So, I planned on posting this last Friday and have no good excuse as to why I didn’t. But, let’s call this the possibly last photo from the Sanctuary for now:
This guy was looking all regal
Wildlife sanctuary III
There is something very majestic about lions. I find them absolutely gorgeous and could watch them for hours. Here was a family of rescued lions.
Wildlife sanctuary II
Loved this guy, he was having so much fun playing in his home.
Wildlife sanctuary
So, apparently I am going to post older pictures until I get my act together. On my visit to Colorado in May, we went to the Wildlife Sanctuary. It was truly amazing and I highly recommend you go if you are in the area. This was one of my favorites, but there are more. Maybe I’ll post more the rest if this week.
Not taken today…obviously
Okay, so this photo is very obviously not taken today, but I never promised recent photos. I surprised my mom for Mother’s Day this year and this was one of our fun things we did. This my favorite scenery picture I took during the trip.
Not sure where to go
I’m not sue where I’m going with this blog, but I am sure that I want to do something. The biggest challenge I have had is talking about my life. Half my life is my work and I don’t feel like I can talk much about that here. Working for a large organization for people whose identity I need to protect, often times for their safety, but mostly out of respect for them, I feel stifled in what I can share.
Then, time goes by and I think, “I really need to blog about this” or “I really need to start blogging again” and then I get stifled again trying to navigate what I can share, what I should share, and what I want to memorialize for myself, family, and the world.
I do know that photography is a big part of what I want to share. I guess that’s where I start. Even if it’s just one photo a day with not words, that’s a start, right? My commitment for now is going to be just that. Some days you may see photos only, some days you may see comments related to that photo, and still others (when we are all lucky) you may get photos and a real meaty blog post.
I’m curious to see how this road travels as I navigate this blog work once again…
Maybe a photo caption: taken at the staff in service I put together for my staff. A light competition at Boomers. All had a great, fun day with lots of stress relief.
Scripture Sunday: Here I am…
Quick background on my Religious journey. I was born and raised in a Catholic home (Catholic school, Mass every weekend, the works). I did the typical college thing and tried to rebel and not go to Church; that only resulted in me working in a Church nursery at the Church of the Brethren where I ran a basic Sunday school for the under 5 year olds while the adults were in services (yeah, so much for rebelling). Then I met The Husband who introduced me to the Greek Orthodox Church. Let me just say, most people who really want to rebel often want to loosen the tight structure of the Catholic Church; but I rebel like no other. Those who think the Catholic Church has strict guidelines…well, they don’t have anything on the Orthodox Church.
i say that because many of you know me from the Orthodox ways and, those who do, know that Orthodoxy relies on chanting through the service; no hymns, no hymnals, no “this week let’s sing these songs to go along with the service”. It’s beautiful. I think the chanting is truly what first brought me to appreciate the Orthodox Church. That said, growing up Catholic, we had the different hymns each week. I remember very fondly getting excited when I looked through the hymnal at the beginning of service and found that they were going to be singing “Here I am Lord”.
For those of you who have never heard this song, or just want something good to listen to, just type it into YouTube and you will find plenty!
That song spoke to me. That song defined me even at a young age. I didn’t really realize it, though, until I was older. Then I looked up where it came from (knowing that there was a Biblical refernce) and found the verse Isaiah 6:8. Here am I; send me.
As I mentioned in my last Sunday post, I know that I am doing right in my work. I do know that I was called to make my corner of the world better. I wake every day knowing that what God has put into my path, what He has called me to do, I am doing it and will do it. I find my life is better, happier, easier, when I follow Him. I find that when I tell Him I am ready, he shows me the next steps. And, can I just say, WOW! I am always amazed at what He leads me to do. I truly believe that this verse is another that defines the work I do.
Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
So, do you have a favorite hymn?
The Husband: Finding Common Ground
The story continues…(yes it’s been a while, but we aren’t talking about that). Where did we leave off? Oh, right, The Husband interviewed for a position as a teacher for the two-year-olds classroom at the center where I was a toddler teacher. Yes, in case you missed it, he was hired.
Shortly after he was hired, I was coming leaving for lunch as he was coming back from lunch when my eyes were drawn to the precious item in his hands…a Fins cup! If you are not from San Diego, you have probably never heard of this place. Who am I kidding, most of the people I know in San Diego have never heard of this place. But for those of us who know of them, this is the finest fish taco place you will ever find. Yes, Rubio’s is okay, but it is nothing compared to Fins. Their shrimp tacos are to die for!
But I digress. So, in he is walking with a coveted Fins cup. “You know about Fins?!?!?” was my exact response. Of course he did! The best place to eat. At that moment we made plans for that Friday to go get lunch together; it was payday and we were both having lunch at the same time that day. Perfect plans.
It is important to note that I STILL have no interest in him at this time. I was just excited that someone knew about Fins and wanted to go there for lunch.
So we went. Immediately after we returned from lunch I was visited in my classroom by another coworker who cornered me questioning, “Are you interested in Bob?” My exact, very emphatic, response was “Noooo! He’s Baaaaaaa!” Indignant that anyone would ever even begin to think that as a possibility. Little did I know that those three words would come back and haunt me years later (you’ll have to stay tuned for that story). Needless to say, that coworker responded, “Oh, good, because I like him and have been trying to set something up with him.”
I should have realized then that I must have had some sort of feelings because (1) see the very emphatic indignant response that can only be characterized as a girl trying to convince the world she isn’t interested in a boy and is only fooling herself; and (2) the exact thought that crossed my mind was “Yeah, he’d never go for you.” which is, of course, the exact response of a girl trying to convince the world she isn’t interested in a boy and is only fooling herself and doesn’t even recognize a very jealous thought in her head.
So, one Fins lunch turned into a payday tradition. Nearly every payday while I was still working at that center The Husband and I would go to Fins. I’m sure everyone around the center realized what was brewing; but no one told me about it. Half of them were still trying to support that other coworker’s antics in trying to date him. The other half probably either didn’t care or were just enjoying our love story unfold.
Stay tuned for next week when I explain the moment I knew that he was “The One!”
On the “question of the day” front: if you have found your one, were you in total denial or did you jump in head over heels first?
Nenni's World 