Our next venture should be a Bed and Breakfast...

I think we are getting into the swing of things here at seminary. It's starting to feel like we're at home and not on an extended vacation. Peter is enjoying his classes and has been making some extra money by acting as a shuttle service and driving visitors to the University back and forth from the airport in Nashville. He has met some very interesting people and is really enjoying the experience. I am adjusting to my new work schedule. It is difficult to learn an entirely new job, with weird new hours in a new health system, but I work with some really great nurses who are eager to help me in anyway possible.

This past week we had a visit from Peter's sister Donna and her husband Chris and Peter's mom, Dottie. Donna and Chris arrived Tuesday night. They joined us for the Spanish eucharist and community lunch on Wednesday and I took them on my go-to tour that afternoon while Peter was in class. Wednesday night we went to Chattanooga for some delicious barbeque and....

It was a great day!

Dottie joined us Thursday evening. We went to dinner Thursday at a tasty Greek restaurant in Cowan, toured All Saint's Chapel and played some mah jongg. On Friday while I slept to prepare for work, Peter took the fam to the Natural Bridge.


It's such a beautiful setting, and so peaceful. I could sit there for days.

On Saturday, Donna and Chris left and Peter and his mother hiked to Bridal Veil Falls. We made the hike earlier in the season, but the falls were dry. Not this time! With all of the rain we've had lately, the creek and the falls were full and BEAUTIFUL! I hate that I missed seeing it.
When Peter and I hiked this there was no creek at all! They climbed to the top and spent some time just enjoying nature. Dottie is an outdoorsy person, so she enjoyed the falls too.

On Sunday Peter and Dottie went to church on campus at All Saints Chapel then Peter spent the afternoon in the library and Dottie went to the Walmart down the mountain in Decherd.

On Monday, after I got off work, Dottie and I went to Murfreesboro to shop. I found some pretty awesome boots that I will be going back to buy next week and we discovered a really cool accessory store called Charming Charlie's. It was so cute! They have everything!! I'm looking forward to buying some kicking stocking stuffers there for Christmas.

Tuesday was Dottie's Birthday. She sat in on Peter's Church History Class that morning and we made her dinner that night. Wednesday we all went to Morning Prayer then to breakfast at the Blue Chair. Peter was scheduled to be part of a photo shoot for the School of Theology website and Dottie and I were recruited for it as well. We ate breakfast with our friend Joe and got a little taste of what a reality show must feel like! It was a fun morning and a nice end to her visit.

As I write this we have just finished our regular Thursday night Happy Hour with some friends. It's been one of the really great things about our lives here. Happy hour at our house started when Peter was still "geographically single"as they call it up here, inviting a few people over for drinks. It's a great time every week. Though a few of our regulars weren't here tonight, it's always a highlight of our week.

We look forward to Peter's Thanksgiving Break and Luke's visit!

Dubose Lectures and the Return of the Prodigal Cat

This has been a very eventful week! It started out with an interesting email on Sewanee Classifieds. A brown tabby cat had been found by an undergrad and was in his dorm room. He sent out a mass email wondering if anyone on campus was missing a cat. We didn't want to get our hopes up, Loki had been missing for more than six weeks, but PW replied with a description of Loki. Moments later he opened an email and there was a picture of our cat!!!!! After six weeks of living it up in the woods Loki was in a dorm room across campus! We immediately hopped in the car and brought her home. I won't say she's THRILLED to be trapped in the house, but it's getting cold and we really don't want her running off again.

On Wednesday our dear friends Eric and Shelley Long and Steve Bates came up from P'cola for the Dubose Lectures. The lectures consist of an opening Eucharist, lunch and two lectures on Thursday, a fancy party Thursday night and a final lecture Friday morning. We had a fabulous time!!! On Wednesday evening we had our regular Thursday night Happy Hour Crew come over for cocktails and to meet Eric, Shelly and Steve. On Thursday while Eric and Peter attended the lectures, Shelley and I went exploring. She took me to the Natural Bridge just off of campus. It was so pretty!!!

We walked across it and climbed down.
There was a really cool cave and fire pit underneath.

There were carvings in the rocks, some dated 1901. Pretty cool!


After the bridge we went to the convent to enjoy the lovely view and the gorgeous fall colors.
On Thursday night we got all gussied up and went to the Dubose banquet and party. There was great food, friends, drinks and a band with dancing. It was actually nice to have an excuse to get dressed up. I realized I haven't worn my sexy heels since we moved here! A good time was had by all!

Pictured below are Shelley and me with Peter's classmate Joe Wallace.

And here are Peter and me with Sara and Mark.


I had to work this weekend, so I missed the trick or treaters, but Peter said we had plenty of them! Our friends Jen and Chris brought their little boy Bill by before I went to work, so I got to see him. Such a cutie!

This week Peter's sister and brother-in-law are making the trip to TN to see us for a few days. It's been so nice to have visitors!!