okay mom, this is for you, some pictures of my house and a few of my town, but not many because it is so small that people would yell out, christa! what ARE you doin'?. This town is so small that traffic is when you see another car on the road and I can cross diagonally across an intersection pretty much any time i want, unless there is a farmer's market.

Our house is blue with a green roof, i dunno, i like it.


There are two rat dogs next door, Pedro and Lulu, this is the latter trying to attack me through the fence. Give up little dog, give up.


The Sangre de Cristo mountains and a train. My walk into town.

This is colorado.


but i was looking at the few pictures I managed to save from the Great Crash of Christa's Computer 06, and am feeling a physical ache for the place and people of the summer.

Funny Story: I was pouring what was supposed to be just a touch of cream into my coffee when the lid dropped off of the jug o'cream, scattering across the floor, pouring a regular Niagara falls of creamer into my coffee, onto the counter, onto the tile, and onto me. That's nothing new for me, really, but I was a bit miffed when the coffee worker gal told me that if I just tell them I want room for cream, they will leave room - as if I hadn't realized, silly girl, that once the cup is full its useless to try to fit more into the cup, it just won't work. And she wasn't kidding either, she was dead serious. So with cream all over my shirt and shoes, I feebly try to explain, then hand her the rag I was using to clean up, and walked away.

Last night I went to the Bell house (home of Shawna, Rachel, and Emmy) to help decorate their kitchen curtains with potato stamps (not stamps of potatoes, but stamps made from potatoes)It was lots of fun and I brought over a peach tart I had made (inspired by Laura's incredible fruit tart) and I decorated two panels, one of flowers and another of monsters attacking a city. They are incredible. All this to say, I had been the first to arrive (early as usual) and was sitting chatting with Shawna when she asked me, "Christa, are you home schooled? We were having a debate last night and we couldn't decide, but there is something about you that just screams home schooling." I almost fell out of my chair laughing! For those who don't know, I am not home schooled but apparently was a prime candidate for it, or practically was home schooled, categorized by all my enthusiasm for crafts, cooking, and oter domestic silliness, i guess. Or as Shawna put it, I have an indistinct quality defined by lots of energy and excitement for life that, as she puts it, many public schoolers lack. I am not exactly sure what that means, but, my dear home schooled friends and my pseudo-home schooling mother, you have had an incredible influence on my life and you have left a permanent mark which all can see. Quick, get me a wooden spoon, bag of flour, and some calico! I have some creating to do!

(other things that were discussed about me, apparently, is the fact that I have had Sleigh Ride stuck in my head for over three years. Is there a cure!?!)

I have been reading lots of people's blogs lately and they all seem so profound and interesting while in mine I keep talking about coffee. I think this is because when I am feeling bummed I generally do not like talking about it or dwelling on it (besides the fact that my friends that keep blogs are amazing and really thoughtful about life in general, thus creating excellent blogs). I find that I tend to keep my head down and plow through the day, moving from one task to the next, especially when I feel tired or not particularly motivated. I forget to listen or look at things or people. So, yesterday was not a particularly nice day for me, mostly for the reasons above- me plowing through because overwhelming emotions and life-ness made me want to disable all communication with the world- but I was walking to the coffee shop (shocker) to email stuff when I looked up and around and saw the mountains to the east, the Sangre de Cristo mountains (blood of Christ) and had the very satisfying and relieving revelation that there is much more going on in the world than me. I know that sounds cheesy (I looked up and saw the mountains and knew that everything would be ok...cue dramatic string section to imply a life changing moment...) and I by no means 'felt' immediately better or knew I would be ok, but I did remember how big God is, which means He is big enough to handle, change, re-mold all of my mess and that the world is not my home or where I put my hope. so today is a new day and hopefully I will learn to hold this glimpse of truth a little closer (I have faith amnesia) and carry a little more grace with me today, in addition to my coffee cup.

today has not been my best day. i got some coffee in hopes it will push me through until tomorrow where hopefully i will feel a bit better, be a little more human. the coffee addiction continues. i would really like to be with people i trust right now, for coffee, a talk, a hug. but i am hanging on.

the coffee shop is about to close and i have five seconds to blog! i am doing well! last night our next door neighbor brought us the best peach pie i have every eaten in my life as a gesture of welcome! they have a bluegrass band, maybe i can bluegrass on the cello! okay bye!

