A Wee Update for Ya!

Hello, dear readers! If anybody is still hanging on...

I apologize for my lengthy absence from blog-land. What a busy season this has been! Lots of good happenings, lots of tough happenings, but overall just lots of GRACE happening. : )

I will keep this quite brief, as I must get back to some work for pre-placement requirements, but I wanted to at least update you on life here in lovely Aberdeen.

Let's see. This past semester of school was rough in a number of ways, mostly to do with the assignments and my continuing lack of good time management. The three months flew by before I could catch up with anything, personal time included. But I will not focus on the negatives! I will simply say I am thankful for God's nearness and his provision of friends and family, especially in times of angst and difficulty.

I somehow managed to fit in a few driving lessons during that time, and I will soon take a test to obtain my UK driving license. I must switch over to this since I've been a resident here longer than a year now. Kinda silly, I know, but it has actually served me well to take these lessons and better acquaint myself with the system here! I didn't realize I was doing a few things incorrectly, and almost dangerously so, until observed by my instructor. So it's probably for the best! My first test was cancelled due to the massive amounts of snow we've had over the holidays, so I am waiting, not very patiently, for my rescheduled test to take place. I was hoping to be driving again before my second placement starts, but I must let go of that idea. I do have a car now, though, which God provided me a couple months ago! It has been nice to have something to practice with and I'll be set once I obtain my license. I shall be careful not to hurt my foot while tapping it and watching the clock...

Speaking of my placement...I am STOKED about it! I will be working half the time in a primary school and half the time in an adoption/fostering office here in Aberdeen. The second part is what excites me most! I have anticipated some experience in that area of social work, and, praise God, I will get it. I am really, really looking forward to this placement, even if it will mean more busy days.

I had a wonderful Christmas with the Mings and James out in Elgin. It was quite difficult to be away from my family for the first time, but I enjoyed the presence of such sweet friends who are like family. I guess it's part of growing up, but it was still tough to not experience the typical family Christmas traditions- namely, Mom's breakfast casserole : ) but also the Christmas Eve service we have attended for years. I felt such a void without that experience this year. However, I greatly enjoyed the laughter, the card games, the yummy food, and the relaxation found in my time there. I rediscovered what reading for pleasure is like!

James and I took a little day trip up north one day, and I can't help but share a few photos to display the beauty of the less traversed parts of Scotland...wow! Thankful to see more of this wonderful country.

We landed in Achnasheen, popluation: 50. Although it's quite remote, I would highly recommend it to anyone if you're up that way! : ) Gorgeous winter wonderland, it was!

And a couple other photos from our time around Elgin, to finish up. I have missed getting to take photos of beautiful scenes since I've not had much down time or driving capabilities. So here is a portion of the Elgin Cathedral at sundown and a lookout from the Portsoy harbor. I still love being here. : )

Until next time!
Jess

Mocha Delight

I sense the need to blog.

But what shall I blog about?

I have so many thoughts swirling around in this head of mine, yet I struggle to find one clear point to share on my blog.

Oh, here's one- I'm drinking some very, very delicious hot chocolate right now. I opted for the plain hot chocolate, not my usual mocha due to the time of evening.

: )

Perhaps that's where I will take this entry, and the upcoming few entries, into a discussion on the things I have come to love during this first year of living in Scotland. Some things were already dear to me, but others are newly found. Some are petty, others quite substantial.

Some of you know how much I love a good mocha. This preference didn't really form until after my college years, oddly enough (as most coffee addicts form IN college). I felt the [relative] need for some caffeine during my days as a nanny, and the smell of brewing coffee was enticing more than ever before. Since I had typically spit out sips of plain black coffee in previous attempts, I knew I needed to be creative. So I created, or likely re-created, my first homemade mocha and have been hooked ever since.

Medium strength coffee, a few teaspoons (or tablespoons!) of hot chocolate mix, and a splash of milk (soy is just as good). But not just ANY hot chocolate mix, my friends. Nestle Rich Chocolate is a MUST. Seriously. And for the prime homemade mocha experience, I recommend the coffee be one of the glorious Starbucks blends. That's not as much a necessity as the Nestle hot choc, though, especially on a student budget. But the two do amalgamate so beautifully!

This year in Scotland I have certainly desired mochas on a regular basis, even now in the summer. It is likely due to the stresses of student life, but perhaps also for the comfort while snuggled up under a blanket and reading a good book or chatting with God. In such a cold place, a warm mug between the hands is so sweet and soothing. The familiar taste of coffee and the-best-ever-hot-chocolate is part of this comfort, but the overall combination of warmth, flavor, and soul enrichment is what does it.

I know, it may seem a stretch to link something so petty as coffee to deep, spiritual encounters...but this is just one example of the past year's discoveries of how such measly things can truly draw me into the presence of the One who created my taste buds and my need for warmth.

One of my favorite authors, Randy Alcorn, writes in his book, Heaven:

"Every day we should see God in his creation: in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the friendships we enjoy, and the pleasures of family, work, and hobbies. Yes, we must sometimes forgo secondary pleasures, and we should never let them eclipse God. And we should avoid opulence and waste when others are needy. But we should thank God for all of life's joys, large and small, and allow them to draw us to him. ... God doesn't want to be replaced or depreciated. He wants to be recognized as the source of all our joys, and he wants us to draw closer to him through partaking of his creation. My taking pleasure in a good meal or a good book is taking pleasure in God. It's not a substitute for God, nor is it a distraction from him." (italics mine)

As I delight in the little things in life, I delight in God. And these mochas sure are delightful, although sometimes I have to limit how much I partake during especially stressful times. (Too much caffeine = upset innards and unpleasant jittery-ness). :}

Stay tuned for more thoughts of things that have drawn me nearer to the source of all joy this year.

