Hits and Misses (June 25-31)

Here's a look at the week that was.....

HITS

• To celebrate the last week of summer break before returning to the classroom, I made a quick trip (only 2 days) to Eureka Springs. I didn't really do much of anything other than stroll around Old Town, eat, and read. But that's exactly the kind of vacation I needed. I'll be telling more about the highlights of the trip in Wednesday's post.
• It feels great to actually have time to do some reading again. I can't be happy with just a small little novel though.  I'm plowing my way through Herman Wouk's The Winds of War and loving every minute of it.  I'm about 400 pages in and hope to finish this epic book by the end of the week. (We all need a goal of some sort, right?)
• We discovered a new chicken recipe that we really enjoyed this week:  Rosemary Ranch Chicken. It was incredibly flavorful, super moist, and very easy to prepare. Mix up the marinade, store overnight, and grill for a few minutes. That's it!
• It was very nice to receive some encouragement as a result of my blog post on my search for a new church home. One was from a dear friend that made me feel great. The other was a simple email from a stranger who had read my post. I sat on the edge of my bed in Eureka Springs as I read her message and was so thankful that God had spoken to me through her words. I think we can all use a reminder sometimes that a simple kind word can do wonders for a hurting heart. I'm very thankful to have been the recipient of the encouragement this week.

MISSES

• I've had enough of the rain already! It didn't rain on me all week....just enough unexpected showers to disrupt the day.  I had to shorten my trip to Eureka because of a scheduled work day at the geriatric ward. Of course, the bottom dropped out of the heavens while I was driving home and I had to crawl down the interstate with my hazards flashing.  Needless to say, we didn't get any work done because it was simply too wet.  I'm not bitter....but I could have had another day in the mountains!  Oh well, that just means I have to go back.
• The check engine light is on in my car again. I won't fuss too much since the poor car has over 220,000 miles now. It is frustrating, though, that another light situation finally got resolved after the mechanic admitted damaging some sensors.  Nothing is quite as unsettling as having a light glowing on the dashboard while I'm still several hours from home....with no real grasp of exactly where I am.  (Hey, I just follow the instructions of the little British woman living inside my GPS!)
• I've got a summer cold that I'm trying to outrun, but I'm afraid it's starting to catch up with me. Dad has been sick most of the week, but refused to go to the doctor. (Surprise!) I walk in the door, get covered in the germ-ridden air, and now I'm feeling less than great. It's not that bad, I know, but I'm really ready to get well for a while.  This has been a tough few months!
• We love trying new recipes here in the geriatric ward, but there's nothing fun about recipes that bomb!  All of them came from Pinterest.  Here are the links to the things we won't be making again any time soon:  Baked Parmesan Paprika Chicken and Smoky Paprika Corn on the Cob. (Couldn't find the link for the corn recipe.  I deleted it as soon as I could! I'm beginning to think that it's the paprika that I don't like.)