Retreat Time!

This will be a quick one. Today I took off from work to prepare for a young adult retreat I'm attending tonight through Sunday afternoon. I'm soooo excited! This is my 8th year attending, but only my 2nd year going as only a participant. My first retreat was in 2001, when I had no clue what a retreat was. Wow, what an experience. It must have made a big impression on me because I've been going every year since. For years 2002 - 2007, I have been involved in helping out with various aspects of the retreat, mostly music team, but I also served on the core team for 2 retreats and on the retreat team for 1 year. But this year I'm taking a break. I'm not allowed to lift a finger, per the core team's orders! My friend Jen, who has also worked many retreats, is in the same boat this year. We retreat workaholics have to stick together for support....is there a Retreat Workaholics Anonymous group anywhere that we can join? LOL



Jen and I are cheating a little this afternoon, though. Per their request, we are driving the CFR sisters down to the camp this afternoon. But we are going to have lots of fun. No work going on here! One of the best parts of the retreat is seeing the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Renewal from NY. A group of them come down every year to do the talks, say mass, and hear confessions for the retreatants. They are so full of God's love that they just radiate it to all they come in contact with. Below is picture of the CFR group who came to the 2005 retreat. They're such goofballs!



Well, as I said earlier, this is a short post because I gotta finish getting ready for the retreat...packing, taking a shower, eating lunch. I'll write more on Monday when I'm back from the retreat. Have a blessed weekend!



In God's Infinite Love,

Yvette

The Land of the Trembling Earth

Hello everyone!

It's back to work today...and it's COLD. Most people would not consider 40 degrees cold, but to this native Floridian, anything below 65 is not favorable weather. But I will survive. It doesn't help that they keep it like an ice box in my office, however. I have to keep reminding myself...offer it up, offer it up. I really should be grateful to have this job, especially since so many people don't have jobs right now. Lord, help me to be thankful for all you have given me.

And I thank the Lord for the special day I had yesterday with my parents. The three of us went to Okefenokee NWR for the day. Okefenokee means "Land of the Trembling Earth", and was so named by the local native americans because of the floating peat moss islands which "tremble" when walked on. It was a chilly day, but the scenery was worth braving the cold weather. We first went to the Chesser Homestead, which was built in the 1820s. It was a special treat for my dad because he grew up in a house very similar to this homestead. And it was neat for me to actually see what life was like for my dad growing up. Here is a shot I took of the front of the house. It's made of yellow pine, and the caretakers of the home told us that very few boards have been replaced since it was built. That is just AMAZING to me. One other neat thing that I learned was that in those days, homesteaders would clear the yard surrounding the house of all vegetation, and they would sweep the dirt constantly to keep new vegetation from popping up. This was done to keep wildfires away from the home and also for better visibility in watching out for poisonous snakes. I can only imagine how difficult life was like back then. We have it so easy and comfortable these days, as far as home maintainance and upkeep (at least for the majority of Americans).


The other adventure for the day was a 90-min boat ride down the Suwanee Canal, which provided numerous opportunities for spectacular views of the brilliant orange needles of the cypress trees. I took soooo many pictures. It was very beautiful, and something you really can't see anywhere else in this country. It's hard to choose just two pictures to capture the experience, but my break time is over and I have to get back to work. The first is a panoramic shot of the canal as we were heading back to the dock. The second is a close-up shot of the orange hue of the cypress needles. We wrapped up the day with a scrumptious dinner at Cracker Barrel. Chicken 'n' Dumplings...yummmm!!!!
In God's Infinite Love,
Yvette

Fun, Fun, Fun...'till the flu takes your energy away

It's a miracle! I've actually returned to my forgotten blog to make my historic 2nd post! You see, the 1st post always gets all the credit because it takes so much effort to get started. But in reality, the 2nd post is MUCH harder because it is SOOOO easy to keep saying to yourself, "at least I have one post out there..the next one can wait another week"; and before you know it, it's been a whole month! I say all this because I admittedly am one of these people. I was all set to renig on my new adventure in the blog world, but alas my conscience (aka my roommate) kept nagging at me. So here it is...the long awaited 2nd post!

Another reason for my long absence is that I have been battling the cold/flu viruses that have been making their rounds in the area. I thought I had it licked this weekend, but today at work I was warm and flush all day. When I left work I vowed to go straight home and head to bed (even without going to adoration!). Well, as you can see, I haven't gone to bed just yet. I'm actually feeling a little better at the moment. I guess I'm in trouble now for not going to adoration :) But the flu virus is a lot like the Florida weather that enables it...you think you're coming down with it one day but then you wake up the next day and you're fine. Go figure. I hope that's the case with me because I have WAY too much to do at work to stay home sick. Now, let me fill you in on the plethora of activities that have consumed my waking hours the past few weeks, and most likely contributed to my present viral predicament.

