Gathering Graces 1/14/2019

*I mentioned last week about receiving a phone call or have a chance meeting or conversation with someone that could potentially change the course of your life.  And how I had received that kind of phone call. Well, here is the rest of the story.  I was asked if I wanted to be appointed to the Kellogg City Council, as one of the members is resigning.  It is so interesting when things like this just come at you, out of the blue. And, I have to admit, I was quite flattered, thinking they thought I would do a good job at this position.  So I took the weekend to think about it.  I sent out a message to family and friends and told them what I had been offered.  I told them to give me their input.  Pray for me.  Give me wisdom.  And that is exactly what happened.  From all over the world, I received wonderful nuggets of wisdom, things for me to ponder, excitement at the possibility, and lots of love.  I read through their comments, and they all helped me make my decision.  But a few comments were things like, “does the idea of it light up your eyes?”, “Do you go to bed at night thinking "yes, I want to do this." and then wake up the next morning thinking "yes, I want to do this.", and “ My rule of thumb at “my age” now is always listen to my gut.  If I have the slightest inkling of doubt it’s a no.  And by now we’ve learned to listen to the little voice that guides us”.  I have very wise people in my life.  Last night I let them know my answer.  And it was “no”.  It ultimately came down to it did not align with the plans Paul and I have moving forward in our lives. And it did not align with my new schedule of teaching for VIPKID during the wee hours of the morning. (I am still trying to get that schedule figured out!!) And by saying “no” to this particular request, I ended up saying “yes” to having more clarity as to what Paul and I do want for our lives.

*Another thing that helped me make this decision was the words from the book I mention a few weeks ago titled Present Over Perfect.  She devotes a whole chapter to learning how to say “no”.  I originally had listened to the book as an audio book.  But there were so many good things in the book, I knew I wanted to have a hard copy to highlight some of her thoughts.  And that is what I have done.  Here are some of the highlighted lines that stuck out to me in the chapter titled, The Word That Changed Everything.

*****But you can’t have yes without no.  Another way to say it: if you’re not careful with your yeses, you start to say no to rampant yes-yes-yes-ing.  I said no, without intending to, to rest, to peace, to groundedness, to listening, to deep and slow connection, built over years instead of moments.*****

*****But no became the scalpel I wielded as I remade my life, slicing through the tender tissue of what needed to go and what I wanted to remain.*****

*****Stop. Right now. Remake your life from the inside out. I don’t know a way to remake anything without first taking down the existing structures, and that’s what no does---it puts the brakes on your screaming-fast life and give you a chance to stop and inspect just exactly what you’ve created for yourself, so difficult as it may be*****

*****Bless them  But don’t spend too much time with them.  Draw close to people who honor your no, who cheer you on for telling the truth, who value your growth more than they value their own needs getting met or their own pathologies celebrated*****

*****And don’t worry: no won’t always be the word you use most often.  I hate that for a season, no had to be the answer to almost everything.  But over time, when you rebuild a life that’s the right size and dimension and weight, full of the things you’re called to, emptied to the rest, then you go get to live some yes again.  But for a while, no is what gets you there.”

*For many years part of me would say “yes” to things for validation.  I needed proof that I was okay.  That I could do things well.  Who doesn’t like doing things well and getting praised for it?  Who doesn’t want to prove to the world that they are good at something, and that they can help make the world a better place, especially when struggling with low self esteem? Especially when you feel like a failure?  So you start saying yes, and yes, and yes.  And then comes a time when, unless you start saying “no”, and getting back to who you really are, and rebuilding that life from the inside out, life can be a struggle, frustrating and stressful, instead of what most of us desire....rest, peace, groundedness, listening, and deep connections with others.  That abundant life God promises us each and every day.

*I wish I didn’t feel like I need to have a disclaimer, but I am going to write it anyway.  This is not talking about every decision you make in your life.  Some decisions require saying a tough “yes”, because of financial reasons, or family reasons, or a million other reasons.  What I am talking about is our leisure time.  That time that we can determine how we spend it.  And we CAN make those “yes” or “no” decisions, and have the freedom to do so.  And this is MY story.  And how it worked for me.  But maybe some of these words will also help someone else as they are struggling with a big decision.  If so,,,GREAT!!

