my apologies!!

dear reader..... i've let you down!! i'm so sorry for disappearing from the blog world for so long.... i can't believe that almost 3 months have passed by since the last update! sick!!! i shall strive to do a bit better.... i hope you haven't given up on me!

okay, so a quick update! what's happened in the last 3 months?

may 2006 - finished my on-campus coursework for my MA program in Conflict Transformation & Peace Studies. SIT (the grad school) is huge on "reflecting & processing" - so in the spirit of that... i'd say....
*i've never been through a two week long "let's say goodbye every night" festival .... (i refuse to even think of those who kept finding reasons to go out every night to say 'goodbye' and then didn't leave...)
*it IS possible to resort to college days and hit Wendy's three to four times a week after midnight.... (though waking up the next morning, you feel a bit sluggish!)
*i was wrong about all the rain in October... it is possible for it to rain even more.... see weather casts in Brattleboro for May/June....
*too much reflecting is NOT good for the mind.... sorry about not turning in those final reflection papers....
*it's lonely when you are one of the last one's left standing.....

june 2006 - spent three extra weeks at SIT to work as a program/teaching assistant for CONTACT: Conflict Transformation Across Cultures program. a phenomenal experience of learning from and being with peacebuilders from around the world. thank you, friends!

june 19, 2006 - left brattleboro, vt and returned via canada back to michigan. a highlight? definitely stopping by the naus home (canada) and spending time with three wonderful, beautiful people. dave & susan, your hospitality is amazing and julia, you are too precious!! i'm borrowing your pics as memories ....

another june 20 highlight was picking up my brother, andrew, from the airport as he came in from 3 months of overseas work in the czech rep. & albania.... it was so nice not having to go through 'reverse culture shock' by myself..... andrew, you are a blessing and inspiration to me!!

july 2006 - oh, my goodness.... cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning.... well, besides painting my laundry room a beautiful color of 'nacho cheese' (yes, that is the actual name on the can of paint - benjamin moore!) it's a tribute to my good friend amy, who talked me into the project.... ;) as for the cleaning.... i had rented out my home to six (yes, 6) college guys for the year.... cats, furniture, et. all.... and came back to find three guys still in the house. i've been in a constant state of cleaning.... and working around the three who seem to be having separation anxieties when it comes to my home..... two 'cute' stories: three days after finally saying they were moved out, i came back from church and found that one had come back to take a shower and do some watercoloring in the house.... and then yesterday another came to take a nap in his old bed.... hmmmmm..... like i said, separation anxieties.... in the meantime, they have until tomorrow to get the rest of their stuff out and to hand over the keys!!

oh, and the final update of otis happenings.... i'm back at the desk at hope college..... whew... where did the last 10 months go? i wonder how i have changed.... perhaps that is another blog entry.

which i promise to write ... sometime.... i promise.... really..... i'll keep this thing better updated! ;)