Meet Simon!

There's a new member of the Money family. His name is Simon, he is six weeks old, and he is a black Lab mix. We have been looking for a playmate for Woody, but didn't expect to get a puppy. This happened kind of suddenly...

The St. John's Fishermen's Club held a stew today at church. Around 11:30, this woman walks in with an adorable black puppy. I gush over him and ask what his name is. She says that he doesn't have a name yet, and is free to a good home. I held him, looked into his eyes, and fell in love. She said that I could take him home to meet James and Woody and see how they liked him. So I did...and about three hours later I called her and told her we were keeping the puppy. By then we had decided to name him Simon.

Woody seems to really like Simon, and I think they'll become good friends in the next few months. Simon is very sweet, and fairly calm, given his age. He likes to be held and cuddled. The next few weeks will be spent housebreaking him and beginning his training. On Tuesday I'll take him to the vet to make sure he's healthy and get his shots.

Stay tuned to see how Simon grows. And maybe I'll get a picture of Woody and Simon together...

Simon eating

Simon eating dinner. Isn't he tiny?

Bad Mommy!

OK, I am a bad pet parent. Thanks to me, Woody has two sores on his neck where the skin has rubbed off and become raw. He has some ointment and wound sealant (some kind of spray), and he'll be just fine. I'm feeling guilty, though. Here's the story...

About six weeks ago, we installed an electric "radio fence" for Woody. There's a wire buried around the edge of our yard that's connected to a power supply in the house. Woody has a special collar that gives him (small, humane) shocks if he goes too close to the fence border. On the collar are two small prongs that deliver the shocks.

So, a few weeks ago I glanced out the front window and nearly had a heart attack. There was Woody saying "hi" to some yellow dog (Lab or Golden Retriever, maybe). That's not what made my heart stop. It was the fact that they were IN THE ROAD. Now, we live on a fairly busy road. Both the local high school and middle school are a 1/2 mile down the road from the parsonage. The traffic on the road is the main reason we installed the fence in the first place. We don't want our dog to be hit by a car and killed!

I called Woody in, and he came. I checked, and the power to the fence was on. The collar still had plenty of battery juice. So I figured that the collar wasn't tight enough against Woody's neck; he hadn't felt the shock, and was able to go through the fence. I simply tightened the collar a little, and sent Woody on his merry way.

This Saturday, I had to go to Richmond (about a 3 1/2 hour drive), so I was gone all day (left at 5:45 am and came back at 7:00 p.m.). When I got home, James showed me Woody's neck. It was gross. The fur was matted in places, and we could see at least one prong-sized sore that was oozing. I guess I put Woody's collar on a little too tight, and it rubbed his neck raw.

I'm sorry, Woody! The moral to this story: if you get an underground fence for your pet, check their neck and collar every night!

Charge Conference: I Survived It!!

I survived my first-ever Charge Conference. That's a huge praise. It's not the actual event that's so stressful; it's all the paperwork that needs to be completed. We're talking about 25 forms, most of which need to be signed by one or more people, and I needed to have three copies of each form. Not to mention committee meetings for salary, budget, and nominations. Administration is not my strongest gift (most definitely), so I was little stressed about doing everything right. Next year, I'm starting three months in advance. And I'm going to have people help me, instead of doing most of it myself. Definitely.

Quote from Ellsworth Kalas

I'm the midst of preparing Sunday's sermon, which is on Revelation 21, with a focus on All Saints' Day. While hunting through resources, I came across this quote from Ellsworth Kalas, who is currenty the interim president of Asbury Theological Seminary. I took a preaching course from Dr. Kalas, and he is a wonderful man of God, a fantastic preacher and teacher, and he has a great sense of humor. He's old enough to be my grandfather, but he has the vigor of someone half his age. I wanted to share this quote with you. It's from a chapter on Revelation:

"...It’s especially exciting if you’ve been traveling with me all of this year as we’ve gone through the whole grand sweep of the biblical story. You’ve seen, as we’ve gone along, that we human beings have a remarkable penchant for getting into trouble. Give us an Eden, and we’ll find a way to be evicted; wash the world clean with a flood, and we’ll soon dirty it up again; find us a chosen people, and they will soon enough make us wonder why they were chosen; send us the Son of God, and we will crucify him. We have such ability for messing things up that it’s clear we need an absolutely new beginning."

And here's another good one, from the same chapter:
"Whatever the score today, whatever the state of our world or of our lives, Revelation tells us that in the end God will win, and all will be well. The conclusion of the story is certain. And it is good."

-Dr. Ellsworth Kalas, The Grand Sweep: Sermon Ideas for 52 Weeks

I feel appreciated

In case you didn't know, October is Clergy Appreciation Month. I knew that, but I wasn't "expecting" anything from my congregation because a) I didn't know if they usually observed it, b) I've only been there for four months, so we're still in the "getting to know you" stage, and c) I didn't enter this vocation expecting to receive any earthly rewards-only heavenly ones!

Anyway, on Sunday morning my PPR (Pastor-Parish Relations) chair stood up at the end of announcements and asked to come to the front. I was curious, but I naturally agreed. She then presented me with this GIGANTIC gift basket and card (which contained a gift certificate) on behalf of the congregation. I was very touched and wonderfully surprised.

The timing of this was perfect, because I've been slightly stressed over the past fews weeks due to the two words that strike panic in every Methodist pastor's heart: CHARGE CONFERENCE. It's this Sunday, and there is A LOT to do in preparation. Add to the fact that this is my first Charge Conference as a pastor and you can see why I've been hyperventilating a lot.

So whenever I get discouraged this week, I can go to the gift basket that sits in the living room (and is filled with all of my favorite delicacies-like Toblerone and Lindt truffles) and be reminded of how blessed I am to serve such a great congregation--especially since they've guessed the kind of foods I eat when I'm stressed!

Happy Birthday, James!

Today is my handsome, sweet, and brilliant husband's birthday. He was born 31 years ago today! I'm going to make his birthday cake this morning before heading to church. (Today is technically my day off, but I didn't have time to copy the bulletin yesterday, so I have to spend some time doing that today)

Happy Birthday to the best husband ever!

300 Million Americans!

The Census Bureau announced that as of this morning (October 17), the U.S. population passed the 300 million mark. Of course, that's an estimate, but it's probably fairly accurate.

Woohoo! Go and do something to celebrate.

