Back Among The Living...almost.

I know that title sounds dire. It sort of felt dire. I wasn't quite at 100%  health before I came to Colorado Springs. I'd been having some ear nose and throat issues that I had thought I had kicked...I flew to Colorado...Luke picked me up at the Denver airport with a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory caramel chocolate apple in hand (the man knows how to woo.)
He brought me back to our apartment, which was cleaned VERY well, including an immaculate kitchen, fresh sheets and smelly candles.  He had put cheery Christmas lights in the window. (Warm ones folks, he put aside his love for the latest and greatest in Christmas lights cold looking LED, for my appreciation of warm hues.) We were in wedded bliss....
then, an airport full of germs and a huge change in climate and altitude later and the next morning  I was one sick puppy.
I pretty much didn't leave the apartment...or bed...until we left to be with Luke's family for Christmas.

Wait. I take it back. I made it to Target where I finally picked up one of these.

Solution goes in one nostril, fills the sinuses and flows out the other nostril taking with it all the disgusting mucus.

Gross I know.

I'd been hearing all the magical things it's been doing for other people though....could I get over my dislike for water up my nose (I plugged my nose with my fingers while on the swim team people) enough to get the mucous out of it?

When I made the comment that I'd like to use a pipe cleaner to get all the junk out I finally decided the water/solution would be a safer option.

I'm sooooo glad I decided to go this route. It was no miracle cure don't get me wrong but it(combined with meds, water and 12+ hours of sleep) gave my body a chance to start to get over the hump. Good thing Neola took pictures of our time in Grand Junction or the Christmas update to come soon would be sparse. But don't worry, updates are coming. Though they might be later than earlier as I'm still requiring 8 hours of sleep. I've decided just breathing in Colorado Springs is a full time job.

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

The last update can be found <here.>

Marriage: Still long distance. Luke is in Colorado, Jess is in California. Not the most fun. Definitely kind of has its lows, buuuuut we've both been receiving affirmation (in various forms) that we're learning, and growing in a good way, and for now this seems to be "The Plan" for us. Until His plan changes, we're lucky we got so good at skype and scheduling phone dates when we were long distance dating. Now I guess we're long distance married.

Job: I have been kept very busy subbing at my home school! I love it! I love the kids, I love how much I'm learning about how to help them learn. It's been a great opportunity to be in so many classrooms learning class management techniques, concepts and gain ideas from such  highly skilled educators who also love the kids they work with. This is not to say there aren't days where you feel like you've been put through the wringer, but the sense of fulfillment I have after a day of work is not one to be ignored.

Family Home Front: I miss Mom. All the time. She would be the one I would call, or stop in to talk to every day after work. She would have been the one who would understand my excitement and enthusiasm. She would have been the one to throw out some other ideas and suggest more ways for me to grow.

There are lots of things going on that I don't post, with the consideration that some of my personal conflicts/struggles aren't all mine to share. So I don't.

Valerie and I have moved into an apartment on a 7 month lease. (That will take us through the end of the spring semester of school. Being here before the semester started has given me the opportunity to join my sister in tackling the daunting task of going though my dad's very full garage. We threw away a lot, gave away a lot, and kept...a lot. It's amazing how many things one can accumulate in a lifetime. Together we've been sorting, remembering, and condensing special family items. While the main task (emptying my dad's garage so he can park a car, and motorcycle in it) is completed our living room resembles a storage/craft room. There are many boxes still needing to be gone through and sorted. There are also many projects needing just a bit of completion. This afternoon "Aunt" Nancy will be coming over to teach us how to put one of my mom's quilt tops on a frame so we can hand quilt it.

Yep, I said so WE can hand quilt it. It's true. My sister, made famous in the quilting circle for her story of calling my mom and saying "I'm making a dress, where's the hot glue gun?" has recently started going to Wednesday morning quilting with me to learn the art of hand quilting. I'm pretty sure my mom's beaming down from heaven to know that some of her projects will have been worked on by all THREE of the Harper Girls.

People:
I have also been trying to be purposeful about seeking out people to hear their stories, get their advice, and converse with them about life in general, and things that apply to my life these days. I have been blessed with so many wonderful mentors, friends, and role models. It's amazing how powerful a cup of coffee (steamed milk in my case), a lunch, knitting etc. and some good conversation can be.

Thanksgiving:
Thanks to a practice session last year (read about it here) Valerie, Luke and I weren't TOO intimidated by the idea of helping Grandpa and Shan host Thanksgiving dinner. Valerie rocked the mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry relish, and keeping her chaotic sister organised (we're talking excel spreadsheet grocery list and butterball turkey iPhone ap people.) Luke tore up the turkey, literally, he was in charge of carving 1 mama bird and two babies (breasts only on the bone/white meat) as well as keeping me calm, and in good spirits (Twilight readers, he's sort of like Jasper in that mood altering sense.) It was a great time of family and visiting.

Church:
Val and I have enjoyed getting involved with a homework help group on Wednesdays as well as both being in town for multiple Sundays! When we're not in town, we're lucky enough to be able to catch sermons on podcast search North Fresno Church.

