It's getting cold around here! I think it would help if our windows had glass in them. Better get started on that. Our list of necessary home renovations is getting shorter by the day. Tim has a guy working here 8 hours a day, which has freed him up to work on learning Spanish worship songs, his dog bed business, and planning the weekly worship service. I've been writing postcards, attending Al-Anon, planning for the Alpha course (hopefully starting June 6), and working with M on the cooking and cleaning.

I asked her today if she would be interested in working here full-time and I was surprised to find a little hesitancy. She has a 15-year-old daughter that she worries about leaving home alone too long, and school only last half a day. On one hand, I'm glad to hear her desire to care for and protect her daughter, but I'm sad she can't just jump on the chance to work full time. I know she could use the money. As could anyone else in town. She's going to think it over tonight and follow up with my tomorrow. I think there are some other good options, like having her go home during lunch and come back or having someone else do everything laundry-related (which probably would cut 8-10 hours off her work week). We'll see.

We are so relieved to be working again (not that language learning wasn't work), but this work presents a whole new host of issues. What we did in Charlotte in our free time and as volunteer work is now our job-- hanging out with people, participating in church stuff, leading worship, planning and making things. How strange is that a friend comes over and it's “work” to spend time with her? Or that everyone else is going to Al-Anon as their precious time for themselves and I'm counting it as part of my work day? It's a little confusing. On top of that, most nights we have some sort of meeting or event to attend. That means that if we work all day and go to those at night, we're absolutely exhausted. We have to start planning in “downtime” during the day. But taking a nap after lunch or watching a movie feels lazy! There's a lot to learn. One day at a time.

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