Saturday, June 16, 2007

Closed for shabbat

This week has been so busy with preparations for both my daughter's schooling and the beginning days of my new job. It sometimes feels as if there's a birthing process before any worthwhile undertaking in which you just have to gently ride out the demands and all the To Do lists, and any complications. But it is so worth it!

Before taking this job, I wrestled with the reality that it would sometimes require work days that overlapped the sabbath, since that is central to our family's core convictions before God. My conclusion was that there are certain jobs, related to protecting or saving lives, that do not qualify as doing commerce (even though we're paid to do those jobs). Doctors and nurses are still needed, police and emergency workers, guards, etc. There were always watchmen needed on the walls in biblical times, on all days. There is still something inside me that is uncomfortable and conflicted, as if I'm interrupting a correct order of things. I do have a peace that I'm to do this now, though, and that there will be opportunities later to try to tailor a more flexible work schedule to the other days.

I'm very very thankful.

R is finally registered in her school, all uniforms ordered, rides and bus routes roughed out. Books will be gotten next week, and the bus routes tested. J is still plugging away at his job, fairly happily, and the shift he is now on seems to work well with his body's time-clock better...he is resting really much better when he sleeps now, and is waking refreshed.

Very grudgingly, after checking out all other available options, we had to make the decision to purchase an additional used vehicle. That really hits us where it hurts financially, which goes against our plan of not acquiring further debt obligations. It was one of those situations we tried to get our brains around, since I need this job...we all need for me to have this job. The researching and locating of a vehicle within an acceptable price range was thrown into the already busy days of the past two weeks, and we found one we thought would be about right. Most older models are not gas-efficient, and that doesnt make us too happy. The commute is a given, though, since our area is still rather small and growing. The day after we bought the vehicle As Is, the AC went out...or maybe I should say it works when it wants to. So we added repair shop to the already busy schedule and I ran both weeks' errands in our unairconditioned existing vehicle while the newer one was in the shop. Florida weather feels QUITE warm in an oven on wheels, ha!

After all that, the newer vehicle requires AC money we don't have as yet, and so I will content myself with Sometimes AC, and just have some fun with the rolled down windows. That said, in all other ways, I LOVE the new car :) (Because it has a lot of other things going for it, and though we didn't spend much money comparatively, we did get a lot for our money which we'd not have opted for in a newer one).

We rested last night. The uniform is hung awaiting its first outing later today. The codes I'm trying to memorize are swirling about in my head and I feel like it's the first day of school.

I've caught up with friends I won't get to talk to by phone for a while, and I think maybe, MAYBE, things are at a point where they can run themselves here without too much drama for the next little while.

The Pot Garden soldiers on, and I jealously look forward to the days down the road I can re-unite with it for longer periods and have a chat with the eggplants and peppers and actually harvest some of that basil. The weather's seeming very very hot, and it's not even officially summer here yet.

If the schedule allows, I will try at some point to sneak some time at the beach after the early shift, since the location is right nearby. I can't think of a better mini-vacation to de-stress. I'm also wanting to begin a daily walk, to rattle these bones (and their padding) into better shape.

I am so thankful for family, friends, blog friends, garden, dreams, JOB!, and health...and for open doors and those that were closed. I'm thankful to the Almighty, who guides and blesses and remembers.

I thank Him for watching over us with such care, and restoring places in my life that were long bereft. And for my husband, a wonderful husband and father, and who had another birthday this week.

So very, Very, much for which to be grateful.


Shabbat shalom :)

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