Gathering Graces 1/13/2019

*There is hardly any snow on the ground today, but God created a beautiful frost sparkle on the trees on the Kellogg hillside and on the bushes and trees in our backyard.  When the sun hits it just right, it reminds me of diamonds.  What beauty is created in nature when we take the time to observe.

*It was nice seeing Connie Drager at church this morning, and having a little visit.  We talked a bit about how we both loved our recent trips to Italy, and how we want to return sometime soon with our spouses to do more exploring in that beautiful country.  When I was in Italy, I took a photograph of the seaside village of Manarola, one of the five centuries-old seaside villages that make up The Cinque Terra  on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline.  I recently had the photograph blown up and put on a canvas and I put it on the wall in our living room.  It reminds me of the magic of Italy, and how I can’t wait to return with Paul at my side.

*After church I stopped by Jane’s house.  She had texted me Saturday, and said she had some soup she wanted to share with Paul and I that was an Asian-type soup.  She also sent some other goodies home for Paul and I to enjoy.  The soup was absolutely delicious with a little spicy bite to it, and the perfect thing to eat on this crisp, frosty day.

*I tried to relax and nap this afternoon, but it wasn’t happening.  Instead I watched some episodes from the first season of The West Wing, then started the second.  The storyline about the shooting in Roslyn was some of the best television writing I have ever seen on television.

*Christy and Everett hosted family dinner tonight.  We started out with the perfect martini, then ate a special chicken dish Christy made from one of her new cookbooks and a wedge salad with delicious homemade salad dressing.  It was a very delicious combination of flavors, and I think everyone loved the meal.  We also had some good discussions that started because of the speech Jeff Bridges gave at the Golden Globes, and then it went off from there, including opinions on the Gonzaga Bulldog basketball team, and movies and books we have recently watched, and the talents of guitarist Tommy Emmanuel.

*As 7:30 p.m. approached, I could tell I was fading fast.  Paul drove me home, and I was soon ready for bed.

Gathering Graces 1/12/2019

*With a sunny day and blue sky, and temperatures in the mid forties, Paul and I decided to take a walk along the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes east of Kellogg along the South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River.  It was a beautiful walk, and it felt so good to walk on such a beautiful day.  I seemed more like March than the second week of January!!  The trees that were covered with snow during my dentist appointment last Monday have snow no longer.

*The last bit of carpet in our home is on the stairs that lead to the basement.  Paul started taking off some of the carpet to see what we need to do to make the stairs usable after all the carpet is removed.  Once this carpet is gone, our home will be carpet free.  I will be very thankful!

*My attempts to take a nap this morning were met with resistance.  I could nod off fine while sitting working on the sofa, but once I went to bed, I could not fall asleep.  So I thought maybe a warm bubble bath would help me relax.  So I relaxed in a warm bath and read some of The Gentleman in Moscow.  I am making good progress on this amazing book, and, if all goes well, it should be completed by Friday when my book group meets.  I am looking forward to discussing this book.

Gathering Graces 1/11/2019

*Today I had a wonderful reflexology session with Shayleen Hall Jerome at the Simplicity Day Spa in Pinehurst.  What a lovely establishment you have created Hailey Stewart.  The spa has a very calming vibe, and everyone I encountered there was wonderful.  Thank you Jane McShane for encouraging me to go.  It was a wonderful time, and good for the soul, mind, spirit and body.

*I tried to get a nap in before I talk classes this evening.  I got a little rest in later in the afternoon.  Classes then began at 5 p.m., and I taught until 8.  Tonight was filled with two students I have had before, one student no show, and three brand new students.  I was a little disappointed in the “no show”, because I wanted to see for myself what a students who goes by the name of “Fang” looks like!!

*After classes, I got a bit to eat, finished up my feedback, got ready for classes for tomorrow, and I was off to bed.  All in all, it was a very good day.

Gathering Graces 1/10/2019

*While tackling my “mail pile” project, to sort through my mail and throw away mail, catalogs, and other items I don’t need to keep, I watched the second episode of The Masked Singer.  Again, it was pretty entertaining to watch, and you do get kind of sucked into the premise, because of the clues as to who they might be.

