Shared

I'm gonna tell you a little story. One that I haven't shared here yet, but those of you that live life side by side with me, well, you'll already know it. I feel like something must be said here though because it may change things on this ol' blog here for a while.

A little over a year ago, I started feeling overwhelmed with life. Just doing normal day to day things here at camp was hard. And not just hard like "it's a tough day and I can't wait until it's tomorrow" hard, but "how in the world am I going to make it through another day." I had never been this frustrated with my camp life like I was then. I dreaded everything. Everything felt overwhelming and hard. The littlest things seemed to set me off. And I wasn't liking the person I was. I didn't want to be around myself.

In October of last year, the Lord dropped the most amazing blessing in my life. One that had a totally different outcome than what I was expecting. My two bestest college pals and I had a girls weekend. It was glorious. I was away from camp. I was living my own life. I was having a personal life, something I had begun to wonder if it even existed.

One of the last nights I was there, my girls sat me down and had a good long talk with me. I love them so much not only because they make me laugh and we have so much fun together, but because they are never afraid to ask me the really hard questions. They are blunt. They love me and want the best for me and I trust them because of that. I feel safe with them and can open my heart even when it's hard and I end up crying, which I did. I explained to them all the things I had been feeling. I began to realize how trapped I had been feeling. How exhausted. How burnt out. How done I was.

Their advice was so wise. Something I see now, more than I did a year ago. Take a break, they said. Get away. Don't let this steal your joy. Don't let it ruin you. Get away and find out if this is really where God still wants you. We know it will be hard. We know you will do your best to talk yourself out of it. We know that you will think you are letting other people down. But you have to. You just have to. We are looking at this from the outside and seeing things you don't.

I promised them I would pray about it. And I did. I also talked to several other near and dear people and asked for their wise council. I asked them to look from their point of view and tell me what they saw. (Sometimes it's hard to judge reality when you are so wrapped up in yourself, isn't it?) It was quite a time of soul searching and prayer. God was gracious and patient with me. And He guided me lovingly.

At the end of this month, I will be stepping away from camp for 3 months. It's not a bad thing. I'm not losing my job here, nor do I want to. I'm not walking away forever. I'm not burning bridges and running. It's a 3 month sabbatical. And I'm blessed to the heavens that after almost 11 years of being here full time, I can do this. I'm super excited to see what the Lord has for me.

What will I be doing? Well, there are so many things. Traveling to see friends. Going to see family. Having fun. Reading. Sleeping. Writing. Doing. Being. Most importantly, I will be spending lots of time in the Word, talking to the Lord, seeking Him. Three whole months. I don't even really know what that means. I do know that I don't want to waste it. I want to come back refreshed and renewed. And I want to stop being so "me" focused and absorbed.

As for my little bloggy-blog, well, I don't own a laptop. That presents a quite a predicament in the area of posting. (I won't be living in The Cottage for those 3 months) In a way, I think the lack of computer time will be good for me. In fact, I know it will. On the other, I will miss writing so desperately. And all my photos? Oh, that just makes me sad. Photography is one thing that I'd love to spend more time doing and learning. But at this time, it looks like things will be hit or miss here for November, December and January. Don't get me wrong. I will jump on when I find a computer to borrow. I will. But now you'll know why I'm in and out.

So, there's my little story. One of woe and heartache and joy and adventure all rolled into one. I'm excited for what's coming. I hope you'll come along and join me because the best adventures are those that are shared.


xoxo,

Cottage Girl

best university

Sorry I was MIA for a few days.

I was on a business trip.

It was quite lovely. I had to return to my favorite university on the entire planet. It was a tough assignment, let me tell you. My friend/co-worker had to beg me to come. I mean, not only would I get to spend 2 whole days with my super cool friend, but I would also get to hang out with more camp friends that go to this university. All under the guise of work. No, please, don't make me go!

We had a grand old time recruiting for camp. All those young college kids looking for summer camp jobs. And when I say young, by that I mean babies. I felt like a grandma there. It's only been....7....no, 10...no, make that 12 years since I graduated. Gulp. How did that happen? Wasn't I just there last week roaming the halls, running from class to class, chatting with friends in the courtyard? Wasn't I?

In any case, I did get to see my dear sweet friend, whom I miss desperately. She graciously let us stay in her cute, new, married home. She is one of those girls who I can instantly feel at home with the second I see her, even if it's been 2 years since we've seen each other. We clicked all those years ago, and it just stuck. SO good to talk with her and give her a big hug.

