Uncategorized – J.I.L.L.

A Fire Rainbow?

I’ve been wanting to post on here for a while… And today something happened that is perfect as the subject of my first post in a long time.

I must first apologize for not keeping up with this blog. I am not naturally inclined to share personal stuff online with masses of people. Some of that comes from being a public educator; however, I think most of it is just innate in me. I’m endeavoring to do better.

Since my last post, a lot has happened. I finished my dissertation and I landed an amazing job in higher ed! Unfortunately, this also meant relocating two hours away from my family. I’m still in Florida though.

And that brings me to a fire rainbow. I decided to go out and grab a sub for lunch today. (By the way, being able to leave leisurely for lunch is a foreign concept to someone who was a public school teacher and a public school administrator. At it’s worst was being a principal, when I was lucky to get 12 minutes to shove food down while answering emails at my desk. I often ate my lunch standing in a cafeteria full of rambunctious kids. No easy task for someone who is a messy eater in normal circumstances!) As I walked to my car, I realized I was initially a little put out at having to walk “all the way” to my car, drive “all the way” to the sub shop and back, and then walk “all the way” back into the office. And then my internal dialogue kicked in and I chastised myself for being so petty. The walk and the drive are really not that far. What’s more, is it’s a beautiful day. I should appreciate being able to leave for lunch and getting to be outside on such a glorious day. As I’m reframing my mood, I look to the sky and, low and behold, there’s a rainbow up in the sky!!! A happy little bright spot of color. Just for me. So I stop and take a picture.

The science nerd that still lives inside me was thinking, “I know what a sun dog is but I don’t think that’s what this is. Oh well.” And I moved on, basking in the lovely day and my good fortune of seeing this happy little rainbow. Some simple Googling later (yes, after I ate my sub of course) and come to find out it was probably a fire rainbow, a relatively rare phenomena that occurs only under certain circumstances. There’s a chance it is just cloud iridescence but I’m leaning toward fire rainbow. At minimum, fire rainbow sounds way cooler!

Scienceabc.com article on fire rainbows

Sciencenotes.org article on fire rainbows

On that note, I encourage you to look at the bright side of things, keep an attitude of gratitude, and stop to smell the roses (or, enjoy the fire rainbow).

Vero Beach, FL

We made it!!!

8+ hours and we’re finally in Vero Beach, FL! We had another leisurely start to the day, especially because of turning the clocks back.

Our first stop was at Buc-ees. Holy crap. What an experience. Steve told us we should stop there if possible – that it’s like a Cracker Barrel combined with a Sheetz on steroids – and boy was he right! It was an experience in and of itself.

It was another lovely day for a drive. Traffic was okay most of the time. Waze took us another way than we had planned, saying it was 24 minutes shorter, and it worked out okay. I’ve learned to trust Waze. It’s a pretty great app. About an hour after I told BA people don’t really abuse the app to put incorrect alerts out, we started getting a bunch of nonsense alerts. Oh well…

We tried stopping at Cracker Barrel. Waited 20 minutes for a table. Then, after about 3 minutes at the table, we decided to leave. It was super busy, one table near us was complaining to the manager, and another table near us was sitting waiting for their waitress (and had been seated ten minutes before us). Although it was a shame to waste half an hour, we were glad we left and didn’t waste any more time.

Three and a half hours later, we made it to Vero and clinked our glasses:)

We had a nice (and crazy) dinner with family and now we’re settling in at my mom’s place. She and BA are getting along swimmingly:)

Plans for tomorrow… mimosas and the beach!!!

Atlanta, Georgia

We started our day a little leisurely, waking up without an alarm. Even so, we were on the road around 9 am. We skipped breakfast so BA had a few Wilbur Buds to hold her over (thanks Kim!).

About two hours down the road, we decided it was a frappe Saturday so we stopped and got ourselves medium caramel frappes and fries at McDonalds. I also filled up the car and cleaned the windshield and rear window. My car got 40 mpg again, which is great (especially given how heavy the car is now that it’s packed full).