Picture from Annual Conference

James and I hadn't downloaded any of the pics from our digital camera since we moved to Danville. The reason? We couldn't find the little black cord that connects the camera to the computer. James found it last week. So here's a much-overdue picture from Annual Conference in June. It was taken right before the "Service for the Ordering of Ministry", where I was licensed as a local pastor. You'll recognize James, me, and my parents. The guy on the far left is Dave Wade, who is a retired UM pastor and family friend.

Church Size: Does it really matter?

I am the pastor of a "small church" (defined as having a worship attendance of 75 or less) and grew up in a small church. While in seminary, I wound up joining two larger churches; one with a worship attendance of 500, one with a worship attendance of 250. This wasn't intentional; it just happened. However, I knew that my first several appointments (if not all my appointments) would be to small churches. With that in mind, I took a course called "Evangelism in the Small Church." By the end of that course, God had given me a heart for small churches and a desire to be a small church pastor.

I believe that many lay people, pastors, denominational executives, and church growth theorists support the concept of "bigger is better" when it comes to churches. They assume that small church = dying church and large church = growing, vibrant church. I don't believe that's true. The size of a church does not matter how effective it is.

What's most important in assessing whether or not a church is effective is its health. Is the congregation growing spiritually? Is it actively serving the community? Is the membership representative of the community? Are most, if not all, of the members involved beyond Sunday morning worship? Are people coming to faith in Christ because of the witness of the congregation (individually and collectively)? Basically, is the church fulfilling the Great Commission?

I believe that my small church (average worship attendance: 40-45) in Danville, Virginia meets the above criteria. So does our former church (average worship attendance: 250) in Lexington, Kentucky. One is small, one is medium-to-large. Both are making a difference in the kingdom of God. Naturally, there is always room for improvement. We can always be more effective in our ministry. Complacency should never be an option. However, I think that small churches deserve more credit than they receive. They're doing the work of the kingdom, too!

Apple Butter

James and I love apple butter. It's very yummy on biscuits or cinnamon raisin bagels. I've had a hard time finding apple butter here in Danville, though. The stores only have two varieties and it only comes in GIGANTIC jars. So I discovered a solution...

I can make my own apple butter!

I got some apples (fresh from the tree!) from a couple in my church, along with a recipe for homemade apple butter. I peeled, cored, and chopped about 12 apples. Then I put them in the crock pot, along with some sugar and a good measure of cinnamon and cloves. I also put in a smidgen of allspice and nutmeg, just for variety. I mixed it all up, put the crock pot on "low", and walked away. About twelve hours later I had a lovely concoction that is definitely apple butter. It's not the best apple butter I've ever tasted, but it's edible and fairly yummy. Maybe later this week I'll try to make a larger batch with the rest of the apples.

In other domestic news, I'm determined to have a garden next spring. We have an acre of land, so I might as well use some of it for a garden! I've started a compost pile in a far corner of the backyard. I'll keep adding to it, and hopefully we'll have some good fertilizer in six months or so!

Attention ATS Alumni!

If you're an alumnus, faculty or staff member, or otherwise connected to Asbury Theological Seminary, check out the following site:

Asbury Theological Seminary Petition

This is a petition in support of Jeff Greenway, our current President who is currently on involuntary leave by action of the Board of Trustees. Jeff has been on leave since September 1, and there has been very little communication from the Board of Trustees in regards to the situation. If you have access to First Class, go to "Alumni Coffeehouse" under the "LifeShare Community" icon. You will find more information there. If you do not have access to First Class, then e-mail me at patti.money@gmail.com and I will provide you with the information that I have received.

For everyone: please keep the ATS community, especially Jeff, his family, and the Board of Trustees, in your prayers. There is a special meeting of the Board on October 17 in Atlanta. Above all, we want this situation to be fully resolved in a way that pleases and gives honor to God. It's also important that whatever healing and reconciliation needs to occur, does occur.

Thank you!

Some Things About Me...

My friend Kylee sent this to me. I thought it would be fun to fill out...

4 Things About Me: Patti

Things you may not have known about me.....

A) Four jobs I have had in my life..

1. Chick-Fil-A cashier
2. Temp agency employee
3. Librarian
4. Pastor

B) Four movies I would watch over and over:

1. "Anne of Green Gables"
2. "Anne of Avonlea"
3. "Harry Potter and ____" (you name which one)
4. "Lord of the Rings" trilogy

C) Four places I have lived:

1. Villa Park, Ill
2. Memphis, TN
3. Haleiwa, HI
4. Boca Raton, FL

D) Four TV shows I love to watch:

1. "Family Guy"
2. "Desperate Housewives" (sad, I know. My dad got me hooked)
3. "Judging Amy"
4. "Everybody Loves Raymond"

E) Four places I have been on vacation:

1. Kaui, Hawaii
2. France
3. Chincoteague, Virginia
4. Heidelberg, Germany

F) Websites I visit daily/ or frequently:

1. http://www.registerbee.com/
2. http://www.gmail.com/
3. http://www.textweek.com/
4. http://www.myspace.com/

G) Four of my favorite foods:

1. Pizza (either homemade or from a good pizza place)
2. Thai
3. Indian
4. Cajun

H) 4 places I'd rather be right now:

1. Bed (what can I say? I like to sleep...)
2. Taize, France (most peaceful place I've ever been)
3. Hawaii
4. Snuggled on a sofa, reading a novel

I) Four things I¹d like to do before I die:

1. Have children
2. Go on a cruise
3. Live in one house, in one town, for at least five years (has not happened in my adult life)
4. Celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary with James

Woody Update 3

Good news! Woody is back to his cheerful, energetic, and healthy self again. The vet sent us home on Monday afternoon with two medications, some anti-parasite powder to mix in his food, and six cans of prescription dog food. After three days of this regimen, I think it's safe to say that Woody is "cured." He'll be on the medications for another four days or so, and we'll slowly wean him back onto his dry Purina One food. Right now we're excited that he's eating normally (for Woody, that is) again.*

*For those of you who don't know, Woody has interesting eating patterns. We joke that he alternates between being anorexic or binge eating. Several days will pass, and Woody may eat 2 cups of food...total. Then, all of a sudden, he'll start eating anything you put in front of him. I guess it all evens out in the end. He's at a healthy weight, so we don't worry too much.

Woody Update 2

Woody is home from the vet's office. His bloodwork came back OK and they gave us some medication and a special prescription dog food. They also gave us some de-worming stuff for any parasites in his system. Now the challenge will be to make him eat!

We've had a "pet insurance" policy for him since we adopted him in 2004, but haven't had to file a claim on it. Part of the reason is that the deductible in $75/per illness. Now we're glad that we have it, and PetCare will be receiving our first claim!

