What is your spiritual coffee

Question: what is your spiritual coffee? Answer: what?

Today at mass, the priest in Philly talked about how we all need coffee..to wake us up and keep us alert during the day. Physically we need coffee. Which, lately for my life has been true…I have converted and recently become a coffee lover. For those of you who knew how I desperately tried to avoid it even in college, well now I depend on it- long drives, long work days, many hours at the clothing pantry…when people ask how I will get it done I now reply coffee, and it is understood.
Well, this priest related coffee to spiritual life… He transitioned to advent and how we need to be ready for the Lord to come…we need to prepare ourselves and be awake. He posed an interesting question…what is your spiritual coffee? What keeps you awake and stimulates your faith? And honestly, I don’t know. He talked on the importance of prayer to a healthy growing prayer life…and well I pray each day…but I do not take quiet time to listen to God each day. He also talked about purple being the color of repentence and making sure you were right with the Lord. Hmmm…something to think about. So, I guess my challenge for Advent is to find my spirtual coffee…what in my life can awaken my spirituality and bring me where I need to be. Something to think about at least…

Turkey, Mr. Arlington, Friends, and Family

Thankful for Thanksgiving:

This year, we got a nice break for Thanksgiving. After pantry handout(410 families yikes!) we had almost a week to be off. Me and Allison had decided to drive home. She is on my way back so we were able to split the drive . Also, flights these days have been a bit crazy…so driving was a nice challenge to take on.
We made it pretty smooth. We even timed it so that I almost saw my old teammates finish their last XC race of the season(and for some of college). Go Foxes!!
My trip home was pretty great. Busy and full of visiting but nice. Actually it was full of watching the tape of Mr. Arlington…yeah, that’s right my brother won. I got a day with Nana and a day to visit Marist and sit in on a friends class. I also got to help tow my old red car out…man it did not want to leave me. That car was a trooper…whoever gets parts from it is lucky! We had a great Thanksgiving…full of family time and food! And of course I got to see a bit of Melly and Linds when I was home too! We capped the break off with the annual trip to Philly for the Oireachtas. Man, Irish dance is crazy…sometimes I forget…and yet I still love it. Tim and Mich danced great1 Especially for the amount of prep time other sports and injuries allowed them this year. Tim got third, which he deserved but was unexpected…Mich did great too..but for those who know Irish dance..well its just another thing for girls…she was in the seventies…like 4ish away from a recall…pretty good I think! And now, after a sad goodbye to the fam…I am off again to KY…to continue our work fro the week. It feels weird to not be going back with them…but I am just glad I am at a place that lets me go home. That lets me visit and be there when I need to. And….soon so soon I will be back for Christmas!

Lessons still to learn

Lessons still to learn:
The longer I am at the Farm, the more I am being challenged. Some things seem old and expected. So much so that I get tricked into thinking I know it all. Just as that confidence allows me to get a little cocky, well then I am hit with something new or my mind is changed about something. The Farm and the experience as a Farm Manager are different from other things in that the farm is ever changing. It seems as though it is in constant change. The Farm from last fall is a different farm than the one this fall or even the farm of this past summer. Its just different which is good and keeps me on my toes.
The last couple weeks were good for me at the farm. They made me feel as though I am supposed to be here still, in this place (because I had been questioning my decision a bit after Alex left) still, but soon perhaps I will be ready to go. The last couple groups were groups I had before and although some things were the same, others were different. I learned new things about people I had worked with in the past and learned to see them in a new light. I guess the lesson for me was to remain open and to trust…trust my decision to be here and trust the Lord. I do miss my family, and my home very very much. And yet, I feel I have made a farm family here. At times, coexisting between the two worlds has been difficult but I guess I will have to do it just a bit longer. Looking back one thing is for certain, I can see growth…growth towards the person God wants me to be. Of course, not with many steps backwards along the way, but overall I feel mostly I have been moving forward. The more steps forward I take, the more difficult the journey…so pray for me one my walk.
One change I see in myself now is that soon I will be at a place where I can say goodbye. Not too long ago, I would think of leaving Lewis county and I did not know how I could do it. How I could leave this lifestyle, the work, and mainly the people who had accepted me into their lives. Even though I miss home terribly, I was in a weird place. Now though, I know soon I will be at the place and soon ready to move on…I guess just not yet.

