Home for a little while

I've realized a few things in the last week.  It all started when I got an email from the housing coordinator at the seminary. She told me that our request to stay in our apartment until August was denied and that she can only offer me housing until June 30th.  My program at the hospital lasts until August 30th, and while it would be hard to live in temporary housing (i.e. with friends or housesitting) for a month, it would be doable.  But 2 months means absolutely moving. 

I am in the midst of CPE, a challenging and demanding time.  The last thing I want to do is to pack twice in one summer.  

When I got the email, it felt like my stomach dropped to the floor.  But being the practical person that I am, I picked myself right back up and started to think of the options before me.  We could find a new apartment altogether.  We could sublet.  We could housesit for the whole time.  I could quit my CPE program and we could move early (and pack only once) to Seattle.  

That last thought caught me up and sent a wave of grief through my body.  I realized how much I love my work as a critical care chaplain.  I have other units: Oncology and Adolescent Psych at the moment, but critical care is really "mine".  I will really miss it: the nurses and doctors, the teamwork, the patients and families, the closeness of God's spirit hovering over those who are very ill, the blessedness of shepherding families through the death of their loved one.  There is so much that I love about being a critical care chaplain.  

Thankfully, when Will and I reviewed our options, we decided to stay for the summer, have me finish up at the hospital and him at his work, sublet from a friend, pack up lots of stuff and then have a smaller packing session at the end of summer.  We'll essentially be living out of suitcases for 2 months, but hey, this is an adventure, and we have each other.  

In less future oriented news: I've been baking and knitting lots lately.  I made a Ukrainian Lemon Poppyseed Cake (from the Moosewood Cookbook) and a Gingerbread Cake (recipe from Chez Panisse) for coffee hour at church today.  And I finished my friend Katie's wedding shawl while I was on my Zen retreat last week at Green Gulch Farm.  I also picked up my new blocking wires this week, so blocking is in my future.  Yeah!