Decorating for Christmas

My stuff is (nearly) all packed, so the only thing I could decorate was my blog :) Hope you enjoy the new look...

New Contact Info

Tomorrow is my last day at work and Saturday is moving day!

Here is my new address & email:

1445 N. Delaware, Apt. 303
Indianapolis, IN 46202
jlj5@iupui.edu

my cell stays the same...

1st Snow in Indiana

Thanksgiving brought the first snow of the year and it was beautiful! After a fun mini-Thanksgiving at my place, Dawn & I went to see the movie Enchanted with Amanda - I took this photo in the parking lot at about 6:45pm...

p.s. If you're looking for an anti-fairy tale like we were, do not see this movie! Well done enough for what it was (spot-on Disney casting), but definitely a sweetness & light happily-ever-after ending...a perfect movie for moms, grandmas, & granddaughters :)

Studio Living

For those of you keeping tabs (& since moving day is a week from today) I found an apartment in Indy! Pretty small studio (467 sf.), but oak hardwood floors & crown molding in a gorgeous historic neighborhood, 1 block south of Redeemer Pres. Unfortunately for the great friends who are helping me move, it's a 3rd floor walkup :( But really, the sofa bed isn't that heavy...

Pictures below...

I love the funky aqua tile in the bathroom! (everything in this place except the refrigerator is orginal to the ca. 1920's construction...)

Blessings

Starting to panic a little this week - only 2.5 weeks left before the big day (6 more days of work!) and so much that's yet to be determined! I too easily focus on what I think I don't have, but if I stop for even a little bit, I'm overwhelmed by the abundance of my life (especially as I start to pack it! :)

Especially notable this week are friends - godly women with whom to share music, books, sushi & life :); my family, including many who aren't even related to me except by love & choice; my churches - 1. FBC which lifted my family up & carried us for so many years, 2. Vineyard which continues to be a respite of honesty, humility & joy, & 3. Redeemer which promises to teach me not only as a Christ-follower but as a creative steward as well. All this on top of food, clothing, a warm place to sleep, a job to do, & oodles of stuff which I am now trying to weed through & load into boxes that won't overwhelm the generous people who are helping me to move.

My reflexive views of my own poverty or abundance are radically out of whack. I know this to be true in theory, but lose sight of it when unexpected expenses pop up (like a traffic ticket for plates I ought to have known were expired :P) or plans don't come together in my time frame, or I simply haven't been the steward I ought to have been. Maybe one of the most significant consequences of mis-stewardship is the attention it takes from the blessings poured out on me. I just finished the Treasure Principle and am trying reconcile those truths with the truth of Heaven Is A Place On Earth, which I've been in the middle of for while. How do you balance storing up treasures in heaven with celebrating all that God has created & given us here (not in terms of possessions but experiences & people)?

If you have any thoughts I'd love to hear them! For now I'm starting, but not ending, with shifting my focus back to His gifts, material & not. So in addition to the list of blessings above, I'm adding God's patience & mercy, & His delight in me.

Sushi & Fun

Believe it or not, Elkhart actually has a wonderful little sushi & martini bar called Stirred (next door to, & run by, the Daily Grind). So last Friday, Amanda, Jennie & I decided it was time to get foxy & head out for some fun! :)

This was actually my first experience with sushi, and I have to say I'm hooked, even though this was kind of American fusion. Our veggie roll appetizer was outstanding, as was the martini sampler - black cherry, red velvet, tiramisu, creme brulee - fabulous! The apple saki, not so much - kind of a watered down apple jolly rancher - interesting, but next time I'm going for straight saki. For the uninitiated, the green dots are wasabi (& you thought peppers were hot) and the pink shavings are candied ginger. I had the Stirred rolls (shrimp, avacado, cilantro, red pepper)

Amanda had himachi sushimi (not sure what fish this was, but it was raw - the flavor was nice, but not my favorite texture :)

& Jennie had crab rolls.

The dessert, oh my heavens! Caramel apple bread pudding, by far the best thing - chef-made caramel sauce; tiramisu w/ chef-made kahlua, also a revelation; and pumpkin pecan cheesecake, big enough for 3.

So much fun, I love to try new things! The only thing that would have made it better was 3 more girls and an Over the Rhine concert as a nightcap :)

Indy Trip

Had a great interview yesterday w/ Kindra & Dawn @ the IU Foundation (fundraising arm of the university). It's a part-time job assisting them w/ promoting the library to students & the community - a lot of what I do at the City without the stress, but unfortunately no benefits. I really liked the girls and the sounds of the job, and will probably have a follow-up phone interview next week. In the meantime, I'm still looking! I also checked out 2 apartments that are definite no's - safety & all that - but have more to do there as well. So the hunt continues! Thanks for your prayers!

On another note, while SB retained my mayor, Indy lost theirs in a HUGE upset & there is major concern in the arts & philanthropic community about what it will mean for neighborhood & arts funding - apparently the mayor-elect has very different views about the role of the arts in neighborhood development and the city budget. So that election may have a material effect on what has been described as a very public-accessible, grass-roots arts community. I'll keep you posted!

Luecke Wins!

Yay, my mayor earned 62% of the vote yesterday! The future of South Bend is secure for the next 4 years :) You get a pretty good sense of someone's character when you work 20 yards from his office door, and Mayor Steve is quiet, gracious, humble and honorable, quick to share praise with his team and expecting the same high level of integrity from his staff that expects from himself. In addition, I believe he is a man who seeks to serve God and conducts himself in a manner consistent with his beliefs. There is a lot that needs to be accomplished yet in South Bend, but I think he's the one to do it.

It's really been a blessing to work here these 2.5 years and better understand how gov't works and see up close the commitment and sacrifices of the people who serve in public office. I leave with the firm belief that every resident should be required to job-shadow a gov't employee for 6 months before being allowed to complain (or vote!), to see up close the challenges and daily guff they face! :) Unless you're actually involved and investigating the issues firsthand, I'm convinced you're just armchair quarterbacking. I wasn't really politically aware before I came here, but I have a greater sense now of the blessing we enjoy in this system of gov't and the privilege of having a voice. It's far from perfect, but you can't help it or anyone else until you get educated (about both sides!) and then get involved.

One last thought... generally speaking, I have found both sides of any given argument to be comprised of well-intentioned, dedicated, intelligent people who are doing their best to act on what they believe to be right and true. I have also observed that the exceptions lie (figuratively and literally :) on both sides of the aisle.

OK, I'm done politicking...

Registered!

I'm officially a college student! Drawing I on M,W & 2D Design on T,Th - classes start Jan. 7! Spring Break is Mar. 10-14 so Dawn & I are planning to fly out to San Francisco to see our folks - we wanted to go for Christmas, but ticket prices are nuts :( So Christmas is in Indy this year, come one, come all :)

Job Interview

I'm going back to Indy on Thursday to interview at the IUPUI library - Admin. Asst. for Community Events (fundraising wing of the library). It's only part-time but pays decently for an on-campus job & if I can get a tuition break, it will be worth it! I had a call from FedEx too, but it wouldn't work w/ my class schedule :( I'm still scouting other opportunities too, so if you know someone... :)



This was my Halloween...



I went to Amanda & Glori's to help hand out candy - we fixed dinner, carved pumpkins, and didn't watch Corpse Bride twice :) Mine is on the left...