But no matter what the circumstances are for me going back, I never ever can shake the ghosts of those who made those years so dear to my heart. I think the walls are soaked with our laughter and tears and joys. The memories are so thick that I have to push them away just to stay in the present. For a little while, I'll let myself get lost in those moments, reliving every moment I can recall in vivid detail. I let the joy roll over me, and then stop before my misty eyes turn me into a blubbering fool.

I love you, LU. I love for the 4 years you gave me. I love you for helping me to grow in my relationship with Jesus and drawing me closer to Him. I love you for giving me the best friends a girl could ever ask for (you know who you are!). I love you for challenging me beyond what I thought I was capable of and taking me to the edge and back. I love you for standing firm and proclaiming the Gospel. I love you for doing it all over again for a whole new generation of kids.

10 things

1. The power AND the heat are back on in the Cottage. There was a celebration and much giving of thanks. Truly.

2. We are getting a snowstorm tomorrow. Just a few inches, thankfully.

3. I now understand why people have been raving over Parks and Rec. Season 2 is hilarious. How did that happen after the "ho-hum-ness" of season one?

4. Smallville addiction continues, she ashamedly admits whilst hanging her head.

5. I'm puppy sitting, and it's divine. Ok, more like old dog sitting, but she acts like a puppy.

6. I miss this one...


....and I've decided that if I ever become rich and famous, she is the one that I will require to call me constantly to keep me grounded. She's the best at tough love. Sometimes I miss her so much it hurts. I need that "rich" thing to happen, so I can afford to see her more than once every other year.

7. Today was a good hair day. I wish I could figure out what made it so, and repeat the process everyday. I'm sure it won't happen again for a long time.

8. I owe my friend, S, a nice long email. Every time I sit down to write it, I get pulled away. I love you, S! Really!

9. Only 9 more days till Sundance....

10. Only 9 more days till I spend a week with The Bro....

the return and processing

I'm back from my long weekend with my true blue friends.

Suffering from a bit of BFF detox/loneliness.

It was amazing.

I have much to share. Photos, thoughts, etc.

So much to process.

So many things I'm now thinking about because of great conversations with two of my besties. Good things that needed contemplation and an outside point of view. Advice given with love and compassion and wise Godly counsel.

Stories and thoughts will spill out here when it's time.


ps...Mad Men season finale. I loved. Not shocking and crazy, but delightfully well written and so, so beautiful. I wanted to have a still photo of so many shots. I'm hating the thought of 9 long Mad Men empty months.

sweet reunion

Ok, I've been trying to contain my excitement over what is about to happen this weekend. Mostly I've been ignoring it and not letting my self get excited. But today is here and I'm done with being adult about it. I'm giddy and happy and bouncing off the walls.

Two of my bestest friends from college. My college roommates (1 for all 4 years and the other for 2 years). The girls who helped teach me what friendship is all about in life. We are ALL going to be together this long weekend. 6 whole days. I'm smiling like a crazed person just typing that.

These girls mean the world to me. They get me. They are amazing Godly women. We laugh together. We cry together. We can not see each other for years and instantly pick back up where we left off. Friendships like that are pure gold.

So, I'm signing off for a few days to bask in the wonder of friendship.

xoxo,

a very happy and excited Cottage Girl

Monumental/Glorious Day in Cottage Girl world

The student loan is paid off.

Yes, folks.

PAID IN FULL.

Almost 10 years to the day of my college graduation.

And 100% worth every penny.

score of the decade

This is one of my very favorite photos I have ever taken. It was taken on a film camera. An old Pentax that my great aunt left to our family when she died (and I abscondated in college). The scene is an old Quaker church that was one street away from my college apartment.
My senior year, one of my roommates and I took a photography class. The old fashioned kind. We took black and white photos on Ilford film. Then we got to go into the dark room and develop the film and the photos.
It always seemed like magic to me. Watching the images appear on that white paper. The pitch black of the room where you had to get the film into the canister. The red light in the enlarger room. Oh, how I loved that chemical smell and the constant sound of water running.
My roommate and I spend HOURS there. We took 100's of photos. She sang me the entire soundtrack of Les Mis while we waited for the film to develop. Any time I hear those songs now, I instantly transported back to that darkroom on LU's campus. (ps....I'm sure you've all seen this by now, but I just loved it.)
After that class ended, I was so, so sad to say goodbye to the darkroom. I knew that I would never be able to afford to have one of my own. Not to mention a place that would work for a dark room in a home. I missed developing so much. I would go online sometimes and price out what it would cost me to try and set one up myself, only to once again be disappointed by the amount of cash it required. Oh, well....

