My Last Night in NJ

My last night in NJ....

Becky has community group on Wednesday nights, which is a Bible study with various people from her church community. It was over around 9 P.M. Everyone left. 

Then Becky, our friend Jess, and I decided to go walk and get ice cream. It was my idea. So I do feel pretty terrible about suggesting it. We got back around 10:40ish?

When we got home the door to the actual apartment was wide open, the kitchen light was on and there were some papers on the floor. We knew we shut the door and left the lights off. We thought that maybe Becky's roommate, Mona came home and left in a hurry. At which point I start looking for my backpack because I knew I needed to charge my computer for the flight home. Jess called Mona, who said she hadn't been home. I'm still looking for my backpack. I had just taken my wallet out of it to walk to get ice cream, it had to be there.

Then I see 3 unimportant papers under Becky's desk that had been in my backpack. Then we realize Mona's laptop is missing, as well as Becky's iPod and speakers. So we call the police, who come and fingerprinted some areas. All of Becky's jewelry was stolen. Some of Mona's jewelry was stolen and my entire backpack.

In my favorite backpack was:

Laptop

Digital camera

library book--sorry NYPL

A zip pouch that had all the essentials needed for a purse. 

Could have been worse. We are all safe.

Full Circle

I am sitting here at Panera in Princeton, NJ. Becky has to work all day so I am entertaining myself. Almost a full year ago, I sat in this same place (prob. not the same seat) and wondered what the coming year of intentional community would bring.

To say that I had a "rough" year could be a bit of an understatement. I don't think I

am even anywhere close to beginning to process the year.

I'm really glad to be going back home. My really comfy bed, air conditioning, a car, fuzzy black poodle dogs, and the excitement that I will be living in Orange County in a few months.

After today; 5 days!

I am leaving the city in 5 days!

Here are the things I am doing before I leave...

- Seeing Hair 8/8/09

-Harlem Studio Museum 8/9/09

-Blockheads for the last time 8/9/09

-Yankee game 8/10/09

-2 days of work 8/9, 8/10

-2 nights in New Jersey

-Eat at Kitchenette by myself 8/9/09...not by myself though!

Summertime In New York

Summertime In New York

Hot, sticky, humid

Lightening bugs in the night

Concerts in the park

We saw Arlo Guthrie tonight. I can officially say I have heard, "This Land is Your Land" live with the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop.

B-R-O-OK!-L-Y-N

I'm sure most of you know this......buuuut this summer I am working at a preschool in Brooklyn for kids with special needs.

I am a para, which means that I follow one little girl around and make sure she doesn't kick or hit me or others, run out of the classroom, etc. She also licks the bottoms of her shoe fairly consistently and bites her hand when she is frustrated. She also will put anything on her face: paint, stickers, food. Charming.

I work from 9-3, and it is about an hour commute each way. And I absolutely love it! There are 10 kids in the class and they are all so unique and interesting.

It is a nice end to a crap year.

I didn't have any experience really with Brooklyn until this job, and I really like it as well!

More crazy kid stories to come! Like how she turns upside down to stare at peoples hair, and how we have the same discussion numerous days in a row.

Ahhhh Massachusetts!

This past weekend I was lucky enough to go to Massachusetts and stay with Becky's family.

Becky's mom drove 2 hours (one-way) to pick me up in Connecticut!

It was such a nice weekend. I really needed it.

It was fairly nice weather, and staying in a nice house with air conditioning was GREAT!

I got to swim in the pool, play with the 3 ridiculous dogs, play ping-pong, watch movies, sleep in a super comfy bed!, go to church, have a BBQ, garden, spend time with loved ones.

Then Becky's dad woke up at 4 AM to drive me back to Connecticut, so I could make it to work on time on Monday.

Thank you Grinsteads, your love and generosity was wonderful this weekend!

Prayer request

Please pray for Patrick's dad, and the whole Fennig family. He is in the hospital dying from cancer. It was all very sudden. He was visiting Patrick 2 weeks ago. Came down with pneumonia, had complications, went to the hospital and they found massive cancer all over.