Shortly thereafter, we crossed into Georgia; and, as has been the case all along the way so far, I said “Welcome to Georgia, BA!” To which she said thank you and promptly texted her brother that we just crossed the line into Georgia. Not even five minutes later, we passed a sign that said “Welcome to Tennessee!” We were a little confused but we went with it. I asked BA if she was going to text her brother that we were back in Tennessee now and she said, “Nope.”

Traffic today was noticeably heavier and less patient than the past two days. I may have dropped several expletives, which I was delighted to find BA completely agreed with.

A couple hours later we made it to Atlanta and BA’s brother’s home. We had a nice introductory conversation and then he kindly took us on a driving tour of parts of Atlanta. We saw Emory University (fun fact: Emory was the only place I applied to in high school – and, no, I didn’t get accepted), the Governor’s mansion, parts of Buckhead, and Peachtree Rd, along with several other sights. Atlanta is hillier than I expected and is lush with beautiful mature trees.

Upon returning home, we quickly dove into some day drinking and chatting while dinner was cooking. What a delightful time chatting with BA and David! Dinner was a delicious fall-themed meal and the great conversation continued. I talked with them about the 5 Love Languages – you know what a fan I am of that – and really enjoyed the whole visit so far because I am a quality time kind of person.

I particularly enjoyed the banter between BA and David. Here’s a nugget you’ll have to ask her about sometime. Check out the horse in the picture below. It wasn’t originally designed to have a removable tail. Yet, now it does…

We get an extra hour to sleep tonight. Perhaps we’ll actually make it past 10 pm! Good night y’all!

Nashville, Tennessee

Can you believe we slept 11 hours in Bristol?! It got cold enough to frost things over pretty good last night so the morning was brisk and lovely. We hit the road at 9 am after a quick stop and photo at Sheetz.

It took a a little over four hours to get to Nashville. The drive was beautiful. Light traffic, fall colors, and lovely skies again. We decided to go directly to lunch and figure out our afternoon plans there. Based on a recommendation from Carmen, we landed at Uncle Bud’s Catfish for lunch. It was delicious!

At lunch we decided to book Nashville’s Biggest & Wildest Party Public Tractor Tour. They may not have talked much (or at all) about all the sights around town and outside the tractor, but the inside entertainment more than made up for it! (Check out the MC in the back of my selfie photo.) Among our group were five folks celebrating their birthdays today and one couple celebrating their 10-year anniversary. The couple renewed their wedding vows on our trip. BA and I totally rocked the catwalk during the tour, and the MC called BA a bad girl while she showed off her dance moves. Sorry folks, no pictures of that. No way a picture could do it justice.

We went to Robert’s Western World for a drink and to listen to some music. After that, we found our hotel and got settled before heading back out downtown. We ended up at Kid Rock’s Bad Ass Honky Tonk & Rock n Roll Steakhouse at the rooftop bar. The band was amazing and the people watching was an added bonus.

Another day of fantastic fun with BA!

“Together share this smile “

Dave Matthews’ song, Lover Lay Down, has a line in it when he longingly sings, “together share this smile.” I love that line. It epitomizes why I value quality time.

Smiling is great. Smiling together with someone else is even better. I highly value creating shared memories with people, which is the love language of quality time.

Thus, I’m finding myself, in my last two weeks before my big move, scrambling to spend time with all my dear friends. And I think part of the reason I’m struggling so much with leaving is because it will be hard to have quality time together when I’m so far away.

If you are not familiar with Gary Chapman’s Five Love Languages, you need to check them out. They may not be the answer to everything about relationships, but they sure do set a solid philosophical foundation. There’s a quick and easy online quiz you can take to find out your primary Love language (https://www.5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/love-language).

The Random Yes

I am a “yes friend,” in that you can ask me to go do random things and I will say yes. Not only that, I will love every minute of the random shenanigans and will do all I can to blend and share that love and laughter.

This weekend, saying yes got me to a dive bar where smoking is still allowed, an outdoor concert with a 3-man band that hasn’t played together in a year and a half, and a local theater group production of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

All of these were uniquely cultural experiences yet they all had the same feel: good people getting together to have a good time. In all my yes-shenanigan experiences, I have found that 99% of people, in all groups, from all walks of life, getting together for all sorts of reasons, are good people.