Moving right along...

...look who's coming now!!!

Nice eyebrows, Kristine!

Sorry, I couldn't resist. This was the funniest picture I could find on my computer. Here's a more flattering one, just so people know your nose is not that big nor your eyebrows that bushy.

My best friend is flying over to visit me here! This is so exciting, folks! She finally gets to see this amazing place, and it will be so good to have her company. Stay tuned for fun stories and photos of our adventures over the next couple of weeks. : )

Keep an eye out for me, Kristine...I may be in disguise at the airport...you missing anything?

I keep hearing imaginary bagpipes...

My parents are here!

I am enjoying their company oh-so-much. We have had some really good food and lots of deep laughs already; they have only been here for about 36 hours. I anticipate a week full of exciting adventures and joyful days.

We went to the highland games here in Aberdeen today which was a great kick-off to their Scottish holiday. All three of us had a wonderful time, taking in the various sights and sounds and even a little haggis, neeps, and tatties. ;) (Two of us, anyway...) We have been home now for several hours but I still keep hearing bagpipes in the distance. It's the strangest thing. I must have really absorbed their sound today. I suppose it's kinda like the lasting sunburn from today (beautiful weather, by the way)- though I'm not longer in the sun, I still feel it.

Here are a few photos from the day. I hope to blog some more while they are here. We have some fun things planned and I will have to clear out my memory card each evening! By memory card I am not referring to my mind, although that may need clearing, too; I refer rather to my camera.

All for now; signing off from bonny Scotland,

jess

Turned Around and Upside Down, but Ever so Thankful

Hello! I am alive and well, all things considered. These past two-plus months have been unbelievably busy, mainly due to my placement which I realize I still haven't told you much about...

A brief explanation is this: I am working in a house with adults who have learning disabilities. It is run by an organization that is spread all across Scotland, providing support for disabled people in a variety of ways including community care. My role is not quite reflective of what social workers actually do in this area, but what I have experienced so far has proven beyond helpful for my future career- even if within a totally different area of social work.

I have learned TONS since beginning there, and I anticipate even more learning as I finish up these last several weeks. It has been enjoyable even if difficult at times. Working with someone who has a learning disability is challenging in a number of ways. I will spare you the boring theoretical, social-worky things I’ve learned, but it has been so cool to finally link together all the things we were taught last semester into practical situations. Best of all, I get some incredibly good laughs at that house! The people I ‘support’ can say and do some of the funniest things. And then there’s the staff…! Really, though, it’s been a wonderful experience even with the trying situations.

This has been a difficult season for me in several ways. I have experienced such an interesting combination of mountain tops and valleys. I do not loathe the valleys, as I know they are necessary and such goodness comes from our times there. As one of Caedmon's Call's songs points out, "valleys fill first." I am finding this to be true. Perhaps I'll share more on this later, but for now I'll move on to a recent event that has left me perplexed.

Some of you know that I bought a lovely old car back in March. I had some amazing times driving it around NE Scotland; it served as a sanctuary for me in this busy season. Driving has always been one of my favorite things to do- a hobby, if you will. I enjoyed every opportunity I had to get out of the city and see the breathtaking sights around Aberdeen. Passing by highland coos, daffodils, and rocky creeks brought a refreshing sense of peace and joy in my deepest parts. I experienced God’s presence in a ‘94 Nissan Sunny, of all places.

Therefore, I do not quite understand why it has been taken from me. For those unaware, I had an accident on the 6^th of June. I initially want to call it a ‘serious’ accident, but that doesn’t quite fit because I walked away without hindrance. So I’ve resorted to calling it a ‘wild ride’. That it was. I am still processing the recent incident and have yet to reach complete resolve within, but I wanted to at least give more details of what happened.

I was on my way home from the house where I ‘work’ (my placement), on a back road that I’ve driven many times in the past month or so. It had been raining and even hailing during the day, but the sun had appeared and things were drying up. I suppose I let my guard down because of this, and I failed to consider that the roads were still quite slick. I approached a bend in the road a little too quickly, and I must have hit the brake too hard; I started to skid, or “fishtail” as some call it, and couldn’t gain control of the wheel. I panicked, let go of the wheel, and closed my eyes as I tucked into myself and cried, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus….” I do remember being jossled around and can vaguely recall the ‘ride’; I still am unsure whether I blacked out for a few seconds. I now understand what people mean when they say it goes so fast yet feels slow motion.

According to Fiona, the blessed lady came to my aid, my car spun around, the back going up onto an embankment, then rolled once and again halfway, landing on the roof. In fear of the car catching fire (I’ve seen too many bad movies…), I turned off the engine first thing. In the back of my mind I was also worried that a car might come screaming around the corner and slam into me as my car lay across the opposite lane with me in it. I was suspended by my seatbelt for about 2 minutes, although it felt like an hour, until Fiona and a kind man helped me unbuckle and safely crawl out from the uncomfortable position. It was hard to convince them to help me out; they both feared moving me in case I was severely inured. But I HAD to get out. That was the most terrible feeling, hanging upside in my car and not knowing what could happen next. I felt very close to passing out from the shock and the tight seatbelt combined. My stubbornness proved beneficial for once!