*As I continued with my project, I decided to start watching the newest season of  The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.  I enjoyed the first season, and am looking forward to making my way through Season Two.  (Thanks Jan DeLuca Martin for the reminder that I wanted to watch this show!!)

*Have you ever got a phone call or have a chance meeting or conversation with someone that could potentially change the course of your life?  I have had a few in my lifetime.  I experienced another one yesterday.  Now I have a decision to make.  I am taking the weekend to mull it over, get advice from people close to me, then make a decision. 

*Paul and I have enjoyed reading a daily devotional we do together in the morning before our prayer time together.  At the moment we are reading through The Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.  I have done this particular devotional a few times.  But each time I do it, it is like the words are brand new and fresh, and the lessons learned are relevant to what we are going through at the moment.  This week one of the readings focused on a reading in the book of Psalms, and two times I have been able to share these  uplifting and encouraging words from Scripture with two people going through some struggles.  Both were encouraged and uplifted by the message.

Gathering Graces 1/9/2019

*The evening was topped off with a celebration of sister Christy’s birthday.  She invited us all over for birthday cake and a glass of bubbly!!  Our friend Jane McShane used to make Mom an angel food cake with lemon frosting each year for her birthday.  Mom’s birthday, Jane’s birthday and Christy’s birthday are all in January.  Jane wanted to continue the birthday cake making tradition by baking Christy the same kind of cake for her birthday today.  It was as delicious as always, and Bill, Paul, Everett and I enjoyed helping Christy celebrate this evening.

*Today was the beginning of the drama/theater session at the Kellogg Middle School after school program.  I had four very enthusiastic and fun students show up to participate.  I also had a wonderful helper in Grant Ray Turner.  We talked about theater, played some games, learned about stage etiquette and theater terms, and toward the end the students acted out a couple of scenes.  I look forward to working with these students during the following weeks.

*I got a text from Molly this morning telling me the Golden Globes award show was on Hulu, and that she cried a couple times as she watched the show.  As I worked on some things today, I put on the show and was moved by Carol Burnett’s speech after she received the first Carol Burnett Award, given to someone with a lifetime achievement in television.  I watched The Carol Burnett Show pretty faithfully growing up, and I enjoyed the montage of clips from her variety show, and I laughed and cried through the whole presentation.  I also enjoyed Glenn Close receiving her Golden Globe. I was glad I watched the award show, because it made me want to watch some of the movies that were nominated that I have not seen.

Gathering Graces 1/8/2019

*When I was pouring my coffee this morning, I looked out my kitchen window and saw this magnificent sunrise.  All I could think of was the first verse of Psalm 19....” The heavens declare the glory of God;  the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

*Nikki and I were back to walking again up at KHS.  It felt good to move again, get back into our normal routine. 

*I headed back up to KHS after lunch to work with some seniors on college and scholarship applications.  It was a very productive day, and I loved being able to help some of the seniors get on track.

*When I got home, I worked on getting organized for my program on theater and drama I will be doing at the after school program twice a week until the end of March.  I start tomorrow.  The last two years I did this program at Pinehurst Elementary.   This is the first time I have worked with middle school students in the after school program.  But I always loved this age student when I worked with Gear Up.  It should be good!!

*I was very tired when I got up this morning, so I knew it would be an early night.  After fixing some tacos for dinner, I headed to bed around 6:30 p.m.  I read for a bit, but was soon nodding off, so I am glad I went to be so early.  I do not want to get run down and get a cold, so I really am trying to make sure I get the rest I need each day.

Gathering Graces 1/7/2019

*I only had three classes this morning, so after I submitted my feedback to VIPKID about the classes, I headed back to bed for a couple of hours.  I woke up so Paul and I could have our morning devotion and prayer time together, then got ready to go spend some time in the dentist chair.

*The freshly fallen snow was beautiful this morning.  When I got to the dentist office and was put in my chair, I had a beautiful view of the southern hillside to the east of Kellogg that I was able to look at while getting my mouth prepped to have a crown.  What a beautiful sight, as you can see above.