Anyway...this week, something truly magical happened. I scored the find of the decade on Freecycle. I had unusually been on it much of the day because we/camp were trying to get rid of some tables. Up popped a post for photgraphy equipment. An enlarger and other things, it said. I immediately sent an email to ask about it (you have to move fast in Freecycle!). Low and behold, I was the first person to respond. I hopped in my car and picked up my treasure less than an hour later.
After getting home, I realized I had truly scored. The lady getting rid of the equipment had no idea what it was or how much it was worth. The enlarger appears to still work. Plus there were lots of other amazing things that pretty much set me up for my own darkroom minus the paper and chemicals. ALL FOR FREE!!!! Not only that, but I live at camp where we have a 70+ year old building with a giant, dark basement!

Can you tell I'm super excited?!!!

I used to have short hair

March 1999

I was:

• living with my 2 best friendsliving in a 1st floor apartment with a broken dryer which meant our clothes were always on a drying rack in the kitchen
• finishing my last semester (and favorite) at Liberty
  

• working on the backstage crew for Anything Goes

• learning how to take photos with a SLR. FILM, mind you. There was no digital.

• not wearing makeup cause I didn't want to

• taking a musical theater class with the best professor I've ever had

• wearing dresses/skirts everyday (lovely dress code)

• driving a royal blue 1988 Pontiac Sunbird

• not watching TV. Seriously. I didn't have time

• working as a telemarketer for JCrew

• living on a 20/hr per week job

• paying $.79/gallon for gas. Not kidding

• hanging on to every moment because each one was so dear and would never come again

Icy day....

...full of slipping and sliding down the sidewalks and steps.
Ice falling from tree limbs.

And it was foggy too.
Complete with foghorns from passing boats.

I love how it looks here when it's foggy. Kinda like I'm inside a story and the rest of the "real world" is going on outside of the fog. Everyone else is going on about their business, but I'm living in a magical spot that no one can find.

Oh, I know why....
When I was in college I was on the backstage crew for lots of musicals. (fun, fun, beyond fun!) My favorite was Brigadoon. It was about a magical town in the Highlands of Scotland that only appeared for one day every 100 years. "And this is what happened, the strange thing that happened when two weary hunters, lost their way." Oooo, I loved the music in that one.
Anyway, at the end, the stage fills with fog and Fiona calls to Tommy from across the bridge even though she should have disappeared. The fog is the curtain dividing the real world from the magical one. That's what foggy days feel like to my over-active imagination.

Ok, I'm done rambling. It was a icy, foggy day.

The end.

I miss these girls a whole heck of a lot

I'm blessed with amazing friends in my life. But there is something special about these two that feels like home. Our college years together cemented our involvement in each other's lives forever.

They, now, are both married. One has 2 little ones. The other has 3. Our times together are very few and far between.

But when we are together, the years seem to melt away. The time we spent apart doesn't mean much. The old familiar routines come back, and it feels like home again. Home...where everything is safe and I can be myself.

I miss them a lot these last few days. I need to see their faces and give them great big hugs.

the little island that changed my world...Part II

Our little adventure in this whole new country had begun....

I fell into bed that night and slept like the dead. We had traveled from midnight on Friday until 7pm on Saturday.

And I forgot to tell you that a "bus" ride in Jamaica is nothing like a bus ride in America. For one thing, the "bus" is more like a large mini van and is not really safe, nor fit for extensive travel. (It seems these vehicles are very popular in the Caribbean though. I've since ridden in several on different trips to different islands and they are all as scary and unsafe) Not only did the van feel basically collapsible, but the roads were nothing but twists and turns. And I mean hairpin turns, not wide sweeping curves. Add to that, no lines on the roads, animals IN the roads, and absolutely NO traffic rules. You want to pass someone on a hairpin turn? Fine. Just beep your horn and go for it. You have to have a horn there or you would die. There are no lines on the roads. There are no shoulders separating you from the cliff edges. There are no road signs. It was like a U2 song. I distinctively remember seeing headlights coming straight toward us once and knowing we were going to die right then and there. It was an adventure.