To wrap it up: the paramedics came, the crowd slowly fizzled out, and the firefighters stood with puzzled faces as they looked at the overturned car and the walking girl. Eventually I was taken to the hospital for minor inspection, all the time praising the One who spared my life and softened a potentially damaging wreck. An hour and a half later, my sweet friends picked me up and I enjoyed their company and a delicious, homemade Norwegian dinner- Salmon has never tasted so fine. : ) [Thanks, Olav, Christy, and Moray!]

I still sit in amazement at how protected I was in this incident. God truly hedged me in. The name of Jesus is powerful, my friends. I cannot explain why my life was spared and others so often are not. I am struggling to understand why such a great provision has been removed from my life; I only got to drive the glorious countryside for 2 months. But all in all, I know God is GOOD. I trust He knows what’s best for me. I believe He sees the bigger picture. In the words of a song I love, He gives and takes away, but I will choose to say, “Blessed be Your name”.

Like I said, I have yet to sense resolve in this, and it has been a difficult week with mixed emotions of gratitude and loss. If any of you have words of wisdom from similar experiences, I welcome such. Apart from sore muscles I have nothing to complain about! However there is some bruising of the heart that will take some time to heal. Thankfulness and all, it was still a slightly traumatic experience.

Here are a couple pictures to document the crazy event. Praise God with me!

One of the things I will forever cherish is this… there was a pair of jeans folded up in my backseat that evening, and a few days after the accident I wore them. As I put my hand into one of the pockets, I felt something sharp and pulled out a tiny shard of glass, obviously from the windshield of the car. I had not a speck of glass in my hair, on my skin, nor on the clothes I was wearing that night, yet a tiny piece of glass made its way into jeans folded on the backseat. This spoke to my heart, as silly as it may seem. God knows the number of hairs on my head, and He wasn’t about to let shards of glass harm me. ;)

That’s the gist of the story for you. I realize it may be a bit long-winded for some and not detailed enough for others. My hope in sharing it is that your heart would be drawn to the loving God who saved me.

In other news, my parents will be here in Aberdeen on Saturday! I am stoked! I haven’t seen them (apart from Skype conversations via webcam) since Christmas, so I am really, really excited. These 6 months have flown by yet crept by so slowly. I will get to see them and the rest of my family (and friends!) in August/September, when I go home for my brother’s wedding, but it will be so fun to let them see my life here in Aberdeen. I’m giddy!

In July I will have another special visitor… : ) Kristine is coming!!! Oh my, lots of excitement that cannot be contained! If any others would like to visit, just hop into her suitcase, okay? I’m pretty sure it has one of those expanding compartments...

I will end with some more photos of recent life here… I continue to LOVE living here, even if I’m back on the city buses again. ;)

beautiful sunset on one of my last country drives

Duffus Castle in the glorious sunshine!

Although I no longer live along the River Dee, it continues to inspire me.

I await the final word on the car, whether it is redeemable. It's a rather stinky situation either way, but I'm praying for God's best to happen.

I am thankful.

Have I got some folks for you!

I had the wonderful opportunity to travel out to Banchory (about 15 miles from Aberdeen) last night to hear some folk music. The duet was Duncan Chisolm and Ivan Drever, who have apparently been around for years but I've just now discovered them. And let me tell you- I was in love! With their music, that is. I believe there are many moments in life that are foretastes of my eternal home- Heaven- and this easily made it into my category of 'glory moments'...those "as it should be" feelings we get when seeing a stunning sunset, laughing from a child's hilarious comment, or hearing skillful musicians play their hearts out.

So here is a link to a video of this duet playing elsewhere (thanks to another fan) to give you a wee taste of their beautiful music. This is a more upbeat tune but they also deliver some amazing slower paced songs. Take a look on youtube for more samples. : ) [I am clueless as to how I can post a video onto my blog, and I haven't the time to figure it out...so, any tips from you genius bloggers?]

All is going well. I will aim to update sometime this week...
jess : }

No, Scotland's calendar is no different...

Well, thanks to my math-wiz brother, I need to correct my calculation in the last post...I have been here nearly 7 months, which is 5 months short of a year, not 3. So thank you, Drew for gently notifying me of the awkward calculation (although it really shouldn't require your extraordinary intelligence to notice my mistake). : ]

Also, I forgot to mention how extremely blessed I was to receive a video from Kristine with a variety of messages from friends in Belton! To all of you who were able to participate: thank you for your thoughtful words of encouragement and, from a select few, your complete goofyness! I laughed, I cried, and I declared out loud that there's no place like Belton. ;)

I will leave you with a photo of my canine love, who has made herself queen of the Heaton household (at least among the other dogs). Thanks, Mom and Dad, for treating her to some bluebonnet bliss. : )

Oh, and a photo of a beautifully sunny St. Andrews I enjoyed while Bonnie was busy smelling the bluebonnets on Saturday.

Love to all. I will try to post again soon about my placement, which finally begins tomorrow!

Marching right along

I'm sitting here without much feeling of creativity- not even an ounce of enthusiasm to at least flower up my long-overdue blog post. But I have intended to write something- anything- for several weeks now. So here I am. : )

I look at the calendar and it declares that March is now halfway finished and today is the 'first day of spring' (100% confirmed by the weather we had here!) Going by the calendar's declaration I have been here nearly 7 months. That's 3 months shy of 1 year. And I am amazed. I have experienced so much that it feels more like 7 years I've been here, yet my life here has gone by so quickly that it feels like a mere 7 days have passed. How is that?


