BUSY SUMMER IS ALMOST OVER
Well, summer isn't technically over, but now that I've started back to work my summer break is officially over and we're getting ever closer to my beloved fall sesaon. I have to say this has been the busiest summer I've had in a long time! Much has happened from the first trip to South Carolina to my friend's sudden marriage to the Daytona trip to VBS to all of the work around the house, my summer USF course and my father continuing to not be well. So, it's been a full one.
DAYTONA TRIP - This was interesting one, for sure. Sherry and I started out travelling up to Florence, SC so she could get some continuing dental work done - so we left two days earlier than we usually do. Since I was in the middle of an online course, I had work an
d tests that had to be submitted by a certain time, so I had to be working on that while travelling. At the hotel in Florence, there was no wi-fi, so I ended up having to go to the library in town. That was a pleasant surprise as it was about a 3 year old facility and was beautiful! Sherry's dental work didn't turn out to be too long, as it turned out, so we had a little more time to enjoy Florence. It was a good thing, because the rest of the trip would prove to be challenging. We left Florence on Wednesday morning and spent most of the day heading down to Daytona for the music conference. After we had let the Jacksonville rush hour and were about 75 miles north of Daytona on I-95, we broke down - the car just died on us. So we had to get towed back to Daytona, make decisions on what we wanted to do. We ended up renting a car there to get around as Sherry elected to get her car back home when it was time to go. She ended up spending much of the time there sick and not able to attend the first day of the conference. We did make it home safe and sound, and I was able to make all but a half day of the conference.
d tests that had to be submitted by a certain time, so I had to be working on that while travelling. At the hotel in Florence, there was no wi-fi, so I ended up having to go to the library in town. That was a pleasant surprise as it was about a 3 year old facility and was beautiful! Sherry's dental work didn't turn out to be too long, as it turned out, so we had a little more time to enjoy Florence. It was a good thing, because the rest of the trip would prove to be challenging. We left Florence on Wednesday morning and spent most of the day heading down to Daytona for the music conference. After we had let the Jacksonville rush hour and were about 75 miles north of Daytona on I-95, we broke down - the car just died on us. So we had to get towed back to Daytona, make decisions on what we wanted to do. We ended up renting a car there to get around as Sherry elected to get her car back home when it was time to go. She ended up spending much of the time there sick and not able to attend the first day of the conference. We did make it home safe and sound, and I was able to make all but a half day of the conference. VBS - the week after I got back from the trip we had Vacation Bible School at Faith UMC. It went pretty well. This was my first year doing music there - and really doing VBS in many years. Our theme was Surfin' Through The Scriptures - a surfing theme, as you might have guessed. This was something of an initiation for me as many of the folks volunteering have been doing VBS there for many years - so, I was one of the new kids on the block. It was a learning experience, and we pulled it all together on Friday of the week for our closing program.
USF COURSE - I spent a good amount of the summer taking this course - a women's studies course. I have found that with these online courses, you sort of have to take the first couple of weeks or so to figure out the "groove and routine" of things. They're all a little different - some use videos, some use the textbook, others use articles and all of them use discussion boards and/or discussion groups. I got an "A"
MY FATHER - My Dad continues to be infirmed because of his now various illnesses he has. He's been in a Rehab Center (which is sort of like a nursing home, but it's tempo
rary) since about last May and had to have subsequent surgery on his foot to allow for better blood flow. He has a huge sore that is extremely slow in healing. He was back in the hospital earlier this summer to receive a special antibiotic, then released back to the rehab. He has recently been hospitalized again because of a major fluid buildup in his body - so much so that he was having trouble breathing. He has since been having that drained and treated. I saw him a couple of days ago and he didn't look great to me, so we'll see how things progress. I have to admit, it's starting to get a little "scary" for me.
rary) since about last May and had to have subsequent surgery on his foot to allow for better blood flow. He has a huge sore that is extremely slow in healing. He was back in the hospital earlier this summer to receive a special antibiotic, then released back to the rehab. He has recently been hospitalized again because of a major fluid buildup in his body - so much so that he was having trouble breathing. He has since been having that drained and treated. I saw him a couple of days ago and he didn't look great to me, so we'll see how things progress. I have to admit, it's starting to get a little "scary" for me. THE HOUSE - The construction and renovation part is about 99% complete (still waiting on a new front door). I've been in the very slow process of unboxing all of the stuff we've had in storage and getting things put away - or in some instances throwing stuff out that I just don't need anymore - mostly paperwork that I've saved for the last 20+ years. It's getting closer every week and now there's furnishings for some of the rooms and window treatments that are the next leg of the project.
LOOKING AHEAD - Now that I'm back to work and it's been a week of that already, the students will be returning some time this week - depending on the weather. Scho
ol has actually been closed for what was supposed to be the first day for the kids because of evacuations and the school being an evacuation center, but I'm sure we'll be back to work later this week. For Faith UMC, we'll be soon turning our attention to our Fall music and Christmas presentation that is entitled "On This Very Night." This is a compliation of various seasonal and spiritual songs with narration. We'll, of course, be involving all of the ensembles. Our Kick-Off night this year is on September 3rd, and we're hoping to have several "new" folks come out to be part of the music ministry at Faith!
ol has actually been closed for what was supposed to be the first day for the kids because of evacuations and the school being an evacuation center, but I'm sure we'll be back to work later this week. For Faith UMC, we'll be soon turning our attention to our Fall music and Christmas presentation that is entitled "On This Very Night." This is a compliation of various seasonal and spiritual songs with narration. We'll, of course, be involving all of the ensembles. Our Kick-Off night this year is on September 3rd, and we're hoping to have several "new" folks come out to be part of the music ministry at Faith!
OK - I guess this is enough for now (even though there's more!). As you see, though, it has, indeed been a busy one this summer!
posted by George Winslow @ 5:07 PM