So, I fell asleep after long day of travel so happy for my little bunk with foam for a mattress and nothing but cold water to wash up with . That's right. No hot water. I had never been in a place like that. Princess? Maybe, but I think more sheltered than anything else. Now truth be told the Deaf Village did have hot water, but only enough to wash dishes. Not enough for 40 people to take showers etc... Also, in Jamaica water is a valued resource that is NEVER wasted. For example, you don't flush the toilet every time you go. There was a sign above the toilet that said "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, wash it down." They didn't mess around. Also, the water was unsafe to drink. No quick drinks out of the sink. Talk about a learning curve. But in all honesty, I didn't really care. And no one complained about any of it. We did laugh and joke about it, but never complained. We were all so excited to be there.

I woke up the next morning so excited to see my surroundings. Let me tell you, it was one of the most beautiful places I had ever been. Jamaica's beauty, like Hawaii, isn't just it's beaches, but its mountains. We were a good 3-4 hours inland, no where near the beaches that plaster the travel brochures. The mountains are lush and green and just beautiful. Our little compound was smack in the middle of a tiny valley.

We had the nicest Jamaican ladies who came and cooked for our group. They were employed by CCCD to cook for all the groups that came into the Deaf Village. And the food was superb. All the fruit and vegetables were fresh. The bread tasted home made. It was delightful and made with love. Our breakfast that morning was eggs, fresh grapefruit and bread.

Since it was Sunday, we left the Deaf Village, which was still being built, and headed to the Knockpatrick Campus where we would do a church service for the kids that lived and went to school there. We had practiced several dramas before leaving the US that we were going to do for the kids. Two of them were mimed, using only music as a backdrop, so the kids could understand what was going on (remember they were all deaf). The third one was Carmen's The Champion (ah, Christian 80's music), which we had an interpreter for, so the kids would understand what was going on.

The kids LOVED these. After we finished them, and one of our leaders did a little talk, the kids ran up on stage and started doing all the skits over again. It was so cool to see that they had been paying attention. Not only paying attention, but understanding it too.

They also did a skit for us and their choir "sang" (picture above). We then went and had lunch with the kids in their school's cafeteria. I got to talk with some of the girls, and also realize how little sign language I knew. It was very slow going for me, but they were so patient and just LOVED asking about our boys. The girls asked me and one other girl on my team if they could braid our hair. I, of course, said yes and and they took us to an empty room and braided our hair in perfect little braids all over my head. When they finally finished and we had given them something as a thank you/payment, we went outside to find that the rest of our team had left us. They had gotten back into the vans and driven all the way back to the DV without us. Embarrassing! They realized what had happened after they got there and a van came back for us. Fun times.

We had dinner and then had a devotional time with our group. It was an amazing time for me. I was so excited to be surrounded by a bunch of 20 somethings that were passionate about God. They all longed to know Him more. It was so neat to sing songs and praise the Lord together with them in another country and realize that God was there with us just like He was back at home in the US.

This was the first time I began to understand that God was a global God. I had heard it for years from missionaries that had visited our church back at home, but it didn't really sink in. I began to see God in the faces of little deaf children. I saw him in the eyes of the poor that we passed as we drove up the mountains. God was so very real to me in those moments. More real and more alive than I had ever experienced before. I was slowly realizing that this trip was changing my life forever.

to be continued.....

the little island that changed my world...part 1

This picture is stuffed in my Bible along with a dozen other notes and photos that have great meaning to me. For some reason, this random photo is very striking for me. I will still look at it for 10 straight minutes and soak in every face and every emotion that goes along with this experience. I came across the other night as I was looking for something to blog about.

And now, I shall tell you the tale of the little Caribbean island that changed my world....


When I was 20 and a junior in college, I was enjoying life. I was loving my college experience. I was living in a dorm room with my 2 best friends. I had great classes. I was doing theater as my Christian service (CS was required by all students. 30 hours per semester. I chose to work backstage in the theater on all the musical productions. Those times became some of the best of my college life. I still miss it desperately.) I was growing in my walk with the Lord. I was learning to edit videos. I was soaking up every minute I could with 2 other friends who would leave after the first semester. I was eating at Marriott and loving being a Liberty student. I loved my independence and the person I was becoming.