I don't know what to share about my past several weeks. I suppose I will just pick something that is most recent and forefront in my mind- today. : ) I had the privilege of taking a long walk with a wonderful woman, Katie, who is so very familiar with Aberdeen and, well, life in general. She took me out to another portion of the River Dee where there's a former railway line that folks can walk, bike, or horse along (ride horses, that is...). We walked, and walked, and walked some more, taking in views of the distant hills and all the surrounding scenery including flowers, farms (ever seen a deer farm?), the river, and houses which likely cost more than I'd like to know! Location, location, location.

As we neared the end of our walk, I was gently and so lovingly reminded of one main reason I originally sensed God was calling me to Scotland- to enjoy Him. And one way I enjoy Him is in His creation- the glorious sights, sounds, and smells of nature which absolutely abound here. No, Scotland is no better than Texas (as I'm often asked) but there's just something about the beauty of this place that awakens me, draws me closer to the creator. I can't fully explain it, so I don't expect you to fully understand it, but it was neat to have that moment along the river today which has refocused me on what's most important not only in my time here but in all of life- knowing and enjoying God.

It is quite easy to be distracted from that enjoyment and tugged away by the worries of this world. I needed today. I think this first day of spring might just be symbolic of an inner shift. Oh, sweet relief.



I suppose an update on general life happenings might be desired by some. Hmm...I'll try recap but not drag on with unnecessary details. ;)


I've been on a bit of a spring break, we'll call it. Our classes finished up at the end of February, and we had a minor form of assessment- interviewing a pretend social work client- to make sure we're 'ready for practice'. This, combined with several other forms of assessment gathered over recent months, let our guides know if we are indeed prepared enough to begin our placements. These are basically like internships, minus any payment of the financial kind (I'm sure we'll be rewarded in other ways..). So I've been waiting for about 3.5 weeks to be assigned to an organization for my first placement. (The second placement is next year, after more lectures and stuff.) (Sorry if my parentheses are annoying you, too.)


During my unofficial-but-wonderfully-long-and-welcome spring break I have worked a bit at the cafe, perfecting (?) my java skills. I've just accepted that cappucinos will never be my forte. I'm okay with that; I depend on my highly skilled co-workers for such drink orders. : ) I have also had fun meeting up with lots of different friends over the weeks. I am afraid I've possibly spent a good amount of the money earned from my cafe time, but I'm learning- ever so slowly- to make compromises (i.e. tea instead of coffee, as it's cheaper, or drinking water and imagining it's iced tea). Okay, so the imagined iced tea part hasn't ever happened. But I might give it a try!


I've managed to enjoy the gym's various activities a bit more- braving the swimming pool and getting in some much needed ping pong (or table tennis, as called here). So that's been fun. I hope I can keep up with both once my placement begins. Oh, back to that...I'm due to start on Wednesday. I'm thankful it's finally to begin, yet I will miss the less scheduled days. It's been nice to sleep longer and take time to eat my meals, not rushing around as much. I am still uncertain on the details of what I'll be doing, but it looks like my work will be with adults with learning disabilities who live in a care home. It should be good experience that I don't really have yet. I will likely tell more about it as it unfolds.


I have been learning to play the guitar, too. It's lots of fun but taking longer than I expected. : ) Many good things take time, so I'm not gonna give it up. The more I learn, the more fun I have.


I am beginning to fade, so I'd better wrap up. I won't make any promises about how soon I will write again, but I hope to at LEAST update my photos, finally. Sometimes pictures are better than words, anyway, right?


My love to you all.

Walkin' (or playin') in a Winter Wonderland

As I sit here and type the snow is steadily falling, covering white with more white. It's been over a week now that we've had snow fall nearly every day, and I must say: I can now better sympathize with my family and friends in the northern states who complain of the snow! Don't get me wrong- it is absolutely beautiful and I am not entirely ungrateful for its presence. It just has brought some new challenges my way such as learning how to walk with more concentration and muscle control, so as not to go ker-platt on the icy white cement!

I have greatly benefited from the snow, more than just building up my legs- I've gotten to build a snowman, make a snow angel, and go sledding (or "sledging", as it's termed here) down multiple hills. Talk about being childlike! I have had a blast playing in the snow with my friends. I will aim to post some pictures (in addition to those below) on my Picasa site, but it might be a few days before I get 'round to it.

Last Friday I started back to work at the cafe that hired me back in December. I will work there again this week, and hopefully over the next few weeks I will continue to get some hours in. It's a very, VERY part-time job...only about 4-8 hours per week...but I see it as God's provision for this time, since I can't offer much more time than that but still need the income, however minimal it may be. The cafe folks are very flexible with me which is all part of that provision, I think. It's a neat little place, and I like the change of pace it brings- I'm not required to use my brain as extensively as in my course work (major plus!) I get to interact with a variety of people, too, which is also fun and good.

I am still really enjoying my church here. Although there is a very limited amount of folks my age with whom to interact I like spending time with the people there. And I have been blessed with a group of friends who go to other churches, so that has helped to fill that need for the time being. They are loads of fun and I love the laughs I get with them. : ) Some of us are students, some professionals, but all love Jesus in such dynamic and special ways. Most are British but there are two of us representing America. ;)

I think that's all for now. I just wanted to get another post up before a month went by again! I will write again soon, hopefully with something more exciting?

Now some photos of my recent fun...

Silvia (flatmate) and I made a handsome little snowman one night

Ellen and I used pool floats to sled down a hill..worked better than actual sleds, I think!

Using all kinds of 'sledging' devices with another gang

Vinyl works, ever so slightly...here we are trying a bobsledding technique. I'll let you guess how far we got.

Take Me Down to the River to Pray...