The first one on the list was our parish's Oktoberfest! celebration, which was a tremendous success. There were games for the kids such as darts and fishing for treats, lovely German crafts available for purchase, root beer for everyone, and last but not least, lively entertainment provided by the parish youth group and homeschoolers group. The youth group's task was to teach everyone, young and old, the chicken dance. And what a dance it was! LOL I have included a snapshot of a lovely young maiden named Heidi Schnitzeldoodle who posed for me just before her onstage performance. Yodel-e-he-hoooooo!!!!

I snuck away from Oktoberfest a little early so that I could partake in my next adventure, the drama "Rejoice In Hope" put on by the men at Our Lady of Hope community. This community is part of Communita Cenacolo, which has helped many young men and women regain hope again after a life of drugs, alchohol, and other addictions that are plaguing young people in today's society. These men are an inspiration to me, and the joy on their faces reminds me that there is abundant joy in knowing, loving, and praising the Lord. Every year toward the end of October, the community hosts the Festival of Life, which is open to anyone who wishes to attend. This year, they had the drama on Saturday night and then the rest of the festival the next day. I got there a little late for the play, but I didn't miss much. As usual, the "farm guys", as they are affectionately known, did not disappoint. I have attached a pic of the Palm Sunday scene, where Jesus is heralded as He comes into Jerusalem. The next day, on Sunday, I got there in time to pray a group rosary with Mother Elvira (the founder of Communita Cenacolo in Italy) and the farm guys. This was followed by some testimonies, a eucharistic healing service led by Fr. Gabriel, a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal, a short performance by some of the girls from the new women's house, and then a beautiful mass celebrated by Bishop Galeone, Retired Bishop Snyder, and Bishop Baker. What a blessing! I also had the fortune of running into an old friend of my mom's from when I was in grade school. My mom, my sister, and I would go visit Mrs. D many a weekend. I still remember that it was the first time I tried the Publix version of chocolate peanut butter ice cream...it was love at first bite! After Mrs. D realized who I was, we exchanged contact info, and I went out to dinner with her and a few other of my mom's friends. She is involved with the 3rd order Franciscans MLVA, and she has encouraged me to look into it to see if it is something I feel called to do. There is a day retreat in January that I'm pretty sure I'm going to attend, and we'll see what happens from there. It's all in His hands.

Ok, on to the next activity...Halloween! This is actually probably my least favorite holiday, but I decided to go trick-or-treating with my friend CP and her two little ones. Gareth is almost 1, and Catherine is almost 5 yrs old. They were joined by a few other youngsters, whose parents are friends of CP's. Everyone had a lot of fun, although towards the end Catherine the Cat tripped and scraped her knee. But never fear, Mommy came to the rescue and carried her on her shoulders for the trek back home.

My post is getting a little long at this point, so I think I'll cut my losses for now....Wait a minute, I can just start another blog entry! So sorry, ya'll. You'll have to endure more dry humor tomorrow. Until then...good night, sleep tight, don't let the nasty flu bugs bite.

In God's Infinite Love,

Yvette

I finally gave in...I've entered the scary world of blogging

A big HELLOOOOO to all my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ! Thank you for taking the time to read my very first post! I give you fair warning...until I get the hang of this blogging thing, you might not be too entertained. For that, my humblest apologies.

I guess I should start out by sharing a little bit about myself. I currently live with the bestest roommate anyone could ever have in the nicest little condo anyone could ever rent in the most beautiful little town anyone could ever live in. Ok, maybe I exaggerated on the condo and town parts a little, but Shannon is still the bestest roommate ever!

I work in the accounting office for a company that manages behavioral health benefits for the military. So even though accounting is not the most exciting profession, I'm glad that, although indirectly, I'm helping the soldiers and their families. This fact hit home a little less than a year ago when a good friend of mine's husband was killed in Iraq. I can't even begin to imagine how someone can cope with that alone, and so I am glad that the government provides behavioral health care to families such as these.

My parents are still around, and I have one brother and one sister to also keep me in line :)Except for my sister, all of my immediate family lives nearby, which is nice. Most of my extended family also lives in the area, and there are big get-togethers on occasion. I also have numerous friends, but only a few close friends. And there's of course my parish family at C.C. Catholic Church, which I've been attending since I was 10 years old. I sing in the young adult choir and assist with the parish's youth group (they are a wild bunch, let me tell ya, but also very lovable).

Oh, and I can't forget my bird obsession! Ever since ornithology lab in college, a bird isn't just a bird anymore, or even just a red or blue bird. I have to know EXACTLY what species it is. Yes, I am one of those people who almost drive off the road trying to ID a bird in the bushes. I especially like the little warblers and vireos. Other favs include kingfishers and hummingbirds. You'll see a lot about these little guys on future posts I'm sure.

Well, I think I've bored you enough for tonight. Unfortunately, I can't make any promises that future posts will be any more exciting. I do have my funny moments, though. I appreciate your time, and may God bless your day.