"With love, with patience, and with faith, she'll make her way."

Winter is rearing its ugly head in West Clarksville. The inch of snow we got the night before last is slowly melting away, but the overcast skies warn that there is more to come. I realized today that I failed to bring any of my colder weather accessories, like gloves, scarves, hats, and the like. I'm not really sure what I was thinking when I packed, maybe that I would become invincible to cold this winter, or discover how to grow fur on command. I have not done either. Luckily, though, the weather has remained merely chilly as opposed to frigid and I am not in any danger of frostbite.

We have had busy days of hosting lately. Last week, the FVMs invaded the Mountain and I think some of my community are still trying to catch their breath. It was wonderful to get to see my site supervisor and my program director and Katelyn! What a breath of fresh air to have people around that have grown to know me so well. I still feel so connected to the Inn and all its happenings (possibly because Katelyn and I manage to correspond daily), as though I could return tomorrow and pick up right where I left off. I won't say the thought hasn't crossed my mind. It was great to get to know the other 2 FVMs better and to see their community in action. They welcomed me in so much that sometimes I felt like I was the 4th community member. As awesome as it was, it also highlighted some challenges I face in my own current community, so the realization that they were leaving while I had to remain at the Mountain made saying good-bye very difficult.

There is a lovely older couple here this week on retreat, and it is almost like having a set of grandparents here. They constantly encourage me to eat, and even brough a large pot full of soup, some homemade Amish chocolates, and homemade Amish bread, as well as some cheese from Cuba, so there is definitely no shortage of things to eat. Oh, and I almost forgot-they brough a pumpkin roll. Heavenly. The wife was telling me about the pumpkin cake her husband makes on occasion (which sounded divine) and as they watched me drool, they decided they would try to return in May so they could bring me some. This is just another example of a phenomena I have been noticing a lot lately. If you do something good, or start something good, people will get behind it. They may need some encouragement, but if you can make them believe in your vision, they will support it. How else has the St. Francis Inn managed to stay open in spite of all the things that happen that would cause any other place to close? How does the Mountain continue to run smoothly in spite of the fact that it is completely countercultural and lacking in any type of reinforcement in "normal" society? A few weeks ago, I sat in on our board of trustees meeting and just looked around the room. All of those 13 people have jobs and families and a million other different things to do. Yet, they give their time and energy to make the Mountain happen. They can't even come to the Mountain all that often, so they are doing it for other people. It's beautiful. It gives me hope for my own future in that as long as I stand for something good, I will likely have others standing with me.

Physician's assistant school is becoming a reality for next year for me. I got a phone call from Le Moyne last week to schedule an interview for January. I am thrilled. Granted, I would probably rather be living in Philadelphia, but a call to PCOM yesterday revealed that they have yet to touch my application. To quote an old basketball T-shirt I somehow acquired, "The future's so bright I've gotta wear shades."