Thankful for Fall

The Last couple weeks at the Farm have been great. We have been so busy…I am not sure why. But it has been good. People invite us to hang out a lot. And, we do. As Thanksgiving approaches, I can’t believe its almost here and Christmas is just around the corner. This Fall has been full and challenging, but good. Pray that I continue to embrace all Fall has in store for me to enjoy and experience.

Halloween Adventures

Last year we had a group from Halloween, but this year we had the weekend free. We had to take advantage of it. We spent the Friday before having a sleepover with a local family. I had come off two hours of sleep and a seven hour drive back from Chicago so although pretty tired, it was still fun. We had good food and many dance parties. It was great! We got back to the farm on the 30th and got card board from our local dumpster. We painted wings for our costumes. I was a butterfly, Abby was a lady bug and Allison was a spider. Abby handed candy out at one house and me and Allison handed candy out in town. Kids do not really tick or treat where we live. It was so fun! Especially seeing everyone’s costumes. Afterwards we went to a costume party. It was pretty entertaining. I was happy with our spirited Halloween.

Mel's Wedding

Mels wedding seemed so smooth. Not that I was there to help much before hand. Melly and her family did the real work, but the days before seemed smooth to me. Melly was beautiful and in good spirits! The ceremony was beautiful(although cold). The reception was fuuuun. Those working it even told me it was one of the better ones they had worked which was nice. Thinking about our friendship over the past years, I am so lucky to have Mel in my life. I was honored she asked me to be in her bridal party. Seeing her and Tyler together, well you know it just works, I couldn’t be happier for them. Here’s wishing them many Blessings. It was a weird transition going from the farm to the wedding, but I was so thankful I was able to be there.

College Groups

College groups:
This fall, we were excited to have college groups again. Working with college students is much different then with high school students. Although I only worked half weeks with each group(I had to leave for Mellys wedding!!!) it was fun to be there when I could. They did a lot of good work and made it easy for us. During these weeks, I really saw us all clicking as a team. As farm managers, team work I believe makes the weeks better for volunteers. Seeing us work and understand each other a little better was fun. I know great things are to come.

Summer fades into Fall…we start the cycle all over again

As the summer groups end, me and Alex (along with Abby and Allison) start the school groups again. Our first group together was McNick high school. It was exciting to have our first group over again, but also a little nerve wracking. So many things had changed in the year, I knew I was very different. I was anxious to see how I would feel repeating groups. Overall, it was great! Things were easy and fun and I gained good perspective on my journey. Thank you for that.
The repeat groups allowed us to work with some of our favorites. Oh how fun! They were different than last year. They had different students, the work was different, and even the same people had changed in a year as I had. Yet, it was sill fun. We no longer had to go through all of the stupid get to know you stuff that you do when first meeting people, but we were able to connect on a deeper level. Alex made a good point. He said that relationship made at the farm although developed over a short time are deep and real. They are built around God and are thus created on a solid foundation. They are strong and long lasting because they are real. Being mine and Alex’s last full group together…well I lost it. Cried many times. Yet, they were tears of thankfulness for the friendship and the good times. Also tears that were scared to say goodbye. Over the next couple weeks, I was able to come to terms with his departure. I was able to say bye to many with him. With Alex leaving and saying bye, I felt it really was the ending of our year, mine his and Jamie’s…true friends till the end! As Alex left, I entered my new term, with Abby and Allison. So, Alex leaving was hard for me because I was losing the brother I had lived and worked with for over a year. And, I was not sure when I would see him next. Yet, with all the time I had to say bye, I was at a good place dropping him off in Chicago. I knew we would remain close. I also knew it was time for him to move on. As I drove away, back to the farm, well I felt weird. Part of me felt left behind that perhaps I should be moving on too. And yet, deep down I knew I was not ready to leave yet. And so, begins my second term at the farm. With an undetermined end date…trusting God to show me when I am done here. Until then, I remain happy to be doing this work. Still missing my family at home, but trying to show my KY family how much they mean to me while I am here.