I knew that there was something I was missing though. I knew that I was on the precipice of something, some experience that would help me grow in my "God and me" relationship. I knew I wanted God to expand in my life and I wanted to see Him in new ways. One of the things that I absolutely love about Liberty is that there are hundreds of ways for that to happen while you are there. There are so many different types of activities for a student to try and experience before they have to leave and become an "adult" in the working world. I wanted to take advantage of that and I knew that my junior year was the perfect opportunity.

I began to pray about what God wanted me to do. Work in a new ministry at the school? Change Christian services? Get involved in a local church ministry? Take a missions trip?

That year, I chose to take sign language as one of my electives. It was something I always wanted to learn and the class was a one-night-a-week-class that fit perfectly in my busy schedule. I really enjoyed learning this new language and was surprised how quickly I picked it up. I guess, being a visual learner, it was much easier to me than learning French in high school.
During my class, I was introduced to several people who had taken a missions trip the previous year. They worked with an organization called Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf, which is in Jamaica. One of them was this girl, who I really only by name and face only. Her parents helped run the ministry and she came all the way to LU for college. Their stories of their time with CCCD stuck with me for some reason.

Towards the end of the first semester, I really felt like the Lord was wanting me to go on a missions trip. This had been something I had ALWAYS wanted to do. We didn't do any missions trips in youth group when growing up and it was one experience that I really, really wanted to try. I began to pray about what country God wanted me to go to. LU has a entire department, LIGHT Ministries, that is devoted to short term missions trips for students. Each school year they offer about 10 different trips to countries all over the globe. I began to pray about which country God wanted me to go to. I was willing to go anywhere.

Over and over, I felt Him leading me to Jamaica. I resisted at first. Jamaica for a missions trip? More like Spring Break, baby! I must just be thinking about it because of my sign language class. But the more I prayed about it, the clearer it became. I signed up in the Light office and went to the first meeting that was held for anyone who was interested in going.

As soon as that meeting was over, I knew that this was what I was supposed to do for my spring break. I began writing support letters and mailing them out. I told my parents and my friends about the trip. When I headed home in December for my winter break, I got my passport. I told everyone at my home church about this new opportunity I was so excited about.

I never worried about the money. I knew God would take care of it. I had finally raised all my support and then I found out that the price had risen. This trip had interested more people than most trips and the organization agreed to let everyone come. That meant that they had to purchase more tickets. The new tickets had cost more, so the price went up. That was my first experience with God's provisional hand in the whole thing. I wasn't sure where this final amount would come from. I had heard back from all of the people that I had written to, so I was starting to worry that I would have to put the money up myself. (remember how poor you are in college? I was definitely in that money bracket. Poor.) I was talking to one of my roommates about it one night. I was telling her how I was starting to worry and really learning to trust God that He would supply. When she heard the whole story, she got out her check book and wrote out the amount for the exact amount I needed. Remember, we were POOR college students. But I remember she told me that she knew that God wanted her to do it and she was excited to help. I don't know that I've ever told her what a big blessing that was to me at that point in my life.

So, I had the money. I was ready to go. Our team had our last meeting and arranged our time to meet to take a bus to the nearest international airport. It was finally here. I packed up my suitcase, had my pillow as my carry-on and off to the bus I went. I just couldn't believe it was finally happening. And I couldn't believe I wasn't scared. I had one friend on the trip, but we weren't close. More like good acquaintances. Now, for those of you who know me now, I was much quieter and shy back then. Back then, the thought of being with 35 people I didn't know, in a place I had never been would have me quaking in my flip-flops. But the Lord had complete control over everything and I had total peace. (that and I had all my prayer warriors and supporters praying over me the whole time!)

Our bus ride was about 4 hours long through the middle of the night and we arrived at the airport before the airlines even opened for the morning. We camped out in the lobby of the airport, a pile of college kids with luggage, books, Bibles, pens, journals, pillows, sleeping bags and backpacks scattered across the floor. It was a sight to behold and it warmed my heart that we were all on this journey together.

The flight was fine and I will never forget flying into Montego Bay, Jamaica for the first time. The airstrip is tiny and RIGHT next to the ocean. It looked like we were going straight into the great blue deep. And the water? It looked like someone had melted down millions of brilliantly colored diamonds. It sparkled and shimmered in all its blue glory. We stepped out of the plane and into the warm sunshine and humidity (and I do love warm weather!). The whole walk into the airport (you walk down a set of stairs, out of the plane into the open air and then go into the airport gate) I had a huge smile plastered across my face and I was taking in everything I could get my eyes on. Jamaica is so striking because of it it's mountains. It's beautiful beach and then straight up into gorgeous, green, tree covered mountains.

