My summer

So, folks - I have a fairly packed summer lined up, and it's already started. In fact, I should be actively doing a number of things right now instead of writing about my summer - but I thought I'd get a little post in while I'm thinking about it.

My summer thus far has involved:
-Resting - sleeping in late, reading for fun, watching Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the Belcourt
-Celebrating the graduation of some dear friends from the Divinity School and Peabody School (as well as hearing about lots of others from middle school, high school, college, short programs, etc.)
-Shopping - something I rarely do but is necessary on occasion
-Celebrating the wedding of 2 dear friends, with who I have been living and communing for almost 2 years
-Coffees, dinners, and happy hours
-Celebrating a birthday and ordination of another dear friend
-Healing from a break/transition in long-term relationship
-Taking a May-mester course, called Church and the Urban Community
-Wondering if there will be good jobs available in good places a year from now, when I graduate
-Eating the first taste of fresh CSA veggies this season from West Nashville Community Farm
-Preparing to leave for England

My summer yet to be lived will involve:
-2 more weddings of dear friends
-Writing a paper, packing, and prepping for England
-Leaving for England this Sunday for a Wesleyan heritage and worship course and visiting dear friends (and calling my dear sister locally on the phone since she'll be in the country, but probably not seeing each other, since we'll be in different parts of the country
-Coffees, dinners, and happy hours
-Time at home with family, including a Gardner (my dad's mom's side of the family) Family Reunion
-a 2.5 week eco-spirituality internship at a Holy Wisdom Monastery in Madison, Wisconsin (awesome!), along with visiting another dear friend who lives in Madison and with who I studied and traveled in Chile
-Finishing up papers for all these great summer field education experiences
-Leading worship and preaching at Calvary, as a practical application of the Wesleyan worship course
-Coffees, dinners, happy hours
-Volunteering at 10,000 Villages, and maybe at some of the great places I became acquainted with in Church and Urban Community
-Possibly participating in a National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Programs retreat
-Possibly getting together with Hendrix friends and study abroad friends here in Nashville

I think that might be it, as far as I can tell. You never know what might be around the corner, though. I hope to blog a bit through the summer, to record how things unfold, but we'll see how inspired or procrastination-prone I become.

In the peace of fruitful summers,
Jessica