11 months, 7 housemates, 1 large house budget, 1700 hours of service, a million baby tomatoes

This is the fastest description I could ever have for my first term with PULSE. It all started 11 months ago and ended too soon. This week we've already watches a lot of boxes filled with belongings walk out of our house and find residence in different locations. These boxes were obviously moved by their owners, but still, it was sad to watch the rooms filled with clutter return to what they were 11 short months ago, empty.

My journey with this program has been one of best decisions I've made. The next step in the near future for me, includes watching my own boxes walk out of the Stanton Avenue House and into my own on Black Street. Not too far from the house that brought comfort, laughter and love over this past year, but far enough away to continue to find who I am as a person.

So here's to 11 months, 7 housemates, 1 large house budget, 1700 hours of service, and a million baby tomatoes.

Thanks PULSE.

The Bangles

I love them.

and Pandora.

So obviously the last 2 days I've been jammin to my new station on Pandora... The Bangles.


Thank you Pandora.

West Virginia

Family.





Friends.






Nature.




I miss it.
I want to go back....

Pleaaaassssssseeee.

the LONGEST week in the history of the world....

well... maybe it's not actually the longest, but it feels like it's the longest. Dear July 18th-22nd, I have really great plans this weekend that I'd like to enjoy sooner than later.

I'm going back to Clyde this weekend. I miss my best friends, nieces, sisters, parents (and adopted parents) so much that this weekend is going to be the best. Girl's nights, wedding talk, hair cuts, wine, tears, laughter... the list goes on and on.

Something that isn't making it any easier... the Pioneer Woman posted today about the Cuppa Cuppa Cake from Steel Magnolias, and Lucy posted about how much she can't wait for this weekend to get here. NOT Cool, world around me. Not Cool. I'm anxiously awaiting Friday morning, anxiously awaiting that initial hug from the people that watched me grow up, anxiously awaiting the ice cream, wine, Mexican food, seeing my sisters, and most of all my mom. I'm anxiously awaiting that moment.

So I'm leaving you with... a clip from the movie that will wrap up our girls night on Saturday night. The movie that my 2 best friends and I have been watching since we were in high school (at least) on VHS. The movie that we quote back and forth to each other when we're sad or lonely. The movie that has us all laughing so hard because we know it backwards and forwards.

Thank you Steel Magnolias for giving me these memories of my best friends, or thank you best friends for giving me Steel Magnolias.

Send a little love

I met Carina at Union Project. She is a co-op member in our ceramics studio. She's a little quiet at first but will make you laugh the second time you meet her. Carina and I took Wood-firing Ceramics together this past spring. She is an amazing artist and an incredibly caring individual.

On Friday of this past week, Carina's house caught on fire. Everyone is ok, but she was living there with her husband, and 5 of their friends. They were investing their lives into this home where they were rebuilding.

Here is their story.

http://www.ruinrenew.com/p/ways-to-helpgive.html

Send lots of love their way.... they have a long journey ahead.

B.A.G

I have this incredible friend named Beth. Yes, she is also a housemate of mine. Yes, she is getting married. Yes, she is from Goshen and went to Goshen. Yes, I will miss living with her dearly, but I'm super excited for her new journey next year!

One of the coolest things about Beth...(she is pretty dang cool!) is that she is an artist.

An AH-mazing artist.


Back in October she started this 26 day project. To doodle an alphabet animal every day. She obviously succeed (minus the day her pen ran out of ink)and now she is a doodling machine.



Recently Beth did a doodle that I will forever be grateful for. I'm not going to post it just yet, but I'm including some pictures from her etsy page.

Beth, you're a rock star.

ap

almost there...

I've been struggling lately on deciding what to chat about. Something funny? How freaking hot it is going to get this week? My trip to WVa? the fact that I"m literally 2 weeks from being done with my first year of PULSE. Did you get that.... first year?!?!
So here's the news....

As of August 8th, I will no longer be working in the Union Project office, but I will be moving upstairs to the PULSE office. I am continuing on with this program in Pittsburgh for another year. There will be many new experiences and also a lot of changes. Just to describe a few.... I will no longer be living in the PULSE house with the newbies, but will be sharing a house down the road with some friends. However, I will be getting the same stipend from the PULSE program. Insurance, food money, housing paid for, etc. I will be working with Chris to give him a little more time to focus on the new group, and his role as an ED. It's really great and exciting news because to be honest, I don't think I was done with this program yet. I don't think I could have left this city yet, however now I'm a little nervous that it's stolen my heart and will keep it for a long time.

So here's to exciting news, a new start, and another year in Pittsburgh!



Cheers!
ap

I love you.

I was raised in a small town in Ohio. Clyde to be exact. I’m a born and raised Flier, blue and gold, baby. With how much I loved that town, the people and my home, I also loved the idea of getting away. I needed to find out who Anna could be outside of the small town of Clyde.

Ironically I then moved to Bluffton University, a smaller town than Clyde. Home of the Beavers. Purple and white. I spent four years sitting in classrooms, exploring part of the world and building a stronger faith. I loved Bluffton almost as much as I love Clyde. I’ll always be a Beaver, I’ll always be a Flier.

And now, after Bluffton, I packed my bags and moved to a place much larger than Clyde and Bluffton. Pittsburgh. Home of the.... Penguins. (I refuse to acknowledge anything else, outside of the Pens and possibly Pirates) The city of bridges and black and gold. With how large of a place this city is and I thought it was going to be huge , it’s actually some what of a small town. Neighborhoods everywhere, people you know walking down the street and places to escape.

Something that I became aware of at the end of my senior year at BU, was finding and holding onto the relationships that I’ve already built. In my head I continue to think, “I’ve been doing this my entire life.... can’t I just be done with making those strong friendships? Will there ever be a time when I have that solid group that I did growing up? That group of people that know everything that is happening in my life, or that knows everything that HAS happened in my life before each new segment?”

Well- it doesn’t really matter to me I guess anymore about having a core group, but just loving the people I’m with. I have some of the best friends a girl could ask for and they are my family... but in the end, each person I come in contact with and fall in love with will be a part of my life forever. They made me feel like I was back in the hallways at CHS watching everyone come into school before the bell rang, or they made me feel like I was sharing a dinner table with them at Bluffton mixing different cereal, or they walked into Union Project to throw a pot downstairs in the studio.

These people in my life have helped carry me to the place I am today. They are continuing to be that support system throughout each moment and surprise me every day.

I love you friends. Thank you for giving me your strength when I can't rely on my own.

I am so sorry for ignoring you for a week dear Blogger. It's been a ride of emotions this past week. I've been exhausted from volunteers, to excited for a mini vacation, to frustrated at the weather to happy to finally make it to the West Virginia Mountains. Oh how I miss that fresh mountain air already. I promise that I will upload pictures from the last week of my life and explain how cool my awesome God is.

All I can say is that I can't believe it's already July 12th.... and I have a small shout out to my friend Nena=== I forgot to wish you a happy birthday dear friend. 7/11.

July.

Sometimes I get exhausted with how life can get the best of me. I've been crazy busy the past week and wanted to apologize for that. However, I'm going to leave you with a link that is continuing to keep me busy this next week.

love from pittsburgh!

http://www.mennoniteusa.org/Home/Convention/Pittsburgh2011/tabid/1441/Default.aspx

Mennonite+Pittsburgh= awesome (and busy, and volunteer groups, and little sleep, and reunion with friends....) the list goes on and on.