*For whatever reason, my mouth takes a long time and much Novocaine to deaden enough for procedures done in my mouth.  Today was no exception.  That is why, when I have to get a crown, it takes longer than usual because my mouth does not want to get numb.

*Two hours later, I had my temporary crown, and I headed home.  I sat down and wrote a list of things I wanted to accomplish in the near future.

*At 1 p.m., I had made plans to meet with one of my former students, Sylvia West, at our local coffee shop, The Bean.  We met and talked for over two hours, catching up on things.  She is currently a student at Lewis Clark State College in Lewiston, and is loving being a college student.  I loved hearing about her first semester, and some of triumphs and some of her struggles.   I am so glad we have kept in touch since she graduated, and look forward to continue meeting up occasionally when she returns to the valley.

*Paul also had a dentist appointment.  He is getting an implant, so he needed some prep work done in his mouth for that today.  We both return in a couple of weeks for more dental work.

*When Paul returned home, I told him I was heading for the bedroom to work on getting it cleaned and organized.  I took everything that was on the floor and piled it onto our bed.  I put in a DVD of Season One of The West Wing, and proceeded to sort and organize and throw things away.  Paul joined me and started sorting clothes in his closet.  Needless to say, we had a very productive evening.

Gathering Graces 1/6/2019

*Tonight Bill, Christy, Paul and I were at our home to start Christy’s birthday celebration early. Her actual birthday is Wednesday.  Since it is the New Year, and we are all trying to get back to eating a bit healthier, I prepared a Vegetable Stir Fry, Stir Fry Shrimp, Stir Fried Rice and Cucumbers and Tomatoes in Rice Wine Vinegar.  It all came together very well and was delicious.

*For dessert, I prepared four lemon mug cakes topped with huckleberries saved from my huckleberry liqueur, and a dollop of whipped cream.  We all sang a chorus of  Happy Birthday while Christy blew out the candle.

*After dessert, Bill returned home, and Christy stayed and we had a really nice visit about all kinds of things.  It was a really enjoyable night.

*Last week in church, Pastor Dave’s sermon was about the shepherds, and their wonder at finding the Christ Child.  Today, Dave’s sermon today was about The Magi, the wisemen who came searching for the star, and how they were focused on one thing as they were searching for the star, and how God changed their focus with scripture as they found the Christ Child.  And how we often think we are going in the right direction, but then our focus is changed by God’s Word, and it leads us down the right path.  I have loved thinking about these characters of the nativity in a new and fresh way.

*After church my friend Linda was telling me about a show on television that was “really stupid, but very addictive”.  It is the show The Masked Singer. I had seen some clips about it, and really didn’t think much of it.  But she said it was actually very entertaining, and her description of the show intrigued me.  So I came home and turned it on and watched the first episode.  She was right.  It was pretty fun.  I may be hooked, too!!

Gathering Graces 1/5/2019

*Each day with VIPKID is very different as far as what students have booked the classes, and who you will be teaching.  This morning was one of those awesome mornings when I had five regular students who I love to teach.  I have had each of these students multiple times, they are all very engaged in their classes, and it makes it a very fun morning to teach five students in a row who all are excited about learning English.  I love this job!!

*Christy and I had a conversation a couple weeks ago about her house, and I suggested she take the big dresser out of her bedroom and put it back in the living room.  It had been in the living room before their remodel, and they had put it in their bedroom after the remodel.  Her and Everett mulled over moving the dresser out of the bedroom again, and last week decided to make this switch.  She asked if Paul and I could come over and make it happen.  So today we went over and helped make the changes.  We put the dresser in the living, and helped rearrange some of the furniture in the living room.  We also helped rearrange the bedroom.  It is now much more open and comfortable for both of them.  As Christy put it, it is now much more of a retreat for her.

*After we were done at Christy and Everett’s house, we came home, had some lunch, and rested a bit.  I continued reading A Gentleman in Moscow, and then prepared for my evening and morning classes I have tomorrow.

