Jill Victoria

Well, David and I are back from our honeymoon and settling into our “normal” life now. I put normal in quotation marks because I’m not sure what normal is now. My life will never be the same in most ways. I’m in the midst of creating new version of normal with passing day.

The honeymoon was great. We left on our Carnival Cruise on Monday afternoon. Our two ports of call were Key West and Nassua in the Bahamas. I really enjoyed being in Key West more than the Bahamas. I’d really like to drive down and stay a while in the Keys.

In the Bahamas, we took a ride in a taxi cab of DEATH! Stop signs and traffic lights are just a suggestion down there. I was never so happy to be out of a vehicle! The sights were cool and the water was beautiful. Other than that, I don’t see why the Bahamas are such a big draw for people.

I enjoyed being on the cruise ship. David and I spent lazy times together, just enjoying each other and the ability to do nothing at all. We both kept journals the whole trip, some of which I may end up transcribing onto here.

Saturday we left the ship and drove back to the condo in Fernandina. We hung out on the beach and in downtown all day. I did some shopping while David checked out the classic car show going on for the fall festival.

Sunday we packed up and headed for home. We stopped in Savannah to have lunch at The Pirate House. David had never been before, and I love the food, history and the ghosts! After lunch, we stopped at the Savannah Candy Kitchen to get our parents (and ourselves!) some fudge and other sweet treats.

My mom and dad met us at our house and brought my car as well as our wedding gifts. After we got things settled at the house, the four of us went to David’s parents’ house for dinner. We visited with them, GrandMom, John and Yoly. It was nice to get home.

Last night David and I started unpacking my boxes and wedding gifts. We started putting things in their proper places. So far we’ve tackled the guest bathroom and the kitchen. Its starting to look more like our home.

I started making plans for our annual Halloween party. Anyone can come, just let me or David know!

My mom called me yesterday and told me that Sunday night she thought I looked the most beautiful she had seen me look in a long time. She said I looked relaxed, happy and had a glow about me. I guess married life suits me.

This weather suits me, too! I love the autumn! I get to wear lovely fall colors and fashions, like boots, scarves and coats. I got out my scarves last night and wore one today.

Life is the same in some ways. I still have school to do, and I’m still watching the kids in the afternoon. I’m also still making plans with friends and playing World of Warcraft. All that is a comfort to me. Makes this transition a bit easier.

Stuff like this weekend’s outting with Krista and Spencer to Oakland Cemetery for the ghost tour, and our Halloween party are just a couple of fun things coming up. Krista and I talked about a couples weekend retreat to Charleston in the next couple of months, too. That should be fun!

I’m pretty sure I’ve covered everything. I’m going to enjoy the autumn weather now. Later!

As I have mentioned before in this blog, Shingleroof Campmeeting starts this coming Friday, July 17th. It is an annual tradition in my family to take seven days out of our lives (along with a couple hundred other people) and make our pilgrimage to Shingleroof Campground in McDonough, Ga. For some, it’s a long trip. For people like me and lot of my local relatives in and around McDonough, it’s nothing but a short drive down the road. As of right now, I still live just five short miles away from a place that makes me feel a million miles removed from the everyday life.

Shingleroof Campground was founded in 1831 on land deeded to the Methodist Church in McDonough, GA from the Creek tribe. At that time, McDonough was only ten years old and Shingleroof was located in a wilderness no more than 30 miles from Indian Territory.

The roots of Campmeeting lay deep in the history of the Judeo-Christian religion. Campmeetings around the country are patterned closely on the ancient Jewish Holy Week of Sukot; also known as the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of Booths. Sukot was established by God, speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, when He instructed the Jewish people in Leviticus 23:41-42, “Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in booths for seven days”

On April 12th, 1861, just nine days after Fort Sumter was fired upon (beginning the Civil War, or as my grandmother calls it: The War of Northern Aggression), volunteers started to gather in Henry County and Shingleroof Campground was their rallying point. It also became their training ground.

Now you have a brief, highlighted history of Shingleroof.