This brings two thoughts to mind: 1) people have more in common than they do differences and 2) we are meant to interact with those who are different than us. Yet, we seem to focus on the differences and we tend to stear clear of those who are different than us. And all this does is serve to polarize us even more.

I say let go and let be. Enjoy people. Love them for their humanness. Love them despite their flaws. Love them in the midst of their struggles. Love them even if they don’t love you. There’s way too much good in this world to get bogged down in the 1% that isn’t so good, and let’s be honest, probably isn’t in your control anyway.

And please stop seeing stories about the exceptions and believing they are the rule. You don’t make it on the news if you’re the rule.

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
John 15:12-15

Waxing Gibbous and Jupiter

The sky is clearest after a storm and tonight is no exception. After several hours of dreary fall rain, the sky cleared as the sun set, the moon appeared, and as an added bonus Jupiter started sparkling bright. When was the last time you stopped to appreciate a beautiful night sky? If it’s been too long, I suggest planning some way sometime soon to take a pause with the night sky.

Bravery?

As I mentioned in my brief intro, I am taking a huge leap of faith. I’m leaving what has been my home and those who have been my family for the past 16+ years. I’m less than three weeks away from packing up my car and hitting the road. And I still can’t believe I’m doing this.

A lot factored into my decision to move. More than I have time to get into now. And although I didn’t necessarily feel God calling me to make this decision, I feel His presence in it and I feel His promise in what lies ahead.

Still, I can’t shake the “holy crap” moments. I was having a bit of a freak out tonight. And then, as I took a friend’s pooch for a ralk (for those who don’t know Jill-speak, that’s a run/walk), a song played through Pandora that had the following line, “Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same” (The Fray, All at Once). And in that moment, I heard God speaking to me. Yes, this is going to be hard. Very hard. And it is also right. Very right. I can do this. I need to feel the pain and push through it. It will be worth it.

I am going to try my best to keep that in mind as I capitalize on every opportunity I still have right now to spend time with loved ones and positively impact their lives.

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”
Martin Luther King Jr.

“It’s not always easy to do the right thing. But, doing the right thing makes you strong, it builds character.”
Queen Latifah

“What is right is not always easy and what is easy is hardly ever right, but the right choice today will improve your life tomorrow.”
Michael Josephson

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

Silly Card and Silly Joke

I am a fan of “stupid” jokes, especially punny ones.

Recently, a most favorite colleague of mine gave me a going away card that on the front said, “Sometimes I think about how wonderful you are,” and on the inside said, “And other times I think about penguins.” This card was absolutely perfect for the occasion and for the person who gave it to me. Don’t you just love it when you find the perfect card?!

Then last night, I had the opportunity to peruse “165 Jokes So Bad They’re Actually Funny” on BestLifeonline.com and found a gem in #87. “Sometimes I tuck my knees into my chest and lean forward. That’s just how I roll.”

Both of these were so simple, so funny, so true.

Regardless of what you face in your day or in your life, you need to laugh. Laugh at yourself. Laugh at what happens. Laugh at funny little things. Just laugh. It feeds the body, mind, heart, and soul. And if nothing comes your way that makes you laugh, seek out something for a laugh. Check out a website with stupid jokes, enjoy some play time with your kid or dog, or call that person who always brings you joy and makes you laugh.

“Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.”
Lord Byron

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.”
Proverbs 31:25

Kids these days

I had a conversation with a teenage boy recently that went something like this:

Me: Hey! How are things?!

Teenage Boy: Good.

Me: I heard you were dating someone. What’s her name?

Teenage Boy: Kat

Me: That’s a cute name. Is it short for something?

Teenage Boy: I don’t know.

Me: Oh. Well, do you know her last name?

Teenage Boy: No.

Me: Oh. Um, do you know what grade she’s in?

Teenage Boy: No. I think she’s in my grade. We have percussion class together.

What I really wanted to ask next was, “Is she aware that she’s your girlfriend?!” Because, given how little he knew about her, that could be a real possibility. Perhaps he thinks they’re dating and she has no clue.

These kids these days, they are afraid to talk to each other face-to-face and when they do they really struggle. Unless I’m just old and names really aren’t that important anymore…

Check out this article that talks about teens and the lost gift of casual conversation: https://www.heysigmund.com/strengthening-teens-social-conversation-abilities/