Well, well, well.... I am back in Aberdeen, have been since Jan. 13th. The past few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind, but I have survived. : )

I had a wonderful time at home for the Christmas/New Year's holidays. It was refreshing to have a break from school and comforting to simply be at home where I am loved and allowed to just be. There is nothing quite like family. And I certainly needed that time with them after being away for several months.

While I was home my brother proposed to his girlfriend, Maria, so that was pretty exciting. : ) It was a fun evening for all, as he had her parents, our parents, and me helping with various aspects. It was a great success (and a great laugh at certain points!) Here are a few photos from the special night...

They are already busy with the exciting task of preparing for the wedding, which will be in September. I should get to go home a month or so in advance, which I am happy about. I can't miss their special day! Plus I might need another family-fix after another few months away. :)

Let's see...I also got to see several of my friends in the Houston area and up in Belton/Temple/Austin/San Marcos area. I should have just classified that as Central Texas, but I like being specific. So yes- had lots of coffee and meals with people who warm my heart and bring me laughter...it was so good! I didn't get to see everyone I wanted to see, but hopefully will be able to see them next time around. I loved getting to meet a couple little babies who were born after I moved here. That was special!

I took up ANY opportunity to drive while I was home. : ) "Do we need milk? I'LL GO GET IT!" It was a blessing to have control of the wheel and take to the open road. I do not, however, miss the busy traffic and the crazy drivers.

It was slightly strange to be home; the 3.5 months I was away just felt like a dream, really. Back to reality, it seemed, when I arrived in Houston. Now that I'm back here in Aberdeen, my time home for Christmas seems like a dream. Funny how that works.

So I am back. Hmmm....mixed emotions galore. I experienced homesickness the first week back like I've never known before. It was tough. Thankfully I had a couple weeks to adjust back into life here before classes started up again. I needed that time but I think it also fostered more loneliness and homesickness than necessary. I don't do well with so much unstructured time on my hands, I've learned. But then again, I really love unstructured days sometimes.

I have enjoyed seeing my friends here again, so that's helped me transition back into a steady state. We started back to class this week, and on Wednesday I nearly packed my bags and said goodbye to the course. I'm much better now, after much encouragement and help from Emmanuel. I am breathing huge sighs of relief every few minutes, as the sources of stress from this week have finally disappeared. My last essay is in and that portion of the course is [hopefully] now behind me, barring any necessary resubmissions.

I should hear soon of where I'll have my placement (internship type experience). I will update you with that when I know something...I am excited to find out where I'll get to put some of this knowledge (no matter how minimal) to use!

I think that's about it for now...here are a few more photos from recent days. I continue to LOVE the river just below me. It has been a source of therapy for me, really. I now read scripture with more appreciation of any mention of 'rivers'. : )

Love to all,

jess

I'm home in ONE WEEK!

I just lost a very fun post...and I would attempt to re-cap, but I need to return to my exciting essay biz. And by exciting, I mean...

I can't wait to hug many of you soon. Until then, I must be a busy beaver (minus the noises).

Toodle-loo!

Happy Feet

In the famous words of Michelle Tanner (from Full House, one of my favorite old shows),

“Hi, people!”

My belly is full on my attempted stir-fry dinner, and I’m settled in for yet another quiet Friday evening. You’re probably questioning why I’m not out on the town, celebrating the weekend. Well, it’s rather simple…I tend to dilly-dally so much during the week that I have to stay in on the weekends! Plus it’s just down right COLD outside tonight. I’d rather stay warm with some hot chocolate and entertained with my Sociology essay, thank you very much. ;)

Don’t worry, I will still get some play time this weekend. There is a holiday market here in Aberdeen, which apparently has some amazing international foods and booths to experience. I plan to go walk around tomorrow for a few hours with a friend or two; I hope to chomp on a good turkey leg or perhaps some haggis meatballs? …or not!

The past couple weeks have been quite good. We had an onslaught of snow last weekend! It was so beautiful for the first day. Then it became a bit of an annoyance! I did manage to enjoy a good romping through it and have thus determined my need for some waterproof shoes. :D

I have managed to complete one essay and have 4 more to complete before I leave for my Christmas vacation. By the way, I am really, REALLY looking forward to being in Texas for a several weeks! (Thanks to some dear friends of mine, this has become possible. Forever grateful am I!)This does not mean I am miserable here by any means, but I surely do miss parts of home. As typically expected, I greatly miss my family and friends, my dog, and certain foods. However, I think my freedom to drive is what I miss most desperately!

Driving was such a huge source of independence for me for so many years. It was great alone time, too. I mean, where else could I sing at the top of my lungs?! Public transportation here is definitely better than in Texas, and I’m thankful for it… I’m just not so sure I could carry out my typical transportational singing with an audience of strangers.

The lack of a car has also helped me better appreciate my feet. And my hands. And my heart, for that matter. If any of those were ‘out of order’ (temporarily or permanently), I would lose even more independence- doing my own grocery shopping. Walking to and from the store does not bother me much, but the more weight in my grocery sacks the more grueling the walk. There is a dear lady who provides me a lift to and from the store from time to time, so I appreciate that. It certainly would be great to have my own vehicle someday, but for now I will continue to happily utilize the feet, hands, and heart I have taken for granted.

Oh! I might have a part-time (we’re talking VERY part-time) job lined up for when I return in January! I interviewed this week with an organization called Inspire, which works with people with varied learning disabilities. It seems to fit perfectly within my social work goals, eh? It sure does. However, the post I would fill is actually just working in their café. : ) I might occasionally have the opportunity to work with the clients, or ‘students’ as they’ve begun calling them as of late. I am glad to just have some sort of work to help keep up with living expenses. I have a trial-run at the café one day this week, and I may or may not work a little before Christmas. We shall see.