Woody Update

Poor Woody is still sick. I took him to the vet, and they said he probably has colitis (they found blood in his stool), but they don't know why yet. He's there right now; they're running some tests on him. He's also somewhat dehydrated, so they may have to give him some fluids. I'm supposed to call at 3:30 p.m. to find out what's what. Hopefully I'll be able to pick him up and take him home!

The poor thing was so lethargic on Saturday night and all day yesterday. He seems to be feeling slightly better now, but he refuses to eat anything. I have confidence in this vet, though. She and the other vet in the practice have both been highly recommended by several people in my church.

Happy Birthday, Dad Sufficool!

My father, Bob Sufficool, turns the big 7-0 today! Happy Birthday, Dad!

This pic was taken at our wedding (duh). You should be able to figure out which one is my dad. :)

Sick Puppy

Poor Woody has a sick tummy. Last night we took him to Sonic, because it's his favorite restaurant (I think he just likes getting a car ride and eating with us). He always gets a corn dog and James often gives him a couple fries and a bite of hamburger. Anyway, this morning around 5am he woke me up, whimpering. I let him out for a few minutes, and then we went back to bed. Same drill again at 7am. He seemed OK after we woke up this morning, so I thought he was better. Wrong. James and I went to town to do some errands. When we came home two hours later, Woody streaked out the door before we had it halfway open. Turns out, poor boy had an accident on the kitchen floor. Guess the corn dog didn't agree with him...

Now, Woody is so well-trained that we know he must have been really miserable for an accident to have happened. I can count on one hand the number of times that's happened since we've had him. We appreciate his thoughtfulness, though. Instead of going on the beautiful hardwood floors, the lovely rugs in the living and dining rooms, or even our bargain rug in the T.V. room, he chose the vinyl floor in the kitchen. That's by far the easiest spot in clean up. Good job, boy! Thank for making Mommy's job easier.

Woody should be on the mend now. I gave him some doggie medicine and will fix him a gourmet meal of rice and cottage cheese tonight. I'll follow the same drill tomorrow. Just to be on the safe side, I'm giving him a few days off from his job as my "bodyguard." Normally he comes to the church office with me, but that's not happening until he's 100% better. No way, Jose. It's not like the Stony Mill area is high-crime, anyway. It's a very safe area; I just like having Woody with me when I'm at church alone.

25 "Accomplishments" in 12 months

I "stole" this from my friend Tamara. Thought I'd give it a shot...

1. Got job a Chick-Fil-A after realizing that no one would hire me for only ten months (and with a liberal arts education to boot!)

2. Served as a foster parent for three months to a very needy purebred Labrador Retriever named Terra.

3. Underwent a "Level 2" psychological evaluation for the UM ordination process.

4. Received approval from my District Committee on Ordained Ministry to proceed as a candidate for probationary elder.

5. Survived a Christmas season at Chick-Fil-A.

6. Submitted all my papers, videos, forms, etc for probationary membership.

7. Won an award for highest sales among full-time employees at Chick-Fil-A.

8. Lost 5 lbs in February (due to the stomach flu, but I still lost the weight...)

9. Traveled to Blackstone, Virginia for probationary interviews. Approved by two committees (Call and Personal Growth/Development) and "continued" by two others (Theology and Practice)

10. Got the flu for the first time since childhood. Spent three days in bed, went back to work, and got bronchitis. Spent month of April feeling like a 90 year-old chainsmoker.

11. Appointed to serve St. John's UMC in Danville, Virginia as a Licensed Local Pastor.

12. Listed first-ever house with realtor; had contract within three weeks.

13. Moved from Lexington, Kentucky to Morrisville, North Carolina with a scared dog and a husband recovering from food poisoning.

14. Successfully completed 10-day Licensing School, passing everything with flying colors.

15. Sold first-ever house and broke even on the sale.

16. Attended Annual Conference for the first time ever. Licensed as a Local Pastor.

17. Moved 90% of stuff from Morrisville, North Carolina to Danville, Virginia.

18. Began first full-time ministry job as the pastor of St. John's UMC.

19. Signed up for exciting benefits like Life Insurance, Retirement, Disability, and Accidental Death & Dismemberment. Our financial future is fairly secure.

20. Discovered that God was right all along; I love being a pastor, and am good at it.

21. Celebrated fifth wedding anniversary

22. Went to Chincoteague on first vacation in four years; Woody went on vacation to Lucky's Pet Resort.

23. Learned to operate a riding lawn mower

24. Made it to the age of 30 without breaking a bone, having surgery, or contracting a major illness (knock on wood)

25. Completed three full months as a pastor (as of September 28) and still love my job and my congregation!

Scratch, scratch...

What's teeny-tiny, gets under your skin and makes you miserable? C-H-I-G-G-E-R-S! That's right, folks, I have chiggers. Apparently I need to wear heavy-duty insect repellent whenever I am in the yard for any length of time, and not just at night.

It all started last night, when I took my knee-highs off and saw that my left foot was covered in red bumps. I thought that was odd, but figured I must have brushed against some poison ivy or something. I applied some calamine lotion to the area, put on cotton socks, and went to bed.

This morning, I woke up to find these bumps had spread...to the other foot, up one leg, on my back, and on my butt. I called my unofficial parish nurse, who assured me that I most likely did not have chicken pox (my fear, since I've never had it). She did, however, encourage me to get my bumps looked at by a doctor.

So I drove into downtown Danville, waited at the walk-in clinic for an hour, and emerged with a diagnosis of chiggers and a prescription for a topical cream. I have now applied this cream from head to toe, changed clothes, stripped the bed, and am preparing to wash everything in hot water.

Guess this means I'll have to postpone my plans for a pedicure...

Guess who's 30?

Well, it's finally payback day for my wife. She turned 30 today! So, be sure to congratulate/poke fun of/harrass her about this ancient age. After all, she did the same for me! Maybe at 40, we can arrange for the hearse to pick her up at home?

5 Years And Counting!!!

Five years ago today, James and I got married! I can't believe it's been that long...seems like yesterday! We're looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together...and hopefully producing a few children in the next few years. :) I'm very thankful that I have the BEST HUSBAND EVER!

To celebrate, we're going to Chincoteague (where we went for our honeymoon) for a week. It will be lots of fun to be at the beach and have some time off. Woody will be spending a week in the lap of luxury (doggie-style) at Lucky's Pet Resort in Greensboro, NC. We're hoping that he has a lot of fun, since we'll be paying out the nose for it.

