January 10th: A Long Week - and Misc. Learnings

I learned a lot at work.  Mercy's Occupational Therapy Program is a weekend program.  This means that students come onto campus every other weekend,

and they are in class from 6-8:30 on Friday evening, 9-5:50 on Saturday, and 9-5:00 on Sunday.  It is condensed...packed. (Um - condensed would be the left side of the green picture...packed pixels.)
There is no wiggle room.  My first week has reflected this philosophy.  My learning - as well as the students' - has been condensed.  

I found a grocery store.  I knew that I had been pushed, when, at Shoprite, I saw "my brand" of sausage and "teared up."  There was an organic aisle.  There was grass-fed beef.  Amy's Organic frozen dinners were in one of the freezers.   I was so relieved.  I had no idea that finding a grocery store

with food that I liked had been weighing so heavily on my mind.  Dealing with the crowds and the smaller aisles seems insignificant now.  I may feel differently about the crowds after awhile, but for today, I am so grateful to be able to find food. 

I went to Scarsdale Friends Meeting today.  I also went to Meeting today.  I sat and smiled as I realized that I was sitting in meeting (11am Eastern Time) at the same time as my Quaker peeps from La Crosse (10am Central Time).  I sat and smiled, as I could feel their presence.  It was nice.  Scarsdale Friends had a short social hour after meeting, and then had meeting for worship with attention to business.  Even though it was a small meeting, they went through a good process.  I liked it.

I had a little fender bender...but my fender only got scuffed - not bent.  I learned today how slick the roads are here when it rains.  I was driving on a road that twisted and turned as it was going downhill at the same time.  The road went right, and my car began gliding on some of the water and went straight.  Pumping the breaks helped a little, but the steering did nothing.  The car slid as if it were on ice.  My car was slowly headed for the concrete divider - for which I was grateful.  Had it not been for the divider, I would have slid right into oncoming traffic.  My car hit the divider, finally stopped, and then I continued on my way. 

I harbored pictures of an entire front quarter panel, headlight, and what-ever-else needing to be fixed - with the chief issue being finding a place to fix it.  When I arrived at the Meeting House, I was very relieved to see that the bumper had done its job: there was only a scratch on the rubber covering of the bumper: no dents, etc.  Nothing else.  The scuff was not even as bad as the pic.  It did, however, scare the bejeezus out of me...and taught me that the rain here is as dangerous as ice.  I think I will probably take the train once the weather gets challenging.

Not a very "poignant" entry today - I will admit.  It has, however, been an eventful week and an event-filled day.  I am grateful the the Meeting, for finding the Grocery Store, and for the Concrete Divider.  I am grateful that I do not have to find an auto-body shop - especially given that I've not yet transferred my car insurance, or obtained my NY driver's license.  

The fates are being mindful and somehow seem to know that my plate is already very full - I'm grateful for that, as well.