My cousin, Nancy Paul Miller, (who lives across the dirt road from me) wrote a paper on Shingleroof Campmeeting while she was a student back in 1994 at the College of St. Francis. She wrote a piece in that paper I would like to share with you here to sum up Campmeeting for you:

Vacation is a precious time. People ask what I am going to do on my vacation. I tell them I am going to Shingleroof Campground in McDonough, GA. There is no air conditioning, no TV’s, no VCR’s nor computers. Some children bring their small electronic games, but usually do not play with them unless it is raining and they don’t want to go out and play in the rain and puddles with the rest. Campmeeting is a kind of time out week, different from all the other weeks and holidays because my mind and living are slowed down and far away from so many of the noisy and busy distractions and demands of the late 20th century life. The porch is a special place at each tent. We watch the children and adults play. We see the water balloon battles, the making of mud pies, volleyball, softball games, and those who dare may swing on a rope swing with a plank for a seat. Children from all over the campground stand in line to swing up into the tree leaves. On the porch, we shell peas and string beans. Visitors walk from porch to porch joining in on the shelling and story telling. There may be ten to twenty or more living in one tent with one bathroom and shower. The bedrooms have two double beds so there may be six in a room. There is a hotel that was built this year without having to borrow money, but by donations and memorials. The hotel is used for reunions during the year and groups come during campmeeting to eat before or after services. It only has two rooms now for guests to spend the night. They may add more if needed. So what brings us to campmeeting? I feel it’s the ’spirit of competing’ and kinship. The religious services, the openness of the services, being out of doors, gives us the feeling of being in God’s presence. Being in a place special to our ancestors. Kinship is very important. We go our separate ways during the year, rarely seeing some, but for that one week we become close again and feel it helps us stay close though we are far apart. We learn of our heritage from stories passed down from the older generations. Those we never met we feel we know.

You did read right. Every year I spend a week of my life in a tent (read: cabin) that is made of rough cut boards, has a tin roof, the walls don’t join the ceiling (as there is none; just a view of the tin separating your and the rain). The tent boasts four bedrooms, three of which have two full beds that are wall to wall which can sleep up to six people comfortably… more if you’re throwing children in.

Having wall to wall beds makes steam rolling (the act of rolling over people laying in the bed, usually to wake them up) easier.

We have one toilet and one shower. This year we will have about 24 people staying at the tent daily and even more people coming for meals and to sit, rock and visit on the front porch and go to the two services offered daily.

Campmeeting will officially begin at 7:30 Friday night when the first church service in the tabernacle begins. Every day after that till the following Thursday there will be two church services held in the tabernacle. The building is an open walled church and is packed for every service offered. People bring their lawn chairs to sit outside the structure and listen to the pastor preach.

This will be my 26th annual Campmeeting. I prefer to count my time in my mom’s womb as a year at the campground. I’m sure that’s when it settled into my blood to begin with.

A lot of the tents at Shingleroof are more “primitive” than my family’s. They have sawdust floors and resemble more of a stable setting on the inside than a place to live. Some of the newer tents have air conditioning, but the majority of the buildings are still only cooled by ceiling fans. They’re life savers in the July Georgia heat.

My family has been tenting at Shingleroof for generations. The tent we occupy now was built for my great-grandmother, Dovie Bryans Elliott, by my grandmother and great-aunts. It was an upgrade from then tent my family used to have. A fire that destroyed on side of the Campground took their tent with it. My great-uncle is suspected of starting the fire with one of his cigars. Accidentally, of course.

Shingleroof Campground and the campmeeting that takes place there is dear to my heart. I love seeing my cousins (because nearly everyone who attends is related to me) for that time and feeling like I’m completely removed from the “real world”. Even cell phones have a hard time functioning at the campground. It’s almost as if you’re in a time warp and Shingleroof is sucking you in.

Honestly, Campmeeting is something you either love or hate. I find it hard to believe that anyone can hate the place. Yes, it’s hot and humid and you sweat a lot and are never properly clean. And yes, you also go to church twice a day and sweat there too. But you also have you Fs: Family, Friends, Fellowship, Food, Fun and Faithfulness. To me, you can’t beat that. All the discomforts bring you out of your own comfort zone and into a place that really does revive you. After all, that’s what you’re there to do; be revived.

Come if you like. Shingleroof is located at the intersection of Campground Road and Highway 155 in McDonough, GA. it will start at 7:30 Friday, July 17th and run till Thursday, July 23rd.

Come dip your toes in the spring, experience that “ol’ time religion”, swing on the rope swing, rock on the front porch, hear the blue hairs tell their stories, and get some sawdust under your toenails. Once it hits the blood stream, you’re hooked.

Current Mood: Playful

There is the old saying that when God closes a door, He opens a window. I’m going to have to go with that right now.

Friday night I was out with David, John, Yoly and their cousin Zack and his girlfriend, Ilia. We went to Don Pablo’s for dinner and then planned to see Angels and Demons afterward. While at dinner, I got a phone call from my co-worker, Jerry. He told me that my boss was letting me go and that he would pay me the money he owed me. I’m not holding my breath to the the close to a grand he owes me. It would really come in handy, though.

