Search for a slamming screen door

I wrote this a couple weeks ago and never posted it.....
I've become a fan of Bill Bryson in the last few years. In his book Notes From a Big Country he writes about his readjustment to American culture after living in England for over 20 years. I think I'll reread it this summer. In one chapter he writes about the sweet sound of a slamming screen door in the summertime. The kind of door with a wooden frame that creaks as it opens and closes. Maybe he says that you can only find these doors in America, I don't know. But I never ran across one in the UK. I remember the same sound from my childhood summers at the my grandparents lake house in northern Michigan. Hearing that sound usually meant that Grandpa was done cleaning the fish for dinner. I can imagine it now.....
I won't make it up north to my grandparents house this summer. But I'll search high and low for the slamming screen door and revel in the memories it invokes. I'll sit nearby and drink a cold glass of lemonade and drink in the sun.

And for the rest of the story......
IT didn't take me long to find my screen door and the good news is that it is on my house!!!! I'm in the process of moving into Stacy's guest house. I've decided to keep calling it the guest house in hopes that it will make me feel like I'm always on holiday. And now every time I enter or leave the house I will hear that beautiful creak and soft slam of the screen door. Sheer joy. Plenty of sun here, now I need to find some lemonade!

What's next?

I'm still in Michigan at the missionary renewal program. After a fun weekend in Chicago visiting my friend Sasha this week has eased up a little in intensity. I feel like I've had a little holiday taking the opportunity in the afternoons to kayak or fish in the lake. I caught 2 "keepers" the other day. My mother said they could have been very expensive fish since I was taking my chance fishing without a license! First time I've done that - nobody tell Grandpa!

Tomorrow I fly back to Chattanooga. I feel like I'm starting life again. Not exactly so, but I am starting a new phase in life. Right now I only have short term plans to tell. I'll be living on Signal Mtn in the guest house of my friend Stacy. For the summer I plan to help Stacy with the kids and catch up with friends. I'll start looking for a job but I have no idea what I want to do. (I'd love suggestions!) I thought this would be a good time to take a little break from ministry while I reevaluate, recharge, and make some plans for the future. I had hoped to start at Covenant Seminary this next year but some other training opportunities have caught my eye and I want to take some time to ponder and figure out what is the best fit if I am going to continue in ministry.

I'll be writing soon from Chattanooga - home sweet home!

Why is she talking to me?

After spending 2 years in Scotland I have become so accustomed to their public manners. Yesterday I was shopping with my mom in a department store and there was a woman standing next to me looking at clothes. Suddenly she said "You should go try on one of these shirts." and she started digging through her pile of clothing to show me a shirt she was going to purchase. I just stared at the woman with a confused look on my face. I looked behind me to see if maybe she was talking to somebody else but there were only the two of us in the area. She continued "Really, I thought this style would not look good on me at all, but I was wrong! It is so flattering and I think it would be flattering for you too. There are more right over there - go try one on!" And still I just stood there staring at her while she walked away.

You see, in British culture rarely will the sales people even greet you, much less make a suggestion like that. And she was not even working at the store. I just kept thinking "Why is this woman talking to me?"

Soon I'll post more of my 're-entry' moments that I find interesting. And maybe soon I'll actually make this blog look more like I want it to look.

Home Sweet Home.......for a quick minute

Hi friends...Here's a short update on my where abouts.
I left Scotland and flew to Atlanta on May 28th. My sweet friend MaryAnne picked me up at the airport with flowers and some chocolate. She must have known I would need more than just a smile and hug after trying to get five suitcases and a violin through customs! Worse than the luggage were the extremely annoying Americans in the customs queue complaining because they couldn't use their cell phones. MaryAnne treated me to a lovely dinner at Chili's where I ate a HUGE salad. I had been craving just that type of salad that you can only find in American resturants.

I spent 2 days doing almost nothing in Chattanooga. I only saw a couple friends and ran a couple errands. I just wanted to rest and adjust back to American life. On Wednesday morning I flew up to Kalamazoo Michigan for a missionary renewal program. I'm staying in a little cabin on a lake. No phone, tv, or email to fight for my time. Mostly just quiet in my cabin with lots of time for resting and reading. In the mornings I go to seminars and meetings and have some homework. But the point of the program in to help renew ministry people so they are careful not to over burden us.

How convenient that it is located near my family! My mom came to stay with me for the weekend. Tonight I am hanging out at my cousin's house in Kalamazoo doing laundry and checking email. My aunt and I just had a long talk on the porch while eating ice cream and raspberries. How sweet it is to be home!