Dog Day, Dougie!

Oh Baby

A married, childless woman in her thirties feels a little societal pressure to procreate from time to time.  It's as if people don't appreciate my furry, four-legged dependent as a real addition to my family unit. Maybe this instruction card, which I secretly hope to use at a baby shower someday, will lighten the conversation.   The baby in the fish tank is my favorite, although the man nursing is a close second as it touches on the unknown purpose of man nipples.    

Power Outage

What's a girl to do when she has a hungry husband and no power at home?  Does she offer to make a lame peanut butter sandwich?  Maybe she does, but that's not the point.  The point is that a camp stove works just as well in a kitchen as it does in the woods.  In fact, unlike a camp site, the kitchen is ready to go with utensils, a clean workspace, and a sink, all of which make use of a camp stove so much easier.  This is significant because if you are anything like this girl, easier to cook = more enjoyable to eat.

Cena

What to do if you are planning a fancy Mexican food dinner:

(1) Drive to downtown McAllen to shop for the proper attire.  Pretend you belong there, even if you are the only tall, blonde person who prefers to do business in English.  Ask for prices in U.S. currency, not pesos.

Downtown McAllen

(2) Purchase the proper accessories, which will likely include cotton lace, images of Christ, or both.  Try not to laugh when you find these accessories, or when you try on pants that match the carpet.  

(3) Invite friends who like to cook yummy Mexican dishes while dressed in Mexican attire.  Don't forget to hang a Mexican flag around your dog's neck, or on a random window.  

(4) Stay in character, even if your stomach is so full of horchata, nachos, fideo, rice, beans, enchiladas, chili relleno, flan, and tres leches cake that you just want to curl up in a ball and go to sleep.  

Recent Events

Every now and then I feel compelled to compile a list of recent events.  Now is one of those times, so here they are in no particular order.

1.  Last month I went to Hondo, Texas, for what will likely be my last visit.  Hondo is the small town where my aunt and cousins lived for many years.  I have so many wonderful childhood memories of visiting the farm house in Hondo, and it was a real blessing to have family nearby in Hondo when Chris and I lived in San Antonio.  If you ever find yourself driving through Hondo, be sure to keep an eye out for the iconic welcome sign.   

My Beautiful Mom with the Welcome Sign in Hondo.

2. Last weekend, Chris and I hosted a whopping 49 people in our house (Chris counted).  It was by far the largest gathering of people our house has seen since our arrival last fall, and the largest gathering Chris and I have ever hosted (aside from our wedding).  While our one guest bathroom proved to be insufficient for a crowd of 49, our food miraculously multiplied to accommodate everyone.  Being blessed with a close community makes the isolation of living in south Texas easier to bear.

A Full House.

One of our guests of honor.  Good Luck Joneen!

3.  This week I've been enjoying lovely gladiola blooms.

I planted gladiola bulbs in my garden this spring, which required pulling countless weeds, aerating the soil, digging numerous little holes, and watering dirt for weeks.  Eventually, little green tips broke through the soil and grew into tall plants, many of which required staking to withstand the nonstop Valley "breeze."

Unfortunately, the tall plants did NOTHING but sway in the wind, which means those lovely blooms pictured above are not the product of my hard work.  Instead, I had to buy some cut gladiolas at the grocery store last week in order to enjoy these lovely flowers.  After all my hard work, I deserve some blooms, even if I have to buy them.

4.  Summer is here, and summer makes me want to travel.  Yesterday I started making a list of the top places I would like to visit.  So far I have Niagara Falls, Machu Pichu, Iguazu Falls, Mt. Fugi, Seychelles, the Netherlands, and Disney World.  I will soon be able to check one of those places off my list!

Getting Excited!

5.  The other day while working the yard, I reached for our catch-all bucket and screamed when I saw what I thought was an oversized rat sitting at the bottom.  The rat turned out to be a baby Opossum.  Chris spared the opossum's life and cautiously tossed him into the alley for me.  The bucket now stays inside when not in use.

Doug is never far from the action

6.  Chris modeled some glasses one recent Sabbath during lunch.

Okay, so Chris is not the only one who tried "the glasses look" recently.

Where's Wenda?

These nerdy pictures make me think of an old picture of Lubbock friends.  Here's proof that Chris and I are I not the only ones who look nerdy when wearing wide-rimmed glasses:

Ryan and Amber

7. I have been learning to study the bible in unexpected ways.   A few weeks ago while working with a group, the group was challenged to write a song about Joshua 1:9.  Joshua 1:9 states: "Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you where ever you go."

My group wrote a catchy little song with the following lyrics:

Be strong,
For the Lord will be with you where ever you go.
Be courageous,
For the Lord will be with you where ever you go.
Do not be afraid, do not be dismayed,
For the Lord will be with you where ever you go.

It is now three weeks later and I still remember that silly little song.  More importantly, I remember the powerful text.

Last week, I attended a small bible study and was challenged with drawing a comic strip based on Jeremiah 29:13.  Jeremiah 29:13 says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek for me with all your heart."  I drew a rather silly series of pictures depicting a visually impaired person searching for an object without his glasses.  This exercise taught me two things: (1) my people-drawingskills have evolved little since the fifth grade, and (2) I do not even begin to seek for the Lord until I seek with all my heart.

I love learning to study the bible in new ways!