I experienced my first Thanksgiving in Scotland, which was quite a thrill! We had tons of good food and even more laughs. I was slightly embarrassed, though, when I couldn’t give a completely accurate description of why Americans celebrate such a holiday… needless to say, I didn’t manage to clear up their assumption that it’s all about food. Oops.

You can see a few photos of my Scottish Thanksgiving and other exciting moments by going here.

I have experienced lots of joy lately, and I am absolutely thankful for that. But I am feeling such sadness from the sights and sounds in the news…the happenings in the Congo, India, Thailand, the middle East, and back home- the Black Friday sad stories, as one recent example. This world is experiencing such extreme things. Does any of it surprise our Creator? No, I don’t think it surprises Him…but I imagine it grieves Him, too.

I take comfort and re-gain hope when I remember that there is a day coming when all pain and strife will be gone, all wars and lies will cease. [Blessed are those who call on the Lord Jesus.]

“Swing wide the glimmering gates…leave your pride and pain…swing wide the glimmering gates, and be innocent again…” (andrew osenga)

New-found Path(s)

I have several items to cross off my weekend to-do list and only a few short hours of the weekend remain. So, why not pull aside and blog for a few minutes? : )

I have had a very tiring couple of weeks since I last posted about the snow. (It evaporated just as quickly as it had fallen, by the way.) I have finally come to the realization, or finally accepted, that graduate school is a whole different story than my college/undergraduate years. In this story are such chapters as: Sleep Deprivation Taken Up a Notch; No Time for Toe-nails (and other pseudo-hygienic matters); What Day is It?; and Progressive Caffeine Addiction.

In all seriousness, though, I did get to meet with my personal tutor (advisor) last week, and she helped point me in the right direction for my remaining 5 weeks (?!?!) of the first-year lecture sessions. I am very, very thankful for this direction, as I have felt so incredibly incapable of this self-guided study/research stuff.

To give you an idea of what we're doing...

- We have 8 different social work-related subject areas in which we receive lectures and have seminars each week. (the seminars are to discuss what we are "learning")

- We have NO exams, which sounds great but not once you realize...

- ...we are required to submit essays for our assessments, one for each of the subject areas, between Dec. 1st and January 31st (roughly). And then there are a few weeks provided to "re-sit" the assessments if we fail the first time around. (that's the scary part.) The essays incorporate what we've been taught in each area and an application to a case study- basically a hypothetical family who has LOTS of problems we can address with all our new knowledge!

- We then do stuff after Christmas until March/April to prepare us for practice, when we go for a Placement within a certain social work agency (basically like an internship)

- Then we start over again next fall for one more round of the above, from what I understand.

So, the main thing on my academic plate is researching loads of information on the 8 subject areas: Social Work Theory and Practice, Professional Ethics, Research Methods, Sociology, Social Psychology, Development and Behavior, Law, and Social Policy. I enjoy most of these areas, but I feel like we don't have nearly enough time to really dive in to the material; we're just skimming the surface and, I suppose, we will go deeper as we get into our practice time.

I currently feel lots of support from most of my classmates and our lecturers, which is improvement from previous week- I had felt so on my own and scared of the upcoming essays! We are finding it truly helps to discuss with each other what we're learning and about our essay assignments. Amazing how helpful it can be to just open my mouth, ask questions, share ideas, etc... : D

I am still greatly enjoying the Scottish aspect of being here. In fact I went on a brief, exploratory walk this afternoon. For the 2+ months I've been here I have wanted to find a way down to the river, and I've been curious if there's a path to walk along. Sure enough there is a nice little path and it will see my nice little (ha) feet a lot more now that I know it exists! I had such a refreshing time this afternoon, walking along the River Dee and stopping every few inches for some photographic fun. Here are a few shots I like the best...

all the colors are so vibrant right now! I really wish they could remain throughout the winter, but I am told that is unlikely ;)



I know, it's pathetic to take one's own picture, but how else could I prove that I really did brave the bitter cold to find a new walking path and take some pictures?! (my hands were red and swollen after coming inside...next time I will be smart and take my gloves!)

I must end here, as my tasks have not magically disappeared as I was sooo hoping they would. I will leave you with a fun-fact: the Scottish version of our 'John Doe' is apparently 'Joe Blogs'.

Yep!

Love love love,

jess : )

"Oh! the snow, the beautiful snow, Filling the sky and earth below, Over the housetops, over the street, Over the heads of the people you meet. Dancing, Flirting, Skimming along."

J.W. Watson

Greetings from the wintry north! I just had to hop on here and share the latest with you- it snowed this morning! And I got to see it in action! I didn't manage to take a photo while it was falling, but here is a shot from outside my window just a few moments ago. The snow is already melting from the beautiful sunshine we have this morning. Ahhh, what a special day.

I wish I could sit here and update you on every little bit of my past days but that would take several hours; I only have a few minutes between classes right now to eat some yummy soup and be "productive". : )

But to catch up briefly, I have re-discovered the extreme commitment required for university success. It has been quite distressing at moments, and I have had to re-prioritize a little bit; my say-yes-to-every-opportunity tendency from back home has to die. If I am spread too thin, I don't have much to offer to people, my course, or God- with whom I desperately need time and nurturing.

My days have slowed down a bit since re-organizing and minimizing my commitments; I have gotten into a better routine, although I still struggle with time management. Maybe someday I will really get it...