We quickly went through customs and then climbed onto yet another "bus" (or the Caribbean version of a bus) for our 4 hours drive up through the mountains to the Deaf Village where we would be living for the next week. It was one of the longest car rides of my life. It seemed to take FOR-ever.

And the scenery on our way up....such beauty. The beaches, the palm trees...Then we left the tourist areas and I saw the real Jamaica. It wasn't happy people strolling the beach hand in hand. It was shacks with no running water. It was trash in huge piles everywhere I looked. It was stray dogs and goats and little kids with hardly any clothes on. It was more little shacks with no electricity and a water pump outside in the yard. It was people with blank stares and sad faces. Jamaica looked like some of those places in Africa that I had seen on commercials back at home. It broke my heart.

The sun began to set and I fell asleep till we finally reached the Deaf Village. It was dark outside, but the light from the buildings where we would be staying was so warm and inviting. We walked in to see the rest of our team (we had split into 2 groups to travel) who ran to give us hugs and offer us a cold Ting (the most gloriously tastey soda on the planet). We were also met by Scott, Clint and Cheryl, who would be our Jamaica hosts for the week.

Our little adventure in this whole new country had just begun.....

to be continued

It's her birthday

She was there on one of those days in life that could have been terrifying. I stepped into my college dorm room for the first time as a scared 18 year old freshman. This was the first face I saw. She said, "hi, my name is Jessica!" and gave me a big hug. That was the beginning of a life changing friendship for me. We roomed together all 4 years of college.
She is so much "cooler" than I am. I always wanted "cool" friends. You know, the kind that know all the other "cool" people and do all the "cool" stuff. She had the "cool" handsome boyfriend in the band.
I never understood why she chose to be my friend. My life always seemed so simple and ordinary. But she loved me for who I was. She made me laugh and thought I was funny. We had so many similar passions in life. We shared the same major and took many of the same classes. She introduced me to one of my favorite musicals, Les Mis, by singing the entire thing to me without music while we were in the dark room developing film for our photography class.
I remember vividly leaving our college apartment for the last time after graduation. There were LOTS of tears and hugs.
Her greatest desire in life is to be a Godly woman, someone who follows hard after Jesus. It's so evident in the way she lives her life. She's a wonderful wife now and mom to two little ones.
She has taught me so much and helped me grow. She is kind, truly caring and compassionate. She is one person I know I can depend on no matter how long it is between our talks. She means the world to me. And for the next few months, she's older than me!

I.LOVE.YOU, Jessica!

***this picture is from one of our visits to our other best friend, Rachel's, corner of the world. The 3 of us were peas and carrots our last 2 years of LU. This was our hike up Mt. Rainier. And the picture doesn't do the mountain/volcano's beauty justice.

pouring over

I've heard the story. I've seen the movie. But I never read the book. I started it a couple days ago and oh, my. It's just lovely. So beautifully written and such a wonderfully, tragic story.
A little background with me and C.S. Lewis. We have a rocky relationship. I so greatly admire him, yet it has forever plagued me that I cannot get through one of his books except The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. And that was even read TO me when I was in 3rd grade. I've since "read" all of the other Narnia books after my mom gave them to me in radio drama form. They just amazing. I love the stories, but have the hardest time reading them.
I've tried to read Mere Christianity a dozen times and fail by the I finish the first chapter. I think my brain is just so far behind his way of thinking that I don't understand it. I have to read each sentence 3 times before I can move on (except in Narnia).
But after I finish this book, I will try again. And maybe watch the movie again cause Anthony Hopkins performance in the movie is just phenomenal.

One little side note...in my favorite college class that I ever took (musical theater) we all had to do short 15 minutes presentations. One guy in our class was writing a musical for this story. For his presentation, he had one of the theater guys, who had a voice that could have been on Broadway, sing a song he had written. The song was about Lewis feeling lost after Joy had died. Garrett, the guy who sang, was sitting at a desk, "writing" by the one lone candle that lit up the room we were all in. It gave me chills. Our teacher was standing, watching with her head leaned up against the wall just soaking in every moment. It was that good. I still wonder if he ever finished that musical and if it was ever performed.

.....hey, Linds, tell your hubby that I thought of him and his Lewis obsession several times while I am reading this!