See you in a week! Hopefully by then I will have found the little cord we use to download pics to the computer and can post some pics of our vacation!

Welcome to the world, Trey!!!

Our friends Stephanie and Daniel had a baby this past Thursday (July 27). He's their third child and first boy. His full name is Daniel Wilson McSpadden III, but they're calling him "Trey" because it means "three." Isn't he cute?? Congrats to Stephanie and Daniel and big sisters, Megan and Lily!!!

The McSpaddens are friends of ours from Lexington. They were in our small group at Christ Church.

Happy Adoption Day, Woody!!!

Two years ago today, Woody became an official member of the Money family. He has brought so much joy and love into our lives; we know he was a gift from God.

The story: Our friend Mike was visiting from Virginia, and on Sunday July 18 we drove him out to Versailles to a railroad museum. On the way back to Lexington, we saw a sign for the Woodford Humane Society. Someone (either James or Mike) said, "wanna go look at dogs?" We decided to stop at WHS. James and I knew we wanted a dog, but were planning on waiting until fall to adopt one. However, we felt it couldn't hurt to "just look around." We went around the kennel, looking at dogs. There was a male lab mix in a corner cage. We took a second look at him, and while we were doing so, a staff member started talking to us. We told her what kind of dog we wanted: medium-large sized, over 1 year old, intelligent, and quiet. She pointed to the Lab mix we were looking at and said, "Woody is the perfect dog for you! He's 4 years old, well-trained, and hasn't barked in the month that he's been here!" We agreed to take him on a walk, since he did seem kinda cute. At one point, he looked up at me, and I fell in love. James liked him, too. However, we didn't want to make a spur of the moment decision and weren't sure that we were ready for a dog yet. So we left, planning to think it over.

James and I talked, and decided that we should probably wait until fall to adopt a dog. We had just moved a month ago, and had some bills to pay. It would cost a lot to buy dog food, toys, a bed, and other supplies. Still, I couldn't help but think of poor Woody alone in that kennel...On Monday July 19, James turned to me in bed and said, "you really like Woody, don't you." I said yes, but that I understood we had to wait before getting a dog.

On Tuesday afternoon, James called me on my cell phone as I was running errands and told me to come home. When I opened the door, a furry black thing rushed at me. It was Woody! James had gone out to Versailles that morning and adopted Woody as a surprise for me. It was my anniversary and birthday present rolled into one. Don't I have a great husband??

Woody and Daddy

Woody and "Dr. Daddy" at James' graduation party this spring.

Woody and Mommy

Woody and Patti on her last day of seminary in May 2005!

Woody swimming

Woody swimming at the "Pool Party for Pooches" last year! He's a great swimmer!

I'm famous!!

On Tuesday, I went to a lunch gathering of area clergywomen. We had lots of fun. There was a report there from the Danville Register Bee, which is the local daily newspaper. Guess who was on the front page today (Sunday)? Yours truly, along with seven other female pastors! Click on the title of this post (it's a link) to see the article.

Third Sunday went very well. Now I just need to spend enough time on sermon prep early in the week so I'm not finishing my sermon on Saturday evening.

We now have the bedroom, living room, dining room, and kitchen unpacked and looking lovely. Now we can tackle the office and "TV room" (which we hope will become a nursery/kid's bedroom at some point).

We're Virginians Again!!!

Since today was my day off, James and I decided to go to the DMV and get our licenses, title, and registration changed over from KY. We arrived at 10:11 am. Two and a half hours later (12:45 pm) we left the DMV as legal residents of Virginia. We had some snafus when we FINALLY got to a customer service window. We were both still in the system, and at first the computer wanted us to take the written test again...because our licenses had "expired." That got straightened out quickly (since we surrendered our valid KY licenses). Then they wanted to see our marriage license...since I was in the system under my maiden name. Never mind that I had a passport, Social Security card, and license in my married name. (: That got fixed as well. We are now "legal", with VA license plates to boot!

This afternoon/evening we began unpacking boxes. We got the bedroom finished, and are amazed at how big it is. Tomorrow we're tackling the living and dining rooms. Hopefully this week I'll be able to finish the office. Then the fun task of decorating comes. Good thing I have my very own Personal Decorating Consultant on retainer (a.k.a Mom the retired interior decorator)!

When I am weakest, then I am strongest...

By the grace of God, I survived my second Sunday and my second week as "Pastor Patti". Actually, most people call me "Patti", which is fine. A few people call me "Pastor Patti", which is about as formal as I want to get.

I continue to feel that this congregation and I are a very good match. Actually, any pastor should feel blessed to serve St. John's. The people have a real, genuine faith that is lived out and evident in their daily lives. They have a strong desire to reach out to the community. For example, we're holding VBS (Vacation Bible School) this week, even though we don't have any young children in the congregation. The youth group (which is tiny) and various other members have been knocking on doors and inviting kids to VBS! We had five kids tonight, and more may come tomorrow.

They're still saying nice stuff about me, and providing concrete examples of how the service or a part of a sermon touched them. That tells me that they're not just saying stuff to be nice. And my most honest critic (James) is giving me positive feedback, also. If you know James, you KNOW that he doesn't sugarcoat stuff. He doesn't have that ability, and I love him for it.

We are slowly...very slowly...getting settled into the parsonage. We're both working full-time now, and James is only here on the weekends. So I try and get done what I can in the evenings. I finally found the bag of little things to hold the shelves up, so now I can start loading the bookcases with my books. That should take care of 20 boxes or so!

Happy Birthday, Alade Tokuta!

He's not as famous or as old as "W"...but he still has a birthday today, July 7. Birthday wishes go out to Dr. Alade Tokuta, chair of the Math & Computer Science Department at NCCU. Yes, he is James' boss. :)

I'm off to Durham this morning to get some more stuff from the apartment and then meet James at NCCU for err...SOMETHING at 1:00 p.m. Then we head back to Danville, because tonight we have the orientation for new clergy on the district.

Tomorrow I have to finish up my sermon...producing something wonderful every week is TOUGH!

Guess who's 60 today???

That's right! Today, July 6, is President Bush's 60th birthday.

Happy Birthday, "W"!


It's funny...15 years or so ago, 60 seemed really old. However, now that both my parents have passed the 6-0 mark (and my dad will hit 70 in September!), 60 doesn't seem old anymore. In fact, it actually seems somewhat young.

My First Sunday: I Survived It!

Thank you Lord, for getting me through my first Sunday!

