Andy & Charis: May 2008

5.21.2008

Georgia STORMS

A few weeks ago we had the craziest THUNDER & LIGHTNING storms. I have seen quite a few storms but nothing compared to that one. Andy and I both woke up to the same lightning strike. The sky was alight for a few seconds at a time and it was the craziest/scariest thing I've seen in a while. Well after talking with my neighbor (okay, her name is Kate - so I don't have to keep calling her my neighbor) I come to find out this is not too uncommon for Georgia. Since then the weather has been pretty calm...until last night.

A crazy storm came through our area, and this is what we woke up to.

And this is ONLY a picture of the tree that fell on our property and is our responsibility.

Now this may not seem all that big but the root seriously stands about 10 feet tall and HOW ON EARTH ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GET RID OF THIS THING!!!!!!! Not to mention we quite like having the trees and love our lot. Now as soon as the wind blows I get paranoid that another tree is going to fall down.

5.17.2008

You know you ARE in the South when...

Your neighbor asks you if you want to go in on a calf with them. No more buying our meat from the friendly grocer. No, we go straight to the butcher and we (together with our neighbors) order a WHOLE cow, we tell him exactly how we want the meat cut and we go pick it up and bring it home in our own containers.

That's what we'll be doing for our meat supply next year, well when our neighbors run out of their $1500 worth of meat ;-)

5.07.2008

Inspiring Quote

Sometimes (well often times ;-) I need a little convincing. Maybe you do too.

A quote from C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity:

God's work in our lives can be painful, but His ultimate goal is to transform us into something better. Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is he up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of — throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but he is building up a palace. He intends to come and live in it himself.

Blog Therapy

If you thought blogging was a time waster you can rest assured it is not. Not only is it NOT bad, but some actually believe it is a GOOD thing.

Take a look at this article.

So, BLOG AWAY

5.06.2008

3's

Have you ever heard that things often happen in 3's?

Well this week I've received 2 pieces of good news.

1.
I got into UGA. I'll start in the Fall. You'd (well I'd) think I'd get automatic admission seeing as my husband is on faculty and well I can't really go away to school. But I don't, but I did get in all by myself. That's good news.

My Green Card finally came, it only took a whole year. I assumed my ten year one would be approved but still you want the card in hand to know for sure. Well it arrived today. Yay. No more renewing and paying attorney fees and going to appointments. Next step - CITIZENSHIP. It's not that I want to give up my SA Citizenship, I just won't renew my SA Passport when it expires (in 10 years ;-) Renewing a SA Passport in the US is a hassle.

I am still waiting for that one :-)