sweeping is the life for me

So I’ve returned to the tree nursery for sowing and greenhouse cleaning.  It’s been good so far, though I’ve missing the extra time I’d had each day to write.

Like I said work started up again last week.  We’re sowing right now at the tree nursery.  This means filling our 31 greenhouses with styroblocks each with hundreds of trees.  I’m not sure how many seedlings we grow in a year, but for some reason 9 million comes to mind.  I could be wrong.  It’s a lot anyway.  And each of the styroblocks has to get placed by hand onto a conveyor belt at the front of the sow line.  We call it being ‘on the pez’ because it’s like working a giant pez dispenser. 

Last Tuesday I was working the pez and Carp, the nursery manager, wandered by just to check up on things.  Out the blue he asked how much he was paying me.  So I told him.  And he said he wanted to make it a dollar more.  I couldn’t wait to get home to tell Sarah.

That Saturday Sarah went to a watercolour class at the art gallery.  Painting is a passion of hers, though she rarely finds the time to do it.  They were learning how to paint birch trees using two different styles.  The class was three hours long and every bit worth it.  You could tell that it had been really good for her to have the chance to do something she loves and to be taught some new techniques.  I’m very proud of her.

So it’s become a tradition to watch American Idol now with Mom and Dad each week.  We have our favourite contestants already—though it’s Steven Tyler who steals the show.  He’s hilarious!  You never know what he’s going to do next!  We also just finished the first season of The Mentalist.  At first I didn’t know if I was going to like it, but it really grew on me and now I can’t wait to see season two.  Sarah even had a dream with Patrick Jane in it! (She also had a dream where she was on a cruise ship with the entire cast of Grey’s Anatomy, but that’s another story!)

Work has been about sweeping.  All day sweeping.  We’re cleaning out the greenhouses so we can sow into them.  It’s solitary labour, which I like, but it’s repetitive.  “Piddily,” Mom would say.  Whenever I feel sore or overwhelmed I have to imagine faraway foggy London rooftops where Dick van Dyke is smiling down on me!

To wrap things up, here’s a few things that I’m excited for:

• Conversations:  I had the idea for a new section on the blog which would be sort of dialogue/interviews with friends about different topics or issues or whathaveyou.  I’ve made a new page tab where you can read the intro.  Anyway, I’m really excited to see where it’ll go.  I’ve already talked to a few friends and they’re really looking forward to it.  I hope that they will be thoughtful and fun.  I’d like the get the first one underway shortly, so check back soon!
• Regent College: We’ve applied to take a summer class at Regent, a graduate school in Vancouver.  It’s a one week class on the fiction of C.S. Lewis.  We’ve been dreaming about going to Regent and to Vancouver for a few years now where I’d like to pursue a Masters degree in Christian Studies.  They have an excellent program and many of our alumni from Eston College have gone on to study there.  We want to go there first though and scope out the city and the college to get a good taste of what life could be like there.  
• Plus, it looks like we’ll be going to three weddings this summer!  And Sarah is a bridesmaid in one!

So in doing that write-up on Stephen Lawhead and Skin Map I noticed a FAQ on his website where he says that if you want to write you need to put the words down!  Something to effect.  Essentially if you want there to be a story you need to write it.  Get it on paper.  Put it into words.  It’s strange because I’ve run into this same kind of “just do it” advice before when I find that I’m in a lull with my writing.  So I’ve decided to try and dedicate some regular time to my stories.  Discipline is hard.

As always, be well.
Nikolas

“I’m drowning in your love.  Drowning in your love.  I’m not coming up.  I’m not coming up.  ‘Cause you’re all I ever want.  You are an Ocean.”