I was a tad nervous this morning, realizing that: a) I would be meeting most of my congregants for the first time, b) that I would be celebrating Communion for the first time. and c) that I would be preaching for only the 15th time or so. I hadn't realized just how many details go into planning a corporate (i.e. group) worship service, especially one with Communion.

However, everything went fairly smoothly. I kept forgetting what was happening next, and kept glancing back at the bulletin (that I had typed, no less) to jog my memory. The pulpit is a few inches too high for me, so for most of the sermon I sort of "hung out" on the right or left side.

One of the funniest/awkward moments came when I began to prepare the Communion elements. I removed the cloths covering them and discovered...Saran Wrap. Yes, our very practical Communion Steward had covered the juice and bread with plastic wrap. Makes sense, actually, since she had probably set everything up last night. The plastic wrap kept out bugs and prevented stains. However, it took a few extra minutes for me to remove the plastic wrap. Next month I'll know to remove it before the service. :)

My congregation is small; about 50-60 people were in worship this Sunday. However, they clearly love the Lord with all their hearts. And many of them already love their pastor; I received about 10 hugs! They were very gracious and welcoming toward me and James. And several people asked how Woody was doing, too!

Now that I have a full week to prepare for next Sunday, I should feel more "in control". Maybe by mid-week I will have had time to unpack my books, too!

Live! From Danville...

It's been a crazy few days. On Tuesday, James and two NCCU guys (David and Mark) loaded a Penske truck with 3/4 of our furniture. It was POURING RAIN for most of the day, but they loaded stuff in between bursts of rain.

On Wednesday morning, we moved into the parsonage. I have to say, this pastor thing is pretty cool! We had a "moving crew" there to help us unload, cold drinks and some food in the fridge, and fresh flowers. At about 2:30 p.m. we left to drop off the truck and take James back to Morrisville (he had to teach that night, and our other car was at the apartment). I headed back to Danville after loading the car with more stuff.

Today (Thursday) the cable guy came and set up our Internet and TV. Then I went to the church to check out my office and do some work on the bulletin for Sunday. I also went to Wal-Mart and spent a disgusting amount of money on food and cleaning supplies. The nearest (major) grocery store is 8 miles away, so I don't plan on going more than once a week.

Tomorrow I'm going to finish the bulletin and copy it. I also have to put the finishing touches on my sermon. James thinks he may mow the lawn, since Danville received five inches of rain this week.

Woody is doing well, although he's a little confused with all this moving. However, he loves his new yard. All of the church people have loved him so far; they think he's SO well-behaved, SO handsome, etc.

I'll try and write an update next week.

Back From Annual Conference!

I just returned from attending the 2006 Virginia Annual Conference session, which is the yearly meeting of all the United Methodists in Virginia. I had never been to Conference (as we call it), so it was an interesting and (mostly) fun experience. On Monday night (June 12), I was licensed as a Local Pastor. Pictures will be coming soon!

Name Game???

OK, my friend Tamara had this on her blog, and I thought it was hysterical. So here goes...

1. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME (grandfather/grandmother on your father's side, your favorite candy) : Marjorie Snickers
2. YOUR "FLY GIRL/GUY" NAME (first initial of first name followed by izzle", first two or three letters of your last name follwowed by "dizzle") : Pizzle Modizzle
3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME (favorite color, favorite animal) : Cranberry Dog
4. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (first 3 letters of your name- last 3 letters of mother's maiden name, first 3 letters of your pet's name repeated twice) : Pat-Ett Woo Woo
5. SUPERHERO NAME ("The", your favorite color, the automobile you drive) : The Cranberry Camry

The above was based on my name. Now let's try James', just for fun:

1. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME (grandfather/grandmother on your father's side, your favorite candy) : Viola Crunch
2. YOUR "FLY GIRL/GUY" NAME (first initial of first name followed by izzle", first two or three letters of your last name follwowed by "dizzle") : Jizzle Modizzle
3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME (favorite color, favorite animal) : Blue Dog
4. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (first 3 letters of your name- last 3 letters of mother's maiden name, first 3 letters of your pet's name repeated twice) : Jam-Add Woo Woo
5. SUPERHERO NAME ("The", your favorite color, the automobile you drive) : The Blue Escape

Woody Goes to College!

Woody made a visit to NCCU this weekend. He guarded James' office door (left), sniffed around the office, and even sat in a chair to learn some important math/computer science concepts!

A Post from Woody

OK, folks. This is going to have to be quick, because I'm sneaking onto the computer while Mommy and Daddy aren't looking. I wanted to tell you what they did to me yesterday. They took me to...THE VET. When I got there, this lady in a white coat poked and prodded me, used some cold, plastic thing to get a stool sample, and then...(deep, shuddering breath), stuck me with needles. Lots of needles. The whole time this was going on, Mommy and Daddy were right there. They saw what was going on, and they just stood there! They do this do me every year...WHY?

So, will someone please call the SPCA or something for me? This has got to stop!!

Sincerely,
Woody

Isabel!!!

During our move from KY to NC, we met my friend, Amy, and her six-month old daughter, Isabel, at a Wendy's in Tennessee. This was my first time meeting Isabel, so "Aunt Patti" had lots of fun! Isn't Isabel adorable? The last picture on the right is of Amy holding Isabel.

St. John's UMC pics

On May 17, I met with the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee of St. John's United Methodist Church. They were a very gracious group of people; they even gave me a gift basket of yummy Virginia stuff! The congregation sounds great: caring, mission-oriented, welcoming, and excited about what God is doing in their midst. My first Sunday with them is July 2, and I can't wait!! Here are pics of the church: the altar, the entrance to the sanctuary, the sign (which will say "Pastor: Patti Money" in a month!), and my office. I don't have a secretary, so my 18-month stint as a church secretary will come in handy!

Parsonage pics

Here are photos of the parsonage. It's a beautiful house, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living/dining room and an eat-in kitchen. It has a fireplace, a deck, and a HUGE yard. It's only a mile or two from the church, so my commute will be short.

Stay tuned...

James is currently searching for the little cord that we use to download photos from our digital camera to our computer. As soon as he finds it, I'll be able to post photos from my "Meet Your Pastor" meeting with St. John's. I took a few pics of the church and the parsonage. Hopefully we'll have photos within the next couple days. James assures me that he packed it in "a very safe place."

Happy Aldersgate Day!!

As a United Methodist pastor, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that today is the anniversary of John Wesley's (the founder of Methodism) "Aldersgate experience." Read the following excerpt from his May 24, 1738 Journal entry:

"In the evening, I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's Preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death."