Sewing week

Sewing week:
Last year when the ladies from sewing week came, I did not know how to even use a machine. Well. This time I even had my own machine. When I started the week, I couldn’t sew curves, but by the end of the week. I was much better. It was so much fun to gather with women of the community all day and listen to music and sew. The humming of the machines and conversations. It was such a great week. It wiped me out, but it was amazing! Every once in a while they would show me some tips to help me sew better, thank you ladies for teaching me!

Farm manager adventures

The Fall was filled with farm manager adventures. We were able to work the Lewis County Fair and help serve food in the Laurel booth. It was really fun being able to see so many people we know enjoying the fair. It also was fun to relive my food service days.

We also were able to do before Alex left were to visit Notre Dame. It was really cool seeing the school I had heard so much about over the year. Also seeing Alex with his friends from school always makes me smile. He gets so excited and the mutual love shown is really beautiful. Seeing all of the places and people I heard about was fun. We got to go to a game and tour the town. We were tired by the end, but it was a fun trip.
During the summer and Fall, we frequented the local farmers market. With our gardens being destroyed twice, we bough all our produce we could locally. The farmers selling to us were really friendly and filled us in on cooking tips and local events. When they told us about the Harvest fest and the apple pie baking contest, well we had to participate. We asked around for tips. WW gave us a stellar homemade crust recipe. From there, we made an awesome practice pie. It turned out awesome! And then, we decided to each make our own pies an we threw all our practice out the window. In the end, mine got second. I was shocked! I even got a ribbon. It was pretty sweet! The other two women who won first and third were from the homemaker group that I’m a mailbox member of. They also were women who were apart of sewing week. I couldn’t believe my pie could compete with theirs…looks like Ill be making more pies from scratch!

Highlights of summer:

Besides the flooding and robberies, there were many many other exciting events this summer. First off, it was beautiful weather! We had many days over 100 degrees..which for me working outside in the heat all day..there really is nothing better! We helped frame houses, we mowed yards, and we fixed Wws fence numerous times. Three new calves were born, and they loved being trouble makers, squeaking through any spot they could.
We had groups almost every week this summer. We had a young adult group who took spirituality at the farm to a new level. It was cool to talk about things on a different level. Yet, it was also an interesting challenge working with a different population of people. We also started a new tradition each night. After we realized our negativity in our tiredness, we decided focus on the positives. We would write down and share three good things with each other each night. Not only doe sit end the day on a good note, but it helps us vent and connect as a team with each other and makes us excited for the next day.
The last couple groups of the summer posed challenges. We has flat tires and deathly bee stings. We got lost and forgot chaperones, we had car troubles a couple times and groups show up unannounced. We had sick chaperones and groups who had to leave early. It was an adventure in many ways, but we made it. What a summer!
I have to say, one of the best things this summer was having my brother Tim come down to the farm and join on a group fro the week. I was homesick and having him here was so good. Yet, I also worked for almost a year with hundreds of volunteers I most likely never would see again. I knew the farm changed them, but I never saw it. My brother, I knew would have a great time and get so much from a week here…at least I hoped. I wanted to work with him everyday and be there to introduce him to those I had grown to love in this community, but I also wanted to give him the space to have his own experience. Looking back, it was perfect. I got to work with him half the time. We had a lot of fun! People kept commenting during the week how close we were. Tim and I found this funny. We knew we loved each other and got along, but we never considered it out of the ordinary close…so hearing all the feedback on how special our relationship, made me even more grateful for my awesome brother. It was so good to have him here, and great to show him what I really have been up to this past year. Also, Tim was here for my birthday. My fellow farm managers made it special, very special. But having Tim here really made it great! So, whatever the future holds, we will always have Kentucky.