I am getting very interested in the things I'm learning in our classes, but I often find myself more concerned with my course mates- the lives they are living and the eternal uncertainty they hold. Knowing when to speak and when to be silent is a big question mark for me right now. When something is so special, so central to my life, I can't help but want to offer it to them. But when someone puts up their hands saying, "No thanks, I'm fine", what more can I do but pray? Hmmm...

I know there is a number of you reading who may not really be on the same page, and that's okay. This is a big part of my days here, so I want to share. And as much as I'd like to be more focused on the 'task at hand', I can't help but see the people around me, in their need for true LIFE. Jesus, and only Jesus, is the way, the truth, and the life. His words, not mine. I have found them to be so true.

Anyway, I continue to enjoy each aspect of this experience. As I sensed in the 'dreaming years' before coming here, there are still issues within me and this world is still in sad shape; my location has not made those things go away. But I am so thankful for the blessing of being here.

Some highlights are seeing dogs almost every day, out with their owners for a walk or play...observing little children on the buses or in shops with their parents...learning all the Scottish terms and phrases that are odd but sensible...hearing the wind outside my window, seeing the leaves on the ground from the wind's effects...

Arg, I really need to go for now. I know this blog update is random and not very coherent, but I just had to share my excitement of the snow with you. : ) Maybe next time it will be enough to make a snowman. I'll keep you informed.

With my love and a big smile,

jess

Aberdonian Sights, Smells, and...People

It is now only one week away from being one month since I last wrote an update on my blog. My intention to update several times each week has, obviously, been overtaken by other things. I wish there was some sort of device for recording all the things I see and hear on a daily basis and a way to transfer the images and sounds to you. (I know, a video camera would do just that, and it's simple enough to transfer via internet; but do you really expect me to carry one around everywhere and at all times, and then to spend my time uploading and e-mailing video files? Surely there's a better way...?)


I would like to aim for more frequent updates, though, so I may end up typing out the various things I experience from day to day even if they are interesting only to me.


To catch you up briefly, here's a quick summary of my past [nearly one] month:

• I have become very creative with my meals. Some of you may think I was already 'creative' enough before coming here, but the creativity is now even better (or worse!) For instance, I am currently eating my dinner (or "supper" or "tea" or "the third meal of the day"...) which consists of store-bought mushroom/cheese tortellini, suger-snapped peas, and red and yellow peppers, tossed with my favorite moisturizer: Olive Oil. ;) I have always been keen on "one-dish" meals, so this turned out great (except I used 3 different dishes to cook the one-dish meal.) Omelettes have become a favorite, for sure- deli turkey, peppers (again) and shredded cheese make the perfect combination with eggs, of course. Mom, I am thankful you have made so many omelettes over the years; otherwise I might be stuck with plain, boring, scrambled eggs! I have also had my fair share of Wheat Thins and Oreos as of late, thanks to my dear friend, Kristine. It was like Christmas to open up that package!


• Enough about food. It's really not all that exciting, unless I discover a new concoction that tastes so good. Mochas also taste good here, just as yummy as in America. Shoot. I was hoping to get off caffeine and save some pennies! I solved the latter today by finally purchasing a coffee maker for the flat. I will now have no excuse to buy that tasty mocha at school during breaks.


• I have received confirmation about how much Scots love their booze. And cigarettes. Oh, the glorious sounds and smells...


• Onto brighter things, we now have a 5th girl in our flat. The Irish gal never showed up but we are blessed with a beautiful Nigerian singer. This morning I awoke to her singing along to Kirk Franklin. : ) She is fun and I think we will become good pals.
  
• I have met LOTS of people, all so interesting in their own right. I have had to swallow pride and ask for directions on numerous occasions, which has repeatedly led to great conversations with folks. Aside from the various smells I generally enjoy riding the buses here. One of the most unexpected yet flattering things I have heard so far was, "Why, that's the most beautiful accent I've heard all day! Where do ya come from?" If you could hear the voice in my head, you just might find more humor in that statement!


• I have been getting to know a couple of girls, in particular, who are both from Germany. I greatly enjoy their company and I know God crossed our paths for good reasons. There are several other internationals I've met but I haven't had much time with them yet. I am glad to be in such an international city!


• Most importantly, I suppose- I started my course on the 23rd of September. It has been great so far. We're receiving loads of information which is somewhat overwhelming, but I feel okay about it overall. There is an unusual but neat sense of unity in our group of 30+ students; we all seem to be in this together and supportive of one another despite the different walks of life we represent. I think I am right on track so far; I met with my "personal tutor" yesterday afternoon, and I got the impression that she approves of my progress up to this point. Good!


• My time to explore has really become limited since beginning the course. I am somewhat sad about that, but I know I will have plenty of time here to venture out and see the beauty of natural Scotland. I did get to take a couple of hiking trips, though. Here are a few photos for your viewing pleasure.... the first two are at Bennachie hill with Phil and Toto (and baby Esther), good friends here in Aberdeen; the other two are at Scolty Hill in Banchory, and the girl in the photo with me is Susanne, one of the German friends I mentioned earlier.