so good news, work has become a little less overwhelming with each passing day. phew, but am i glad the weekend is here! I work saturdays, so my weekend is sunday and monday, which is actually good because a lot of things are closed on the weekend. I am at milagros before I go to church to meet the Staffords (connection from Charlotte) at their church and then they graciously invited me to lunch. Already cooking everyday at the shelter for 40-50 folks has put me off of cooking for myself, but thats okay since I usually get to eat what I make at the shelter too. Already I have made some fun things like pumpkin bread and peach cobbler (one little old lady asked after eating my cobbler, where are you from honey? North carloina I say. I knew you were from the south, with cobbler this good, she replied. Haha next up pulled bbq and hush puppies.) Its fun and the people are good, though sometimes in trouble and sometimes a little wacky. The most interesting encounters are people coming to the shelter intoxicated. yup I am building up quite the source of stories. My goals for the coming week: running and practicing driving a stick shift.

I have just finished my second day of work and I am exhausted! My first day lasted from 8 am to 9 pm and then I went back to work at 8 am (but only working till 4)again this morning. I think everyone is feeling pretty overwhelmed with the amount of stuff we do not know, in addition to being on your feet for 8 hours with not a break at all, we grab a bite to eat in between serving food to folks and clean up. I think I will feel better when I get a bit more in the swing of things. I still don't know what to do with myself in my free time, i think tonight i will take a long long long walk, so i can think and sort myself out before work again tomorrow, 8 am. thats all i can muster for now.

okay, first week of Americrop done...thoughts, reflections thus far? actually i don't have time because today is the official first day of work and i have a staff meeting in ten minutes. But I am excited!! So a quick story:

Sunday night the director of La Puente, Lance, invited us to his house for dinner, brave man, since there are 12 or so of us. My house was the first to arrive, they live only five minutes from the town outskirts, but that is far enough that they get the benefit of an unobstructed view of the mountains. They are a great family, so warm and welcoming, living in a lovely house they mostly built themselves out of recycled and found windows and structural elements. it is really cool. After dinner we walked across the field, climbing fences and wading through the tall grass. The view of the mountains is amazing, we could see the rain falling in the distance. We walked past their property into the field of their neighbor, where cows hanging out and we saw five horses galloping across the field toward us, a beautiful sight. the horses ran right up to us and they let us pet them and they followed us until we reached the gate which led back to their house. It was a great night.

i am in Colorado!! and i can tell this is going to be really good. okay update.

I am living in a house known as the 'rugby' house, named for previous tenates who were rugby players and had crazy parties. there are four houses total, all filled with really great people. my house mates are Carman, a cool guy from south jersey, with schooling in new york and aspirations in law. Also Josephine, a wonderful lady in her 50s who has an amazing life stories and who has already suggested twice we storm washington in protest of various corruptness and stupidity that occurs there. I am going to be working full time in the Shelter, which dissapointed me at first but now i feel really good about, i think it fits my personality better in that it keeps changing, i am with people all the time, i get to practice spanish, and cooking meals is part of my job description. heck yes.

i flew into Alamosa on the smallest plane i have ever seen, we are talking only 15 people and i can see the pilots and their view from the cockpit. the airport is one building and four hangers. The benefit of the small plane is that we flew in low, right over the mountains, making me salivate with anticipation of climbing these 14ners. (hey becca, one of the gals here was an instructor at lavida-random note)

we are going on a retreat into the mountains tomorrow and i am really excited to hang out with people more. i don't have time to describe everyone, but each is unique and extremely talented. there are lots of musicians, a flutist among others. woo hoo

ok i will write more after saturday.

i just had a major flashback, do you guys remember pogs? i just found a huge stash of my brothers and am trying to remember what they were for...

I am unpacking and my computer has crashed horribly. like it won't turn on and it sounds like a little man is trapped inside trying to get out. oh well.

i don't have much to say except i see lots of things that make me laugh but i have no Becca and Lauren to point them out too. Like the lady who sat next to me on the plane had bizarre giant turquoise spider earrings. or i have been having dance parties to my sweet czech music and generally hanging out with myself. and some of my friends, like Emily, Jon, and Jennifer.

i will keep you all posted when something interesting happens.