We have two VIF's graduating this Saturday. Liz is now officially Dr. Liz, having sailed through ASU in a fraction of the normal time to receive her degree as a Nurse Practitioner in psychiatry. A great joy: I get to perform the wedding service for Liz and David the following Saturday. They make a great pair in many ways, including their commitment to the Lord and his service.
Thousands of miles away in Michigan Tammi will graduate with her MBA in Hospital Administration, or something like that. Her full name is Dear Tammi; that's how I feel about her. She was one of my students early in my 10-year stint teaching at the college and was very mediocre academically. Sweet as can be, just not a natural at class work. I did her wedding, too, to another of my students, a very affable guy from the deep (deep!) south. About a year later I started getting calls from Tammi that included lots of tears as she told me about the physical and verbal abuse that was an increasing part of her marriage. A few years and lots of long distance calls later she showed unusual strength when she left that marriage with nothing to fall back on - no particular job skills or a useable degree (her AA from a Bible college didn't put her high on any HR list).
Tammi went back to school and got her Bachelor's degree in nursing...with honors! She got a job at the large, prestigious children's hospital in Grand Rapids and quickly rose through the ranks to become a nursing supervisor. Tammi decided it was time to kick it into gear and take control of her life. Through all of that we stayed in touch with Dear Tammi (Pam also worked at that hospital).
There was a subsequent marriage and a truly amazing daughter. Alas, this marriage also involved abuse, and that meant more long distance phone calls with more tears. We laughed about her crying, and she promised me that one day she'd call with nothing but good things to tell me and NO crying.
A visit with Tammi at the hospital is a must-do whenever we're in Grand Rapids and we had a great time with her a week ago as we sat at a table in the hospital cafeteria and caught up. This Saturday Tammi will receive her MBA and that teenage daughter will see her mom walk across that stage as an example of strength of character and determination. I wish we could be there, but we'd probably all cry. She's worked very hard, will now rise further in the ranks at the hospital with her MBA, and is a great mother. So why do I feel proud?
buckets with a hole near the bottom by each of the fruit trees, and a hose with a quick disconnect fitting that reaches from the pump to the furthest tree. Turned on the pump and water came out, so I switched to the valve that feeds that hose and started filling the buckets. After four buckets the water stopped. It's called draw down, and apparently the draw down rate on this 20' well is 20 gallons, and 5 minutes. That's the bad news. The good news: two hours later the well had refilled enough to fill the other two buckets (I need three more buckets for the remaining trees.)My plan is to get a 55 gal. drum from a nearby recycler, put it on stilts, fill it from the well (in stages) and use that for the goats. Now I know that I'll need to fill the tree buckets in stages, but that's OK.
I also got a good start on the extension I'm adding to the goat barn, officially named Boerdom. This will be designated the Asante Memorial Birthing Center, the room where Sundae will kid and raise her offspring. A goat momma needs a place where she feels safe and where inquisitive herd mates can't pose a risk to little kids. The pier blocks are in place and the 4x4 posts set and braced. Next step: build the walls.
Pam planted another of the raised beds this afternoon, so I need to get the chicken wire protective cover made lest the deer eat her veggies as fast as they come up.
And install the parts for Sally that UPS delivered tomorrow.
Having tasks to do gives one a purpose, especially important as we age.
Boy, have I got purpose!
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