Before the above experience, Wesley was just any old Oxford don and Anglican priest. After that experience, he became a phenomenal preacher, leader, teacher, and administrator. He founded the Methodist movement in England, which eventually moved across the ocean to America. Many scholars have said that the Methodist movement prevented England from having an equivalent of the French Revolution.

NEVER, NEVER underestimate the power that God can work through a human life!!!

Greetings from "camp"

I'm at the Virginia Conference Licensing School for Local Pastors. I arrived on May 18 (Thursday) and will leave on May 26 (Friday). I have jokingly named it, "Camp Learn-To-Preach". Generally, I'm having fun, although the schedule is grueling. We're basically going from 7:15 am to 9:30 pm, with breaks for lunch and dinner. The other students are really great; that's the best part of the whole experience!!

Licensing School takes place at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, Virginia. This means that my parents are only 15 minutes down the road. I've been there twice to visit them...and get a jacket, a blanket, laundry detergent, and to use the fax machine. I'm beginning to see why so many people went to college close to home...

James and Woody will drive up from NC on Friday, and we'll spend the weekend with my parents. Then I have most of the month of June off, with the exception of Annual Conference.

My dinner break is almost up. Next on the schedule: "Theology & Creeds."

Dr. Money and his new job

So, James started his job as "Assistant Professor of Computer Science" yesterday. Of course, his department chair is visiting family in Nigeria and the department secretary had a family emergency and didn't make it to the office until the afternoon. Around mid-morning, James finds out that the C++ class he was scheduled to teach has been cancelled. So now he's teaching an Algebra/Trig class. Good news; this new class ends mid-June. Bad news; it's 9:45-11:15 Monday-Friday. The other class only met Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Woody just woke up and is standing by the door. That's the universal dog sign for, "take me out, Mommy!"

Have a great day!

Still no furniture...

Our furniture should arrive sometime tomorrow. We had hoped it would happen today, but since we haven't heard from the moving company, that's not very likely. It will be nice to have furniture again. Ditto for our clothes, the washer and dryer, and the rest of our belongings. We bought two folding camp chairs at Target so we'd have somplace to sit. We also bought a new air mattress, since our old one developed a leak on Saturday night. I miss our king-size bed!!!

We've been eating out for nearly every meal, since we have no microwave or kitchen equipment. We've found the Panera, Wendy's, Quizno's, Bob Evans, and Chick-Fil-A. I'm getting desperate for a home-cooked meal. Not going to happen anytime soon, because...

Tomorrow I go to Danville for my "meet your pastor" meeting with my new church. Then I head to Virginia Wesleyan College for Licensing School. Dorm food for eight days, yeah!!

We're here!

I'm writing this from the "business center" of our new apartment complex in Morrisville, NC. We arrived here yesterday (5-13) and are getting used to our new apartment and the area. Our furniture should arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday. Woody likes the place, although he misses his sofa and his bed.

Our departure from Lexington took an interesting twist when James got food poisoning on Thursday night. I wound up missing my last day of work to care for him/deal with the movers. We ditched our original idea of sleeping in our house on Friday night, and stayed in a hotel, instead. James is feeling MUCH better now.

North Carolina, Ho!

Tomorrow our cable TV and Internet get turned off. The packers come on Thursday, the movers come on Friday, and we leave EARLY Saturday morning. James begins teaching next Tuesday (the 16th) and will continue teaching through July. On May 17th (Wednesday), James and I will make the short trip to Danville, Virginia so I can get familiar with my new church. I will be at Licensing School (a requirement for all new clergy) in Norfolk, Virginia on May 18-26. Since my parents live only 20 minutes away from Norfolk, James and Woody will come up on the 26th and we'll spend Memorial Day weekend with my parents. My cousin Marge will be there, which is exciting, since I haven't seen her since our wedding.

Since life will be fairly busy for us, don't expect a blog entry until June. :)

House sale update

We just accepted an offer on our house! It's a really good offer; only a little bit below our asking price. We'll still wind up "in the black" when all is said and done. The closing should take place by the end of the month.

Woody's sad that he's losing his yard. But we're assuring him that by this time next year, he'll have a BIG yard to play in.

Report and pics from the graduation party!

I threw a graduation party for James on Friday night. We had about 15 guests, and a great time was had by all. Since the College of Arts & Sciences doesn't individually recognize their master's and doctoral grads (DORKS), James isn't going to the commencement ceremony. So James' advisor agreed to "hood" him at the party. James donned the academic regalia, we played "Pomp and Circumstance", and Dr. Kang hooded him. It was very exciting. See below for all the pics!

Proud parents and yummy cake!

Top to bottom: A view of James' lovely cake (a la Kroger) before it's cut; some of our friends who came to the party; James with his mom (Nina) and stepdad (Bill).

Graduation party pics

Left to right: Dr. Money cheers after being "hooded"; James and Woody--note that Woody's collar matches James' robe; and Dr. and Mrs. Money.

Graduation party pics

James and his brilliant advisor, Dr. Sung Ha Kang.

Is there a doctor in the house??

...There is in OUR HOUSE!!! James successfully defended his PhD dissertation this afternoon. He did a fantastic job, and even I was interested at times! The committee took all of five minutes to deliberate before declaring him, "Dr. Money."

Congratulations, James! We're off to Rincon (our favorite Mexican restaurant) to celebrate.

I'm going to be a pastor!!!!

My DS (District Superintendant) called about 9pm tonight. I have been appointed to St. John's United Methodist Church in the Danville District. The church is just outside of Danville, Virginia. It looks like it should be a 1.5-2 hour drive from Durham. Average worship attendance is 50-60 people, and the church has experienced a reasonable amount of growth in the past few years.

So it's official: I will be using my MDiv next year. And I'll be making twice what I make now. :) :)

Of course, now James and I will each have a fairly large residence (parsonages have a minimum of three bedrooms) that will be very EMPTY...because our furniture collection is still fairly small. Oh, well. Maybe it's time to add to the collection. :)

Such a cute family...

Our church in Lexington is having a pictorial directory done by Olan Mills. So we went to have our portrait taken, and brought Woody along. Here's the result. We think it looks great. Although we have to say, it's kind of sad that Woody is more photogenic than his parents!!

Oh, and this time, we did buy the 16x20, since it includes all three of us.

