I have been feeling a little bit blah lately. Perhaps I am just tired. I am in Arlington for the weekend. Hopefully a change of scenery will perk me right up.

In my recent state of blah-ness, I have been doing some thinking. I feel like I'm in an "in-between" stage of life right now. The only problem is, I'm not sure what it is that I'm between. It's like I'm waiting for my life to start. But it has started. It's really quite a confusing feeling. I think a big part of it is a feeling of lonliness. I know I am not alone; I have great roommates and friends and a fantastic family. And of course I have a Heavenly Father who never leaves my side. But I still feel alone sometimes. And the fact that the majority of my friends now come in couples doesn't really help the feeling. But I don't want to sound whiny or mopey. I know I have no reason to feel sorry for myself. God has blessed me immensely. I have not been as grateful to Him for it as I need to be. I have let my relationship with God slide down on my priority list. This is a big part of my problem. Without Him, I will never feel whole.

I often have people ask me why I chose to stay in Abilene instead of moving back to the Metroplex post-graduation. My usual answer is, "I have no idea. It just worked out that way." Honestly, I don't know why I'm still here, but I'm pretty sure God wanted me here. Everything worked out so perfectly. So, until I figure out exactly what God's plan for me here is, I am attempting to stay entertained by enjoying the sights that one can only see in a place such as Abilene. Allow me to elaborate with a short listing of a few of the key sights I've witnessed of late:

• An old fashioned covered wagon, minus the cover, being pulled by what appeared to be 2 donkeys, at a gas station along the highway.
• An old woman riding her just-purchased bicycle through the Wal-Mart parking lot to her car.
• A woman standing directly in the middle of the road, holding an umbrella, on a completely clear and sunny day.
• A suburban filled with at least 15 children at the drive-in movie theater.
• Lumberjack Olympics.
• A couple in matching motorized wheelchairs crossing the street side-by-side.

This is just a small sampling of the insanity that occurs daily here in good ol' Abilene. And don't even get me started on the mysterious art work that is displayed throughout the town. The roommates and I have considered sculpting some statues of our own and attempting to sell them to the city. I think we could do better than a creepy metal pig with springs for legs and wheels for feet. But that's just me...

I'm ready for Christmas. Pretty much, I'm always ready for Christmas, but my anticipation has been heightened recently as we begin preparations for the beloved holiday at work. Apparently, in years past, the pedi floor at Hendrick has not been decorated in very kiddish ways. That is all about to change. The husband of one of the nurses has graciously devoted hours and hours to tracing and cutting out the most adorable wooden cut-outs of a train and gingerbread houses and gingerbread people, which will be used to transform the entire unit into a winter wonderland. Tonight after work I got to go have a look at them, as I am one of the few who has expressed desire to help paint them. It will take some time and dedication, but it will be so worth it. We are also devoting free time at work to making tissue paper snow flakes. And by "we," I mean "me." Apparently I'm either the only one on the unit who possesses the talent of making paper snowflakes, or I'm the only one who will admit it. Last week I had made probably close to 50, all of which are now mysteriously missing. I think someone threw them away, which makes me very sad inside. So today I had to start all over. Oh well. At least I am easily amused by kiddie crafts. Don't even get me started on the foam ornaments we are decorating with glitter paint. Man, I love my job!

Emma Lea...my new puppy!!

Jackson and Emmy love each other.


Look at those puppy dog eyes!!


Sleeping like a baby....

Today I received the scrubs I ordered online. It was a joyous day. I got some really cute cartoon tops, including Blues Clues, Curious George, and Snoopy. I seriously have the best job. I basically wear pajamas to work, and I never have to give up my love for cartoon clothing. It's great.

Today was the first day of Service Expo at ACU. The beautiful display for Global Samaritan created by Phyllis and me was put on display for the first time, and I got to be the lucky one to man the table. We got a few names of people interested in helping out. Phyllis will be manning it tomorrow. We'll see what comes of it. At least our display looked awesome. :)

The first Monday Night at the Majestic went well last night. We had 6 people show up, plus the 3 roommates. We spent most of the evening singing. I loved it. It's been a while since I've gotten to participate in some quality praise and worship in song. Between working and being out of town, I haven't been to church in Abilene in probably a month or more. It makes me sad inside. I miss feeling like I belong to a church family. This Sunday, Megan and I are going to go to Southern Hills. I think we're going to try out the singles class there. Hopefully it will be a good way to meet some people and get involved. We're also hoping to go tomorrow night to their HIP service, assuming I get off work in time. That's the one drawback of my perfect job. It makes it hard for me to be invovled in everything I want to be involved in.