Summer 2008: Closed
This weekend marked the official end of summer for us, and none too soon.
Thursday saw the start of school at Westminster, and that made for a couple of overwhelming (but still enjoyable) days. I have 106 students (mostly freshmen and sophomores) this year in three sections of Biblical Ethics and two section of New Testament, and while a lot of the freshmen I don't know, a lot of sophomores I do. It was fun seeing the kids again, and even more fun to have sophomores I had last year show up and say hi this year as juniors.
On Friday we finished the electrical and plumbing repairs mandated by the city of Maplewood to maintain occupancy of the house. The majority of the repairs were hardly life-threatening, but the previous owners hadn't addressed them as they should have (which the City of Maplewood took pleasure in reminding us). Thankfully, after spending the last month living in and among boxes, electricians, and plumbers, it was a joy to have the house to ourselves for the first time in a long time.
Late Friday evening, after Megan had left for her retreat, I finished up the last paper and took the final online for my Spirit, Church, and Last Things class through Covenant. I can't even begin to express how great it felt to get out from under those deadlines. Though the content was enjoyable enough, the reading and the lectures were a handful, especially when I didn't touch any of it for half the summer. (Note to self: in the future, don't take a summer-length class in half a summer.)
As the plumbing inspector had signed off on things Friday, on Saturday I helped watched our plumber Dave put the siding back on the torn-up section of the rear of our house. I also spent the morning in the basement sweeping and putting all the shelves and stuff back after we had to move them for the repairs. I then took the girls to the pool for one last time (with all the beautiful weather we've been having, the water was still freezing), and then the ladies and I went to Grant's Farm with our neighbor, Mrs. Gadell, and her granddaughter, Allison.
We got home three hours later (as did Megan) and, after a quick meal together, found ourselves sitting in back of the Gadells' house toasting the end of the day, the class, the repairs, the tyranny of the city of Maplewood over our lives, and the summer of 2008. Laughs were shared, beverages consumed, and there was much rejoicing.
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
The matters of this season are finished. Summer 2008: closed. Thank the Maker.