Ah Summer!

Dinner with a view
– at the Mancuso’s

I very much enjoy the cyclical nature of my work at school.  I am a 12 month employee, but each season brings different things.  Summer is a slower time in may ways.  This summer they are doing construction on the building (new roof), so there are no camps and no summer school on campus.  During the summer I’m working on scheduling for next year, enrolling new students, and withdrawing other students.  Since the guidance department is out for the Summer, I get to tour new families around and get to know them.  It is also a busy time this year, because we are hiring a new teachers and a new assistant principal.  So there are a lot of people in and out for the interviews.

This Summer is also different.  This is the first summer in 9 years that I have not been catering.  Marg Cobb, who owned Sonny’s Catering, is a caring lady and solid in the Lord.  She had some heart issues back a the start of the year.  She needed to retire for her health.  She is doing well and enjoying more time with her grand-kids and visiting family in Canada.  Working with her was fun and we did a lot of great events.  The extra income also helped out a lot.  Public school classified (non-teaching) employees don’t make a lot, so the catering was a nice help.  It was also a nice change from sitting down all day at work.  I have been trying to manage on one job.  It is challenging at times.  But while I miss catering and working with the staff of Sonny’s, it has been nice to have more time.

Because I have had more time open up, I have been able to spend more time with Mom & Dad.  They have come down to visit several times this summer.  We have enjoyed driving around Burlington & Elon.  We have eaten some good food and enjoyed a play (The Hermit of Ft. Fisher).  Today I’m headed to visit them and a big group of extended for a post 4th of July grill-out, picnic, fireworks party put on by some of Dad’s cousins.

I’ve been enjoying a Summer study in the book of Genesis.  Vic Costello had been leading us in a “30,000 mile up” 😀 over view of the book.  We have been covering 5 chapters a Sunday night.  We all read the chapters ahead of time.  Then Vic breaks open the Word with us.  He has spent much time studying and combing through good commentaries.  It has been a great study and I am getting a much fuller feel of God’s faithfulness over so many years.  He is go faithful, long-suffering, merciful, just, and true!  After we finish we head outside for as many games of volleyball as we can get in until the light fails.

I have been doing the “Photo A Day” challenge for June & July on Instagram and it has been fun.  I have seen a great group of Home School students graduate.  It was a joy to help in Caleb & Celia’s wedding this summer.  I’ve enjoyed going to see The Avengers with friends, s’mores & volleyball at the Costello’s,  playing volleyball on the 4th, and seeing “A Mid-Summer’s Night Dream” at the Depot.

Also with different hours at work, I get an hour lunch and get off early on Fridays.   I decided this summer to use those lunch hours to do a re-watch.  I chose a TV show that drew me in, had me talking with others, and helped to open up the world to me.  That show is “LOST” and I started watching it live with season 2 (but caught up by watching season 1 over Christmas break in-between the start and close of season 2).  I’m enjoying watching the story again from the beginning and knowing a bit more now.  It is good stuff.

Because of this show, I started listening to podcasts, connected with people all over the world, and became friends with many.  You can take a little fuller look at that in this blog post.  Many of the people in these communities I have not met yet, which I regret, as you can see “The Power of The Spirit Connecting Lives” post.  But thanks to LOST, I’ve met a lot of great people.  I’m excited this Summer because I’m looking forward to next Summer.  The gspn.tv Community started around LOST, but has grown and developed.  Next Summer, we are going on a Community Cruise to the Bahamas on the Disney Dream.  It will be great to meet these people in person that I talk to so regularly.

This Summer has been fun for another reason.  I got to go visit the Mancuso family in outside of D.C.  Rob & Amy were a year ahead of me at Elon.  We became friends and it is a joy when they can get down to Burlington to visit or I can get up there.  I flew up on a Friday and Rob picked me up.  We got back to their house.  They are living in a different house and it was my first time there.  It was nice to hang out at the pool, eat supper in the screened in cabana, go walking on the boardwalk, and play Lego Star Wars on the Wii with Thomas (their son) until late.  The next day Rob went to a prayer meeting, I was so tired I opted to sleep in.  I hung out with Amy, Meredith (their daughter) & her friend, and Thomas.  After lunch, Rob and I headed to D.C.  We went to see, my team, the Nationals play the Rockies at Nationals Park.  It is a great park.  Even though it was very hot, we were not in the direct sunlight and we have great seats.  It was a great day.  Sunday, we went to church.  It was a solid time in the Word of God and in worship.  After the service, Rob & I grabbed lunch and ran some errands.  I then flew back home.  It was a great time with good friends.  We had some deep conversations and encouraged each other in the Lord.  I’m so happy the Lord has them settled in a good home, solid church and connected to good friends.

I’m so thankful for Summer and I’m so glad there is a little over a month left.  What are your favorite things about Summer?  What have you been doing?  I want to know!