Durham pics: apartment

James and I found a lovely 2 BR/2 BA apartment in Morrisville, just outside of Durham. The apartment has loads of storage space and a HUGE patio! These are pics of the actual apartment we'll be leasing. Obviously, they're all outside pics because we couldn't get inside. :) The first pic is of our view from the patio. Woody should like it!!

Awesome C.S. Lewis quote

"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." --C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Durham pics: James' office

The following are pictures from James' office at North Carolina Central University. He has a lovely view of the parking lot. :) As you can see, Daisy the Chick-Fil-A cow is patiently waiting for her master to return.

Wanna buy a townhouse?

It's official...our house is on the market! We have the sign posted out front and a lockbox on our front door. Check out the listing (soon to have pics!) online at Rector-Hayden.

If you know of anyone who's looking for a very cute, well-built, nearly-new townhouse, send them our way!

Way to go, Nani!!!

The Bradenton Herald just published this great article about my grandmother, Jean Van Delft (aka "Nani"). You can read it for yourself by clicking here. Oh, and after you read the article, tell me your guess as to Nani's true age. Just for fun. :)

Check out the pictures to see a bride you might recognize.

Durham trip #2

We just returned from our SECOND Durham trip, and this time we were successful! We found an apartment we really like. It's in a really nice town and only 15-20 mins from NCCU. It's really big-1300 square feet-and is right near a park.

James will be teaching the summer session @ NCCU, which begins on May 15. He'll be moving into the new apartment a week or so before that. Woody and I (and all our furniture) will arrive sometime after Memorial Day.

Coming soon: pics of James' new office, new boss, and our new apartment!

Our house should be on the market by the end of this week. We're meeting with our realtor on Tuesday.

Guess what? It's flu season...

It all started on Tuesday night, when James came home with a cough. Within an hour or so, he had developed a fever, aches and pains...your usual flu symptoms. He went to the doctor the next day, who confirmed that he had the flu. Ironically, he had gotten a flu shot!

On Thursday, I started coughing at work. By 7pm or so, I was running a fever complete with soreness and headache. I went to the doctor on Friday, got tested for the flu and put on Tamiflu, an antiviral medication.

We're slowly on the mend now. My fever is down to 99 or so (it was up to 103 at times). James actually felt well enough to go to the post office earlier. And I actually accomplished something productive; I loaded and started the dishwasher!

Exciting Development!

On Thursday, I arrived home from work and, as usual, made a beeline for the computer to check my e-mail. To my surprise, I had an e-mail from a pastor in Christiansburg, Virginia. He had gotten my name and contact info from my DS. His church is looking to fill an Associate Pastor position beginning in June, and he thought I would be a good match. We talked on the phone for a few minutes, and he invited me out for an interview...THIS WEEKEND. I did some scrambling and found someone to cover my shift at work today (Saturday). So in a few hours I will leave for Christiansburg. I meet with the SPR tomorrow afternoon. I have no clue what to expect from this, since I've never done it before. Since Christiansburg is 3 hours from Durham, I'm not sure if this is a great idea. But the church sounds cool and they're paying for my gas and hotel. So...I figure I should check it out and see if this is where God might want me for the next few years.

I'll let you know how things went when I get back home!

Visit from Jim

We have another houseguest...this time, it's a human! James' friend and former professor, Jim Sochacki, is in town. James and Jim are working on some paper that will become part of James' dissertation. They're doing a lot of "math talk".

Woody has enjoyed getting to know "Uncle Jim", who is a fellow dog lover. We took Jim to Shaker Village for dinner tonight, and are now settling down in the living room to watch the UK game.

Hi from Durham

We're in Durham, NC for the weekend, visiting NCCU and checking out housing options. We'll probably wind up renting an apartment for a few months before we buy a house here. It's nice and warm in Durham; I'm wearing capris and James is in shorts. Woody is still in Lexington: he's enjoying a "vacation" with his girlfriend, Nikita, and her parents, Mandy and Chris.

We'll be back on Tuesday night!

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

I find great comfort in knowing that God is in charge, not me. :)

I've heard the word...

My team leader on the B.O.M. called me around 6:00 pm today. The good news: I was given the "green light" by the committees on Call and Personal Growth and Development. The bad news: I was "continued" by the committees on Theology and Practice of Ministry. Bottom line: I don't get commissioned this year. Next year I can re-apply for probationary membership, although I'll only have to submit the papers and do the interviews for Theology and Practice. I should receive about five pages in feedback, which will help me in preparing for next year.

So I guess my next step is to apply for an appointment as a full-time local pastor. I'm not guaranteed an appointment, but I've been told that it's very rare for a seminary grad to not receive one. I'll probably wind up in either the Danville or Farmville districts, since they're the closest to the North Carolina border (and thus Durham, NCCU, and James). I'm crossing my fingers for the Danville district, because I know and like the current District Superintendent. She's a fellow E&H alum and her brother and his family attend our church in KY. :)

I'm reminding myself that this isn't the end of the world. Several people are "continued" every year. And part of this is my fault...I obviously didn't put my best foot forward in the applicable papers/interviews, or I would have been approved. Jeremiah 29:11 continues to be my mantra.

Been to B.O.M. Interviews

How I Spent My Monday Morning by Patti Money

I arrived at Blackstone (the Virginia Conference retreat center) around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday with a blistering sinus headache. I had originally planned to look over my papers and prepare for the interviews on Sunday evening, but my pounding headache made that impossible. So I took some Tylenol and went to bed at 8:30.

The next morning was long and nerve-wracking, but not nearly as bad as I thought it might be. Yes, I did have to be interviewed by four separate committees for 45 minutes each. And yes, the Theology interview was fairly grueling, especially since I hadn't prepared for it adequately (see above). But the men and women on the B.O.M. are not "out to get" the probationary candidates. The atmosphere was actually very supportive and encouraging. Every interview opened and closed with prayer, and the morning began with devotions with all the Board members and candidates. The fact that I stayed for lunch AFTER my interviews were over should say something about the positive aspect of the experience.

I should find out the results either today or tomorrow. If I am "approved", I will be commissioned in June and will begin my three-year period as a probationary member. If I am "continued" in one or more of the four areas, then I will have to reapply next year. The good news is that I won't have to go through the whole process again; I'll basically have to re-do the paper and the interview. And I will be able to attend Licensing School and receive an appointment as a full-time local pastor. So it won't be the end of the world.

Professor Money!!!!

James has a job offer!! On Friday, he received a call from his friend, Alade Tokuta, who "just happens" to be the chair of the Math & Computer Science department at North Carolina Central University. James has been offered a postion as an assistant professor in the computer science department...and he's accepted the offer!