Clean up, clean up, everybody every where, clean up, clean up everybody do their share:

For the second flood cleanup, I felt much better. We not only knew what to do, but we started right away. Stuff that took us two weeks last time only took us one this time. We also had tons of help. We had four farm managers instead of two-three. We also had help form the community. Father Larry came and took apart bunks for us. Jewel and speedy came and helped me clean outlets. Jill, a past farm manager helped as well as college students from St. Clarence church. Again. The second week of cleanup was the week my friends came to work and stay on salt lick. I had been waiting all summer, excited to work and catch up with them. Yet, because of the floods, well I had to bop back and forth between glen springs and the farm. However, Joe and my fellow farm managers were great! They let me leave more then I expected to.
With the second flood, many in our community got hit for the second time. However many who had never been hit by floods before were also hit. Spending time with my friend working in the community, we helped the salvation army hand out meals. We also drive all over the county, looking for those who looked flooded. We knocked on doors and asked if they needed help. After many people not answering, we found a couple who were interested in help. We cleaned floors, and moved flooded items outdoors. We ripped up old carpets and were able to put in new ones. It was fun for me cleaning up others houses. I knew how to clean up this time, but also its easier to clean someone else’s stuff rather then your own. Many of the jobs were not finished after this week, which is another reason I was happy to stay, and help over a longer period of time.

Second Flood…Yep it happened again

Sorry for the lack of blogs…things just got a little out of hand this summer. Just as we were finishing cleaning from flood one completely…the day before the Bathhouse was to be completed, well God had another plan for us. We heard we were to get more rain, but it did not rain too much by us. The creek was at a normal level, so we felt we were fine. To be safe, we decided to take shifts and every hour all night we would walk down to the creek and check the levels. We took notes of how high it was for the next group and if it got bad the last person to check was to wake us all up. According to our reports, the creek was rising about 2ft an hr and around 5:30 am it was still at our steps by the creek(for those who know what I’m talking about). Since this is safe level, we decided to sleep in until 6:40 when we wake the groups up. Well, we all woke up to a ‘hey guys the creeks in our backyard!!”. It was by our fire pit only a few feet from our buildings…time to move! We ran over and tried to stay calm, we notified the chaperones and then woke the students…asking them to pack quickly and then help us prepare our buildings. We followed flood procedure- loaded power tools first into our vehicles and then moved what we could to the higher levels. We must have been too calm because at one point I had to yell into the bunks…Guys…the water is teen feet from the building…please hurry up!!
As we were running around in all directions…it actually was pretty comical. The situation was urgent, but again I did not believe it could happen…at least not again. As the volunteer vans were finally pulling out of our property, water was under their tires…it still did not seem real. As I was calf deep in water, desperately trying to save the potted plants my friend Jewell had given me…it still did not seem real. As I sprinted inside with only time to grab my back pack…and nothing else, as Alex fell down the steps from the rushing water moving his feet. It seemed so surreal.
This time, we were also stranded a the top of the hill in the Armstrong parking lot. Except, this time, we had a group of volunteers stranded with us. Since it flooded during the day, we got to watch the waters rise and overtake our property…I’m not sure what is worth-flooding at night and imagining the damage, or flooding in the day and watching it. We saw the waters surge to about 6in under our house. The water stayed that high for about an hour before it started to recede. Just as I had lost all hope, I walked away and couldn’t take it anymore…the water started to go down. Thank God!
Still, even with the water receding, the road was still flooded. We started to realize that we should have brought food, water and perhaps even toilet paper for our group…oops. However, our neighbors, many of whom we had never met until this point we bringing us all they had..bottled water, coffee-they were very generous. One neighbor even cooked us a hug meal! It was amazing… so delicious!
As the water cleared our property, the road was still closed, but we could tour the property and see the damage. I saw the volunteers eyes as they took in all the destruction. I recognized the looks on their faces…reflecting how I had felt only two months earlier the first time. However, this time…for me was different. I had hope. I knew what it would be like. I knew we could clean it up.
As soon as the water cleared the road, our boss man Joe drove in to get us. We took the students to town to stay at our church. They all got showers…flood water is full of bacteria. I slept with the women in the church pews. We had a small reflection with the girls and they all seemed okay with it…it’s a lot to handle especially in high school. The next morning, our boss decided they should go..its not necessarily safe to be cleaning up after a flood. They wanted to stay, but they left anyway.
And so, began the cleanup of flood number two.