Weeping Soul--Boone, Sweet Boone

I just completed my Boone blog from Nov 14:

Tomorrow I leave Boone. My soul (and body) wept as I stood on Howard's Knob Thursday night, listening to music and feeling utterly overwhelmed with emotion as I looked over the familiar hills and valley and city lights. I think maybe this is what Colleen is talking about when she says her soul aches over the beauty of a place. I didn't know I needed a cry. But thoughts and memories tsunami-ed over me, leaving my soul like a graveyard of incomplete thoughts and memories, barely able to save the life of a single thought. People in my life at ASU. The stark contrasts I experience in my life--from heat to freezing cold; from the turquoise ocean to the naked-tree-mountains; from hiking a mountain in Haiti for my water to water that comes at the flip of a wrist; from candle and kerosene lighting to light switches that always work. People in my life on the island. Questions about life for the next 6 months. Picturing the first Christmas on those hills (some Christmas songs popped up on my iPod). Longing to connect longer with people. Yearning for more of the mountains.... on and on it went. I think some walkers happened upon me at one point, frozen in their tracks at the dark figure convulsing in sobs and shivers. I prayed they would go away, and the 3rd time I peeked I didn't see their shadows. I felt despair that one week in Boone would simply not be enough. But I often hit a mid-time-panic-mode when I have a limited time somewhere. I think I will survive. :)

On Monday, Carol organized a get-together for me so I could see everyone at once (thanks!). 12 kids and 12 adults! Good times. I took a personal day on Tuesday, and it rained with the hurricane coming through. My good friend, Rachel, was going to come up on Wednesday (Veteran's Day), but cancelled, so I spent another rainy day inside, catching up on email.

I've been staying with Susan, my roommate from my 3rd year at ASU (left). It is lovely to be able to see her every evening and not be pressed for time. I didn't venture out again until Thursday afternoon, when I met up with Carol for more chat time.

Friday I hung out with Erin, Anna, and kids for most of the day. The sun came out again! Then I drove around for a while and ended up at the cabin where Erin & Danny used to live (as did Anna & David) and sat on the porch playing my guitar until my fingers froze with the setting sun.

I got to hang out with Erin and family again because I left something at their house and went back Saturday to retrieve it, staying for several hours. Their home with 5 boys (ages 3-9) oozes with love, peace, and respect. It is such a refreshing, hopeful, and stimulating home to be in.

After ABF tomorrow the journey continues...
Tennessee is next, with MarySue.

Birthday Goodness--32!

What an awesome birthday! Starting with amazing Mexican food with Tammy and family, then hot fudge pudding cake and ice cream on Thursday night.



Friday I drove towards Atlanta, stopped at Allatoona Lake for a snooze, guitar playing, and journaling. Then I was with teammates and we went to a Japanese steak house for supper to celebrate, followed by some cool gifts.


Saturday we road-tripped down to Birmingham to see David get married, and the reunions continued. Fun times. What a rare and beautiful thing to witness a wedding marked by the purity God intended.


Met lots of new great people, too--wives, best friends, mom, and aunt of teammates. I also got to meet people who built my team leader's house. All in all a memorable and very special birthday weekend. Goodbye 31, hello 32!

Rolling on to Boone

Friday evening last week I began making my way slowly towards Boone. I drove to Gastonia and spent the night with Danny and Sue, friends of my parents from before my life. I had a lovely visit with them, hearing stories from their first years of knowing my parents and also grandparents.

The next day I met up with with a college friend in Hickory. We ate at a place called "Ham's" and I was amazed that their lengthy menu had hardly any swine choices on it! Our waiter thought Tara and I were twins, or at the very least, sisters. I think we might have gotten that in college, too. Maybe we need to check our genealogies. :)

I spent the night in Hickory with more family friends--back from before I can remember. I got to join them for church Sunday, which was a lot of fun--a family was there from Haiti!

Let the Good Times Roll...

During my week with Emily, I went down to Waxhaw to borrow a car for my travels (thank you, Hess's!) and spent a couple nights with the Hopkins. I had a suite all to myself and spent the day in isolation except when summoned for mealtimes. :) I was pampered and loved. Thank you, Ann and Tom!

On Sunday I went to Messiah, where I attended through high school with my family. I got to have lunch with Tim, Sue, and Matt afterwards, and catch up on their lives. Missed having Mike and Robin there. Mmmmm to the the mesquite chicken salad at Chili's.

On Monday, Nov 2, I drove over to the Edgeworth's in Weddington and got to visit with them over dinner and breakfast. Then they drove off to the beach for the week, and I stayed behind, enjoying their lovely home, pretending it was my own for a few days. I enjoyed cable TV and the great window views and had friends over and was, in general, a bum. Oh, and I fed their 4 outdoor cats, including the one with 6 toes.

On Wednesday morning I had hoped to have Mieke (my childhood best friend's little sister) come over for a visit, but Tuesday evening she made an early trip to the hospital to be induced due to some complications. Jace Ezekiel was born at 1:20 am on Nov 4 with barely one push, weighing 5 lbs, 6 oz. I got to go visit with them the next night. He was a sleepy little bundle (worn out from circumcision that morning), and was not happy when Mieke let me wake him for feeding time.

Good Times

After Virginia, my aunt dropped my dad and I off at the airport in Charlotte. Dad started his flights back to Singapore and my very good friend from Orlando, Emily, picked me up from the airport. She now lives in Charlotte. I got to meet her son, Alex, now 9 months old, and he has got to be the most chilled out baby I have ever met! Well, I say that, but bathtime is a 2-adult job. :) It was so good to hang out with Emily and her husband, Marshall. It felt like old times, and as I look at these pictures again, I wish I could go back and stay another week... or month... or just move to Charlotte. Whenever Alex was napping or asleep in the evenings, I felt like it was still 2006 and we were hanging out in Orlando. Then Alex would be awake, and it was like, Huh? who is this?

Emily had baked my favorite cookies and bought my favorite ice cream, ready for me when I arrived. It is so nice to be known. I felt loved. We enjoyed Mexican, I learned about Wii, Marshall carved a pumpkin, I got to give candy to trick-or-treaters, Alex got crammed into a cat suit (which, in the end, we did not repeat for Halloween), Marshall helped me record some songs I had written, we played farkle, got caught up on each other's guilty pleasures (they are fully introduced to the IT Crowd now, and I learned about The Big Bang Theory), and just hung out. It was wonderful. Note the little partial smile on Alex's face while he is watching TV from his yellow ExerSaucer. That is the general look on his face while he's watching TV. Too cute.