James chose NCCU because he likes the school and Durham is close to most of our friends and a good chunk of our family. Plus...it's only three or so hours from the Outer Banks. No more living in a land-locked state. Woohoo!

I (Patti) will now badger my District Superintendant for a church near the VA-NC border. I'll live in the parsonage full-time, and James will visit me on weekends. We'll have "joint custody" of Woody, although he might be living with me most of the time. Hopefully I'll be able to transfer to the North Carolina conference after a year, so we don't have to live apart for too long.

The picture is of the building at NCC that houses the math and computer science departments.

Patti's Hawaiian name

Your Hawaiian Name is:

Kalea Mily

What's" your Hawaiian Name?

Pablo: Our Houseguest

This is Woody posting. I thought I'd introduce you all to our visitor. His name is Pablo, and he's a guinea pig. Mommy is taking care of him for a few days. He usually lives with Judy, Mommy's friend from work. Pablo is kind of cute, although I scare him. Don't know why. He eats a lot of lettuce, carrots, and alfalfa. Yuck. Anyway, here's a picture of him, so you can see what he looks like.

I hope Pablo goes home soon. He takes attention away from me.

James' Job Search: Update #1

James has been to two interviews so far, and feels that both visits went very well. Both schools said that they'd let him know by the end of this week whether or not he'll get a job offer. Look for a post on Friday or Saturday, updating you on the latest news! Both positions are for a tenure-track faculty member, so we're hoping that no matter where he winds up, we'll stay there for a while.

The bad news is...neither school is in Virginia. School #1 is Youngstown State University, located in Youngstown, Ohio. School #2 is North Carolina Central University, located in Durham, North Carolina. Both are good schools with good math/computer science departments. James applied to 10-12 colleges/universities, with the bulk of his applications going to Virginia schools. However, Virginia schools (including his alma mater) are either oblivious to James' brilliance or they're taking their sweet time interviewing potential faculty. Oh well, their loss.

Kudos to Belbin & Agosto!

Many of you know that I am a big fan of figure skating. It's something I became interested in during the 1992 Olympics. Anyway, I just had to boast about the results of the Ice Dancing competition in Torino (you know, the Olympics). Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, a U.S. ice dancing team, won the SILVER MEDAL in Ice Dance tonight. The last (and only) time a U.S. ice dance team has won an Olympic medal was in 1976...and it was bronze. So not only did Tanith and Ben win the first Olympic ice dance medal for the U.S. in 30 years, they placed higher than ANY U.S. team has ever placed in that event. Woohoo!

Tomorrow is the ladies' figure skating competition begins. More fun! It's a good thing the Olympics only happen every four years. Otherwise, I'd NEVER get any sleep.

In Memoriam: Glenn Arthur Sufficool II

My paternal grandfather (who everyone called "Art") died on Thursday, February 16. He was 92 years old and got pneumonia, which is a pretty deadly thing to get when you're that age and not in the best health, anyway. Don't worry, I'm not horribly grief-stricken. Unfortunately, I didn't know him very well and I actually hadn't seen him in 11+ years. But he was my grandfather, and his blood flows in my veins. In fact, I think I may have inherited his nose. In my experience, Grandpa Sufficool's greatest contribution to the world was producing my dad, Bob Sufficool. Here's hoping that my dad will live even longer than his father! This picture was taken about four years ago. It's not a great picture of him, but it's the only one that I could find.

Happy Birthday, Dad Elick!

Wish James' stepdad, Bill, a happy birthday today! He's a Valentine's Day baby!

I've always liked her...

You Are Miss Piggy

A total princess and diva, you're totally in charge - even if people don't know it.You want to be loved, adored, and worshiped. And you won't settle for anything less.You're going to be a total star, and you won't let any of the "little people" get in your way.Just remember, piggy, never eat more than you can lift!

The Muppet Personality Test

Yeah! I'm a U.S. Citizen!

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 10 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

Slowly but surely...

Good news: I was able to work for 4 1/2 hours today. Granted, I now feel like a truck ran over me. But I'm happy that I was able to make it standing up that long. Now I have tomorrow to rest, and then Monday I'm scheduled for a full 8-hour shift. Let's hope I can do it by then!

I hate being sick!!

OK, the good news is that I made it to work today. The bad news is that I left after 2 1/2 hours. Apparently I was not well enough to stand up for long periods of time. However, my anti-nausea medication is working. I have kept down everything I've eaten since this morning. I just apparently need to rest a lot...and that's what I plan to do right now. Ta-ta!

Or maybe not...

OK, I had a relapse. I lost the small amount of food I had eaten over the past 40 hours. Then I sipped some Gatorade and even that came back up. I'm now hoping and praying that I won't puke again tonight. I was planning on going to work tomorrow, but I can't do that if I'm still vomiting. Something about the health code...

I think I'm on the mend, but...

So around 9am on Monday morning, I threw up. Out of the blue. And of course, I was already at work. I felt fine afterward, so I stayed at work, since we were short-staffed. Later, I developed a crushing headache, so I went home at 4pm and slept for 14 hours.

Tuesday morning, my headache was gone, but I had nausea. I still went to work and suffered through increasing nausea. After work, I stopped by the store and bought some Gatorade and Jell-O. I had crackers and Gatorade for dinner. A few hours later, I began throwing up...first my "dinner", then the Gatorade I was sipping.

Wednesday I called in sick to work, feeling very guilty (because I knew another employee was out sick) yet knowing I couldn't serve food to people while I was throwing up. James took me to the doctor, who ruled out pregnancy, gallbladder trouble, and a UTI before diagnosing a persistent stomach virus. He sent me home with instructions to rest and eat bland foods. I slept for the rest of the day.

It's Thursday, and I've kept down everything I've eaten/drank for 36 hours. But I'm still very weak and experiencing a lot of nausea. It's my "day off", so I didn't have to call in sick to work. But let's hope that my poor body will heal enough today so that I can go to work tomorrow and Saturday.

James is being very caring and supportive, as always. Although he's trying not to get too close to me, for fear of catching what I have...

Job Search Update

As many of you know, James is finishing his PhD at UK this spring. Therefore, he's been looking for a faculty position for next fall. James is being "picky" and insisting on a tenure-track position (versus a one or two-year appointment). Of course, he's focused his search on Virginia, since it's "home" to both of us. So far he has one interview set up for next week, and there are two more schools that want to interview him...they just have to get around to it. We'll let you know when James receives (and accepts!) a job offer. Hopefully that will occur around the first week in March...