I have TONS more pictures here, if you'd like to see more of the Scotland I've seen so far. : )

I really need to sign off for now and work on school stuff. Blah. I DO actually enjoy the course, I am just "knackered" this evening and still need to read a few things before bed, hence the 'blah. ;)

I think that is the main stuff from my previous days that you might want to know. I will try to write again in a few DAYS, not months! Let me know if there are specific things you want to hear about. Before I forget, here are just a few pics of the flat (and a beautiful view from the top of the tower/my castle... : )

the lovely blue sphere in the middle of our flat- the first thing seen when walking in. purpose? I haven't a clue. Although it does house our two toilets. My room is the lighter-blue door to the left. There are 5 rooms within the circular hallway, I guess it would be called?

the kitchen- actually quite spacious, thankfully! And it has a perfect view of the river. I'm glad I am tall enough to see out those windows!

one corner of my room- hard to get a good shot of the room...it's just so small and my camera can't seem to get the right range. I will put more photos of the room on that same Picasa album linked above

the best part of living here! I wish I could say this is the view from my window, but it's actually from the very top of the tower where we have a kind of observation deck.

Alrighty, folks. I miss each of you in big ways. The homesickness has been minimal thus far, which I'm thankful for, but I still miss friends, family, and my little Bonnie dog. :) For now I will embrace the sights, the smells, and the people here in Aberdeen.

Room for One in Garthdee Castle

Well, I'm here now- here at my final destination, that is. I stayed in Elgin for about 10 days before coming down and over to Aberdeen: the grey city of the north. ; )

I am beyond thrilled to be here. I get to live in a castle, of all places! Okay, so it's not deemed a castle in the eyes of historians, but I deem it so. The grounds around my castle are lovely- just like something out of a movie. It's very quiet and peaceful. Have a look-see!

view from the kitchen

My room is on the second floor (or first floor, to be correct), and you can see one of my windows- it's the open one all the way to the right. I have two windows that look out to pure beauty. One displays trees and a grassy area, and the other displays trees, shrubs, and the River Dee! I had been hoping all along for a view of the river. My room is part of a 5 bedroom flat-type-arrangement. It's rather odd looking upon entry...there is a huge, blue sphere going through the middle of the flat. I suppose it encases pipes and such, and there are two toilets (bathrooms) located in the weird sphere. So maybe it's not completely pointless like I thought at first. [I will eventually post some pictures of the interior with some of my room. I am waiting until I get it more tidy; I would be embarrassed to display photos of such disorganization!]

I will have 4 flatmates; 2 of them are here already, and 2 more should arrive sometime this week. So far we have China, Scotland, and America represented. I think the other two are Chinese and Irish. It should be a fun, international girls' club. No boys allowed. ;) We hear enough of them upstairs. *Sigh*

The two girls that are here are very nice. The Scottish gal, Jo, must have come in today while I was out; she came into the kitchen (we all share this, but have our own showers) and said, "Well I'm glad to see someone is actually here!" The Chinese girl barely leaves her room, so I guess Jo felt like a lone ranger. It was good to meet her. She is here to study graphic design. Neat girl. I hope to connect with her.

The reason I feel like I'm in castle is more than just the circular tower- when the Mings and Kelli dropped me off yesterday, we went exploring and found the top floor of the tower to be a neat lounge area. We stepped outside the lounge area and there is a pathway of rocks along the cirle of the building, and there is a wall about shoulder-high. We could see the river even better from there! It truly felt like a fortress. What a wonderful picture to remind me that God is my refuge; I can run to Him and be safe.

So I like to think of my new place as a castle. After all, I am a princess in the King's eyes.

It has been a tiring couple of days since getting to Aberdeen. I had lots of help getting some essential living items from ASDA (same as Wal-Mart, except two stories and tons of Scottish folk). While getting situated in my room I kept adding items to my list of things to get. I forgot how taxing it can be to get set up in a new place- we forget the tiny yet essential things like salt and pepper, or laundry detergent, or even toilet paper. The hardest room to equip is the kitchen! My goodness, my brain is exhausted from trying to think through what is needed on a daily basis. All they provided for us were 3 pots, a frying pan, and cutting boards, which I'm thankful for but...

So with my list I walked down to the nearest possible grocery store (nearest possible anything, really). I was glad to discover it only took 15 minutes to walk there, however I still struggled to make it there and back without pain or a rapid heartbeat. Consider that I have 2 recyclable bags to carry my purchases in 2 hands. I quickly realized how much I took for granted the blessing of a car back home! I will get my rear in shape after just a few weeks of living here, that's for sure. And it helps me limit what I buy at the store; I constantly have to look at my collection of items to be purchased to make sure I will be able to carry it home. Did I mention it's an uphill return walk? :)

Oh, there is a good bus system; there is just no point to ride the one mile between my flat and the store(s). I do plan to use the buses for other outings- church is about a 20-minute CAR ride, so you can imagine the hours it would take on foot! Union Street is the main drag in Aberdeen, which I could walk to if no other option but I plan to depend on the bus for most visits to that area- still a minimum of 30 minutes away on foot.

Enough of the complaining. Actually I'm not really complaining, just sharing the humorous discoveries in the first two days of life here. I am learning to adjust to the differences and trying to embrace them. So far nothing has been too difficult to embrace, except for having to walk more than I have in my entire life! Also, it will take me a while to get used to opening 3 locked doors before actually reaching my room. Perhaps the distant laundry room- with only 2 machines for 50 residents- will take some time, too. Hmmm....

I have really enjoyed being with all the people around here so far, learning how to live like them in some ways. I am learning that I don't have to conform to everything Scots do. But I know it blesses them when internationals try to honor them, their culture and traditions, as silly as I think certain things are. :) Overall I appreciate and love the life here. I will have to save that topic for another day.

I will end this for now. Props to those who stuck with it to the end. I will try not to write such long posts from here out. I cannot promise that..I am so inclined to add every last detail to my explanations.

Until next time I will be here, setting up my room for one in this cozy Garthdee castle.