First off I want to apologize about my delayed posts, I ran into a little technical difficulties but we are up and running now!
Okay, so week one of my sabbatical went very smooth. I’m not sure what all these other folks are talking about on finding it difficult to transition from work mode to sabbatical mode, I had no problem whatsoever transitioning into sabbatical mode, maybe too easy! I’m guessing getting out of sabbatical mode might not be as easy…
I started my sabbatical Wednesday August 2nd and spent the first few days relaxing, meditating and reading. My first book is titled Powerful Thoughts by Joyce Meyer. So far it’s a very interesting read, she explains how when we think negatively we receive negative results and how to train our minds to think positively and get positive results.
My brother and father drove up to my place for the weekend and we had a blast. It’s been a while since the three of us were able to be together. For those of you who aren’t aware, I love to cook food for me and others. The weather was beautiful that weekend and we literally smoked/grilled food all weekend. Friday night I prepared stuffed cream cheese jalapeno hamburgers on my charcoal Weber (no gas grills around my house) with a grilled bacon cheddar onion blossom as a side. Saturday morning we cold smoked 5 different types of cheese. I can already anticipate your jokes about Wisconsinites and their cheese…..Then in the afternoon I taught them how to properly smoke ribs low and slow. I know you Texans would rather I had smoked a brisket instead but I’m saving that for another day.
The beginning of the week I devoted time to a local volunteer group in La Crosse called The Hunger Task Force. They are a food bank that accepts food donations from individuals and local grocery stores and distributes the donations to local organizations in need. Organizations such as the Red Cross, churches, rehab groups etc. They also have an enormous garden where they grow and harvest fresh produce for those in need. Everyone that I met there was very nice and had a positive attitude. I got to help sort all the fresh produce that gets donated from local grocery stores and how they keep everything organized. After that we sort and organize all the dry/canned goods which was also interesting but my favorite part was loading up the food truck and distributing the donations to all the needy organizations in town. Everyone we met was so kind and grateful for our efforts, it was obvious that we were making their lives better and truly making a difference in the community.
The next step in my journey is taking me back to my home town of Durand, IL to visit with family and friends then spend the weekend in Bloomington, IL (my second home town) visiting with more family and friends that I haven’t seen in months/years. I’m excited for the weekend and will keep you posted on my Journey.
Stat tuned till next time!