The old western song "Back in the Saddle again..." comes to mind as we attempt to make order out of chaos. Of course a girl sitting in the saddle backwards with the message "Some days I don't know if I am coming or going!" sums up my life quite nicely. It was a much needed two week vacation in Colorado full of old friends, renewing family relationships, enjoying the scenery from the California Zephyr, and crocheting up a storm - two baby blankies, a summer top, a dozen kitchen cloths, and reading two books. Even on vacation I am a work-aholic!! Tom just shakes his head, but after 50 years of marriage, he is good at it!!
My helper in Strawberry waited until my return to tell me of their move to Louisiana as her husband had a job there and they were offered a family-owned home for a rediculously low rent. I told her that I would have jumped at the oppertunity also!! I will miss Dodie; she did an awesome job while we were gone. So it is back into training new employees mode! I have often acknowledged that I have been a "teacher without a classroom" for my entire life - Sunday School starting at 14, Bible Studies starting at 32, boss since 1979 with a constantly changing cast / set of students, Cub Scouts, 4H Foods, even piano for the three years we lived in the mountains above Denver!! No retirement package waiting for me from my teaching, but having listened to my sister trying to get a disability retirement from her school district - PRAISE GOD that I missed out on the politics of classroom teaching/ retiring.
Our church was happy to see us return; the preachers that Tom had lined up came, preached, prayed and the WORD was heard, but the normal routine is good too! Choir has started practicing; love those faithful singers - it is such a blessing to sing together and we have such a variety of talents. We even enjoyed some new banners for the weekend of 9/11 thanks to a crafty church member - we will use them again on Veteran's Day weekend in November. The Ministerial Association in our county sponsored a celebration on 9/11 at the fairgrounds - packed house, much prayer, great music, God bless America. The events of 9/11 brought our nation to its knees, but too soon it was back to the "normal routine." In this case maybe routine was NOT GOOD!