*This past year has been very hard on many people I know and love.  It has also been hard for Paul and I, for various reasons.  Today I talked to one of my dear friends who recently found out her husband has cancer.  Friday they found out he has stage four cancer that started in his lungs and has gone to his bones.  As my dear friend shared the prognosis with me on the phone, I was overcome with grief for this situation.  So many hard things in the lives of the people I love.  As I started searching for a song for to share in church on Sunday, the chorus to the song Through It All came to me.  As a Christian, this is my hope.  That no matter what happens to me, or the ones I love, or the situations I am going through, through it all I learn more and more to trust in Jesus and depend upon His words of comfort and peace.  If you haven’t heard this song in a while, or are unfamiliar with it and want to listen to these words, no one sings it better than Andrae Crouch.

Gathering Graces 1/4/2019

*Paul headed to Coeur d’Alene for a doctor’s appointment, and I stayed home and returned to The Gentleman from Moscow: A Novel.  To me, the writing style is reminiscent of Victor Hugo and his book Les Miserable, in that the author communicates with the reader, telling things the reader should know and pay close attention to during the telling of the story.  It is a very well written tale.

*I got a little nap in this morning, then figured taking a shower may wake me up.  It did the trick!!  Then I was able to prep for my evening classes and for my classes I would teach tomorrow morning. 

*When Paul returned for Coeur d’Alene, we watched the rest of Lethal Weapon 2, and got a little taste of Lethal Weapon 3.  We will finish it tomorrow.

*Paul continues to make improvements to the basement.  The room where my classroom is located is betting sound proofed, and the pipes from the sprinkler system are getting enclosed into their own cabinet.  I never know what change is being made down there.  But I do hear lots of hammering, sawing and drilling being done.

*It has been nice to have a bit of leisure time together with Paul being home for his Christmas break.  It will be nice when some day this is our norm, rather than our exception.

Gathering Graces 1/3/2019

*After a couple late nights and not many naps, I crawled back in bed this morning and slept for quite a while.  It felt good to get caught up on my sleep.  I love break time during the holidays, but it will also be nice to get back to our regular routine next week.

*When I got up, I spent some time prepping for classes tomorrow.  Paul continues to work on little and big projects in the basement.  Every time I enter the basement, something else has been accomplished.

*Tonight we decided to keep going with the same movie theme, and started Lethal Weapon 2.  I also enjoy a good Mel Gibson movie.

*I also realized I need to get my book read for my upcoming book group that meets on January 18th.  The book is titled A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel by Amor Towles.  So far I have really enjoyed how Towles writes, and am looking forward to reading more in the days ahead.

Gathering Graces 1/2/2019

*Paul and I were on the road by about 8:45 a.m.  We were driving to Moscow to have brunch at The Breakfast Club with Molly, Travis and Cosette as part of the gift Bill and Debbie gave us for Christmas.  The gift was a meal and a movie.  Our meal at The Breakfast Club was delicious for all of us.  After we ate, Travis headed home, because he had to work this afternoon and was unable to join us for the movie.

*We had a little time to kill, so Molly, Cosette, Paul and I drove down to one of the local thrift stores to look around.  The we drove out to the movie theater to see Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse. This was a computer generated animation that was very entertaining.  I am not going to say much about the story, because I kind of enjoyed seeing it not knowing much.  But I will say I was awed by the animation and the say the story was told.  It was very entertaining, and CG animation just keeps getting better and better.

*After the movie it was time to say goodbye to the girls.  We dropped Molly off at her apartment and took Coco back to her car, and said goodbye. 

*Last spring Molly had found an “Idaho Trivia” game that was created back in the 1980’s, and gave it to me for Mother’s Day.  We took the stack of cards in the car, and I read Paul questions for most of our drive down to Moscow, and for as long as I had light driving back to Kellogg.  The game has a mixture of interesting questions, odd questions and obscure little facts about this great state we live in.  But after reading through multiple cards, we started connecting some of the information, and learning some Idaho trivia facts we didn’t know.  (For example, did you know Latah County, where Moscow is located, was named after Latah Creek?  At at one time there were more Chinese located in Idaho than in any other place in the west outside of San Fransisco.)

*Once I got ready for my classes the next day, and had a nice talk with my friend April on the phone, I felt like watching a movie.  I discovered the original Lethal Weapon movie was on Hulu, so Paul and I watched the first part of this movie.  We will finish the rest tomorrow. 

Gathering Graces 1/1/2019

*Happy New Year!  I always love having a new year, a new beginning, a way to start over.

