Parades and Pumpkins

I love fall. There is something invigorating and awakening as the trees shift their colors, the temperatures drop, and we leave behind the nasty humidity and mosquitos of summer. I deeply missed autumn colors last year...not even the beauty of aspen trees with their united yellow front of sunshine could do for me what the vibrant hues of red, orange, and brown leaves blend and weave among one another.

And I love fall for its festivities.  The family recently went to the King George Fall Festival with the LONGEST parade ever that thankfully ended well with the Redskins Marching Band bringing up the rear. And just today since everyone was up in Springfield for various appointments, we hit up Nalls Produce and Pumpkin Patch..... I cannot wait to carve a pumpkin in the next couple of weeks....did I mention that I love fall?

But life is nonetheless a whirlwind these days. I'm been job applying, and substitute teaching, and taking the weekends with family and Mitch and spending a lot of time with a very special Vietnamese family whose daughter has been diagnosed with leukemia. They have introduced me to quail eggs, fish sauce, and chopsticks and I have in turn showed up to the hospital with my ukulele in hand...pretty sure I have the sweeter end of the deal!

These periods of waiting are always hard for me...I am inclined to have a plan, be working towards something even if it isn't for the longterm.  But for now, I'll just enjoy the colors and parades and pumpkins.

How 'bout them apples?

This past weekend brought a sweet, delightfully sunny afternoon of apple picking in Winchester, VA with family.  We had been tempted to cancel based on discouraging weather reports of rain and more rain, but we took the gamble and it paid off! We went to Marker-Miller Orchards, the land of apples trees, wagon rides, and playground equipment. There was even some sort of festival going on so there was face painting, booths of kettle corn and barbecue and a bluegrass band set up playing.

Nate was all about getting the best apples, although it took both hands and a leaning-back-pull for him to get them. Turns out apple picking with a toddler becomes a gigantic photo-op...so fun!

We spent all afternoon among the trees, taking the wagon ride around the farm, and running around the playground trying out all the different pieces of equipment: a pirate ship, a castle, a small train, among some swings and a sand box.

I did end up riding the kiddie cow-train with Nate, there were two cars big enough to fit an adult and kid....although it was a bit of a tight fit! The second time Nate sat in his own car, but since there weren't enough kids to fill up the train, I rode along too. As I settled in for my second go round, the nine year old sitting in the cow in front of me looked back and said, "I feel too old for this."....I had no response.

We left with a solid two bags of apples....my plan is to attempt a homemade apple pie sometime this week....I'm sure there will be pictures of that to come!

Quantico National Cemetery

We said goodbye to my Grandpa back in March.  We held a small funeral for family and friends in an outdoor pavilion at Quantico National Cemetery.  Headstones take up to five weeks to come in after ordering and as of yet, I had not had a chance to go back and see where Grandpa had been buried.  So with another day of waiting for a job to come in, I decided on taking a quest, mainly to visit Grandpa's grave.

I had hoped vainly that I would remember the general location within the cemetery, but the simplicity and beauty of Quantico is in its uniformity of graves....everything has a way of looking the same. And so I headed into the information/admin building where a kiosk is set up to help visitors locate gravesites. When the computer didn't work, I had to flip through a binder alphabetically listing the basic information for each person and grave location. My second time driving through the cemetery successfully landed me in the right section.

This past summer in Christiansburg was difficult, I saw my grandpa everywhere: in the mountains, the houses we were working on, the bass players of bluegrass groups. Grief is a hard friend to adjust to. It sneaks up and hits when you least expect, a kick in the stomach taking one's breath.

And so I stood in that quiet, peaceful cemetery and I said all the things my heart needed to get out. There was a sense of closure, of freedom and forgiveness.  I loved that foolish man, who held parts of himself back, and I will always carry his love for music deep in my bones.

It is fitting where my Grandpa is buried. He was always popular with the ladies, and it just so happens that he is surrounded by ladies on either side. :o)

Settling In....

It's my third week here in Springfield, finally easing into a constantly moving routine of catching sub jobs as they come, catching up with old friends, and pressing in to this crazy process of job searching and discernment.  As I was driving home from dinner with a sweet couple I met before Colorado, my heart felt full. Nothing looks like it did when I last resided here, the community that I do have is scattered and disconnected, and I have no idea what is happening even as soon as next week.... but I am sharing my story multiple times a day and I've found a semblance of family in some unique places..... it all adds to the adventure!

And on days like today, when things are quieter, I hang out with a couple of cool gals.... they are good company.

Poured Out Worship- New Blog!

I started a new blog! www.pouredoutworship.blogspot.com. More to chronicle my thoughts, dreams, and heart for worship. Amygoeswest will be getting an overhaul one of these days, hopefully when I know what direction I'm headed next. Right now I am pressing in a bunch of different directions and I hope when a door opens, I'm ready.

I tried to get my own domain name, but the most logical one, amycox.com is currently owned by some Jeffrey or other in Canada.... and with tight budget constraints...well, it looks like it will stay his. So pouredoutworship.blogspot.com will be it for now, a place with contact info, availability, and what I'm currently doing....interspersed with what I've learned so far and resources I've come across...so exciting! Check it out here

I am thankful for days of rain, but even more thankful that the sun came back out yesterday and the sky turned blue... back to the dreaming and scheming board....

10 Years Later

Ten years ago today, I was a senior sitting in Spanish class. A phone call about the first plane hitting the World Trade Center prompted my teacher to turn on the television. We watched as the second plane exploded into the second tower.  And then we went back to spanish adverbs and adjectives. When the next call came about the pentagon, we abandoned our futile tries at learning, and took turns on the phone calling parents who worked at the Pentagon.

Over the years, I've spoken with people about their experiences on Sept 11, an event we have all been changed and affected by. I've always tried to explain the terror of that day for those of us on the east coast, how normal it is for me to often reflect on the possibility of another terrorist attack.  The pentagon is only 10 miles from my home....it is an easy fifteen minute drive.  Several parents from my school and community were lost that day.  I remember a man from church, was saved by having been out of his office at the time, another twenty feet closer and he too would have been gone.

There are so many vivid snapshots from that day. Asking fellow students if they had heard from their parents. Praying in the hallway with friends and being told to "keep it contained." Holding hands with my dad as he picked us up from school and clinging to his strength. The irony of such a beautiful, cloudless day.  I remember calling my estranged older brother, hoping against hope that he would come home to be with us. Yes, he had seen the fire of the pentagon from his work, and no, he still wasn't coming home.

And yet, September 11 is also a day of hope. Life continues, and we remember those lost and support those who continue to keep this country safe.  It's a time to reflect, to see that we are not defined by one terrible act of violence.  We have grown, loved, and lived over the last decade and will keep on doing so. A moment of silence, of honor, and a thankful prayer that God has not forgotten, He is bigger than all these things.

Oh Virginia, I Still Love You

I used to say that Virginia was awesome for a girl like me because it was best known for its mild weather and limited natural disasters. Since I've been back in NOVA, we've had an earthquake, a hurricane, and now flooding..... just wanted to share what's been going on this past week with friends in the west.....enjoy. :o)

I'm holding out hope that things will calm down and the weather will rest easy.... at least driving in the rain doesn't grip me with panic anymore, thanks to lots of practice!