I have been challenged and supported by one of these podcasts in particular. It's titled, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and was from November 14, 2010. This sermon has stirred up so much. It managed to find things happening in my heart I didn't even realise were happening. It addresses the age old question "why."  It brings up a search for answers, and guidance. I still cant wrap my head all the way around the sermon but man it's got my wheels spinning in many directions and I think that's a good thing. Because, I'm looking and looking and looking, and I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

Christmas:
Luke and I will be in Colorado Springs (me as of the 17th.) Luke has work on Christmas Day which will make for a mellow time. We're both allergic to evergreens and not yet wanting to add a Christmas tree to our growing collection of STUFF we look forward to a mild day with cocoa in front of the fire basking in each others company. (Something we haven't shared in quite a while.) The only thing keeping me from starting a countdown is that I know in my head just how much I need to get done before I leave! Yikes! Better get a move on!

Nature of the Beast

So I just arrived back in Fresno yesterday. Tomorrow I'll register for my classes that I will start in January to complete my credential program.

It's true that I HAD started my teaching credential program in May of 2009, but due to the fact that I wanted to focus my time and energy on my mom I withdrew from the program. I'm extremely glad that I did.

Luke and I got married in May 2010, about a month after my mom passed away. We moved to Colorado Springs, CO where Luke has a pretty sweet internship at a golf course I'm still not allowed to name online.

I worked at a daycare. I loved the kids but quickly learned that daycare franchises are NOT for me. Especially ones owned by incompetent people. (Over 38 people were hired and left in their first year and a half of operation. Scary!)

Luke and I began to have many conversations about where does this put us, what do we want to do?

Contrary to the popular belief that golf pros are rolling in the dough...they're not. Especially not the ones at the bottom of the totem pole. They do what they do for the love of the game, and free golf. Maybe 5, or 7, or 10 years down the road they get somewhere with a decent salary and maybe even some benefits but right now, not so much. Which puts me.....working again.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against working, but if I'm gonna work, I really really really would like to be doing something useful feeling, that I'm good at, that leaves me tired from a good days work but energized because it's what I love to do.

Which leads us to me getting my credential.
So here's the thing, I have a scholarship in CA. At Fresno State. This scholarship covers nearly all of my fees and even some of my books. I can get done in three semesters here, and have a credential that reciprocates in 40 other states. That's virtually the same as a National Credential which you have to be teaching 3 years to get. If I get my credential in CO, not so much the same story. Plus I have to take all the tests over again in the CO version, and jump through some other hoops that could take as long as a year to get through.

Here's where the nature of the beast roars it's ugly roar:
The golf industry is unpredictable. It is dependant on weather, and people who like to do things on whim. It has one of the highest turnovers second to the restaurant industry. It is based on who you know, and the prestige of what you have in your resume. It forces you to be flexible and potentially move a lot. (Especially in the early stages.) Oh yeah, and my husband loves it! And I love that it makes him happy! And I knew all these things within a month of dating him. I wasn't naive, I knew that this was the nature of the beast before I married him. I knew that we could potentially be living in different locations for months at a time. I'm just glad he's not a pro on tour at a different location every week!

So yes, we decided that it would be beneficial to both of us for me to have a clear CA credential. Yes, this decision means we will probably be apart for significant chunks of time. Yes, we still love each other. No, I'm not back in California because we can't stand each other. Yes, I am very much looking forward to being back with him!

We're just sort of doing these things now before we have other variables that make things more complicated.
i.e. kids (10 years from now) or a mortgage.

Minor Rantings of a Newlywed

To be taken with a grain of salt.

Luke and I enjoy our technology. We each have a laptop, an iPod and with that, our earphones/earbuds so that when needed we can keep our technology noises to ourselves.

I really like my technology. I don't like to replace it, (unless upgrading, but even then I don't like to pay for it.) I don't think Luke likes to replace his either but he also doesn't like to neatly coil up the cords for his technology and put them in the same place. Especially not his earphones. Which is why we have like 4 broken pairs laying around our apartment.

Mine are in my technology spot ready and waiting for when I want them.

Recently I noticed that they have started to disappear. And reappear plugged into Luke's computer.

We had a conversation, agreeing that my 3 pairs were the unbroken pairs coiled on top of the DVD's and that he was to "let them be" and use his broken ones so mine don't get broken too, and I can always find at least one pair of mine.

Lo and behold, today, as I'm moving about our one bedroom apartment the ear buds plugged into Luke's computer are in the middle of the walkway. I walk over them a couple times...then I think to look closer. They're MINE! From the spot I put them in. The day after our conversation!!!

As soon as I bring it up he is immediately sheepish. It was blatant. Grrrr.

His reasoning: He knew exactly where they were.

Pondering Production: Overlook

Sometimes when working on a project I like to step back and examine my work. I'll notice lots of little things. Often mistakes or thing's I wish I'd done better.

Pope John XXIII said:
See everything, overlook a great deal, correct a little.

Speaks for itself huh?

I've decided with my recent marriage this just might be appropriate in regards to many things.