*Some people pick words for their year.  My friend April always encourages the women in her online group to choose a word.  This year my word is Fearless.  I want to go into the new year making some bold moves and to do it FEARLESS.

*Instead of having two big meals in a row at Christmas, last year my siblings and I decided it was better to have our Prime Rib dinner later.  So this year, later meant on January 1, 2019.  Bill purchased a Prime Rib last week, and left it for me to prepare.  People have their tried and true ways of preparing Prime Rib.  This year, I decided to go with the way J. Kenzji Lopez-Alt, the author of The Food Lab, went about preparing Prime Rib.  He had Three Commandments that he want to meet when preparing his Prime Rib. 

Commandment I:  Perfect Crust.  The Perfect Prime Rib must have a deep brown, crisp, crackly, salty exterior crust.

Commandment II:  No Gray Zone.  The gradient at the interface between the brown crust and the perfectly medium-rare interior of the Perfect Prime Rib must be absolutely minimized (as in, I don’t want a layer of overcooked meat around the edges.)

Commandment III:  Full-on Juiciness. The Perfect Prie Rib must retain as many juices as possible.

He found out, in order to meet all the qualifications of his three commandments, you prepare a Prime Rib like this:

1. Preheat the oven to the lowest possible temperature.  2.  Season the roast generously. 3.  Place it in the oven and cook until the center registers 120 degrees F for medium-rare, or 135 degrees F for medium. 4.  Remove the roast from the oven and tent tightly with aluminum foil.  Place in a warm spot in the kitchen and allow to rest at least 30, but it can be up to 1.5 hours.  4.  Ten minutes before your guests are to be served, remove the foil, place the rost in a hot oven (500 degrees F to 550 degrees F), and cook until well browned and crisp on the exterior, 6-10 minutes.  5.  Remove the roast from the oven and slice and serve.  Here is what it looked like.  I think I met all three commandments.  (I didn’t hear anyone complaining!!)

*Our meal also included a new version of Shrimp Cocktail that Christy prepared.  Christy also prepared stuffed celery and some Cranberry Bliss Bars for dessert.  Bill prepared a homemade version of “Rice - Roni”.  Besides preparing the prime rib, I made a green salad, some Yorkshire pudding, and we enjoyed some of my homemade huckleberry liqueur after dinner. It was a delicious New Year’s Day meal, and so enjoyable to spend with the family.  It was especially nice that brother-on-law Everett made it over for dinner.  He had fallen before Christmas, and had not been feeling well.  But he was feeling better today, and was able to venture out and join us for our family dinner.

Everett toasting in the new year!!

*After dinner, Paul and I played Racko and an Idaho Trivia game.  I was getting a little sleepy, so I went and took a bath, and then crawled into bed.

*It was a wonderful way to start of the New Year.

Happy New Year from the Roberts/Woolum/Jolley tribe.

Gathering Graces 12/31/2018

*It was fun celebrating the new year with my VIPKID students.  I had a picture of a big ball, and we counted down to the New Year with the ball dropping from five to zero.  I had party horns to blow, and a New Years hat I wore.  I also shot off some New Year’s poppers.  The students loved the celebration!!  Their new year was only a few yours away once I said goodbye to them this morning.

*Christy had asked if we could be finished with our last Sibling Assignments we had been working on by the end of the year.  Well, that would be today.  So I buckled down this morning, and finished them.  If you would like to read the last Woolum sibling assignments of 2018, you can find them here, here and here.  The links to Bill and Christy’s posts are a part of each assignment I posted.

*Once my sibling assignments were posted, I decided it was time for the Christmas decorations to be taken down, and the snowmen to emerge.  It always makes January and February a little bit lighter and cheerier to have the snowmen and lights left up in the living room. 

*Paul ran to Yoke’s and bought some smoked salmon, smoked oysters, stuffed mushrooms, grapes, and some jalapeno poppers for our New Year’s Eve feast.  I hadn’t had much sleep the night before, and didn’t get any kind of nap today.  So I wished Paul Happy New Year at 8 p.m., and crawled into bed.  I heard a few fireworks go off, but once I was asleep, I didn’t hear anymore.