Jerry told me that my now former boss said that when business picks up, he’ll bring me back. Again, I’m not holding my breath. I had a feeling it was coming to this anyways. I mean, the man couldn’t even afford to pay me $160 a week.

I’m really counting on Mary Kay to help me out while I look for a new job. If you want to host a party or get a free facial, please let me know and give me a call. My info can be found on my Mary Kay website.

Despite the bad news, I still had a lot of fun with everyone. Angels and Demons was so awesome! It followed the book really closely and it did a fantastic job turning one of my favorite books into a movie. I wasn’t disappointed!

Saturday night was the benefit dinner and dance for the Joseph Sams School. I had a lot of fun there. I got to dress all pretty and visit with the Coles and a lot of other people in my impending family. My mom and grandmother came as well. My grandmother is a big fan of Ferrol Sams, so she got to meet him. I hope that made her happy. She was happy at Christmas when David and I gave her autographed copies of his books.

David and I danced our first dance ever to “My Girl”. It was sweet. We also bid on a golden rose at the silent auction and won it. It really is pretty.

Sunday Lauren and I had our Mary Kay booth at the Taste of Fayetteville. Despite the rain, the cold and the fact we both got pretty miserable really fast, it was a productive time. We got a lot of leads and hopefully that will turn into a lot of customers.

After we enlisted David and John’s help in getting the tent and the table packed away, Lauren headed home and I went with David, John and Yoly to eat at O’Charley’s. We went to visit with family at GrandMom and Pop’s house afterward for Patty’s birthday. Pop seemed to be having a pretty good day. He at least knew who everyone was. We sang “Amazing Grace” for him as a family. It nearly made me cry. Even typing about it gets me teary-eyed.

Today I decided I needed a haircut. At least Mary Kay has been good enough to me that I could pay off some bills and get a haircut. I’m really happy with how it turned out, too. I’d highly recommend people going to The Ten Salon for their next haircut. You won’t be sorry! I told Leigh, the girl who cut my hair, that she gave me the exact haircut I have been trying to get other stylists to give me for a long time. It’s the best haircut I’ve ever had!

Now I have to look for another job. I’m not thrilled with it, but who would be? I know that God has His hand in everything and that I will be just fine. It doesn’t make this any easier. At least with my GPE job I knew that money would come in eventually. I guess I have the same situation with Mary Kay. I will make money with Mary Kay only if I put work into it. I have a lot of calls to make.

Please keep me in your prayers. Pray that God leads me to the job I need to have, whatever that may be.

Current Mood: Cool

My trip to Fernandina Beach was a great time! It was so nice to leave the wet and rain for a few days of sun and warm breezes.

We started off a bit late and with some change in riding arrangements. Key had to go to Alabama Thursday night, so he ended up coming down Friday afternoon with Kris and Gabe. That worked out well for everyone, I think. It gave Emily and Laura more room in the back seat of my PT Cruiser.

David came to my house and left his car there. Then we went to Emily’s to wait for Key to drop off Laura there so we could get on the road. I had wanted to leave by 5:00, but we ended up on the road at 6:00. Still worked out fine.

It rained the whole way down to Florida. We all stopped for dinner in Dublin and sadly got some pretty bad service at Cracker Barrel. The next stop was Savannah for more gas and bathroom breaks. I have to say, Laura did a great job of holding it despite being pregnant!I was so glad that we had a covered parking spot because unloading my car in the pouring rain and lightning wouldn’t have been fun at all! David, Emily, Laura and I arrived at the condo a little past midnight. We were all exhausted.

It was nice and sunny the next morning. David, Emily, Laura and I decided to walk down to the beach to do some wading in the waves and tidal pools. The water was very cold! After that, we all went and got some groceries down the road at Food Lion. I love their prices! We made the most awesome sandwiches ever for lunch when we got back and then headed down to the pool and beach.

No matter what body of water you put your foot in, it was cold! Of course, it is just April and the water hasn’t really had time to warm up yet. I hope the next trip down produces warmer water for swimming.

Kris, Key and Gabe arrived in the mid-afternoon. After they unloaded and got situated, we went back down to the pool and beach. It was Gabe’s first vacation and his first beach experience. He didn’t like the water or the sand at all. I think Kris was a little disappointed in that.

For dinner that night we went down the road to a place called Sliders. I thought the food was all right. Emily and Key had this salad that was topped with steak tidbits and French fries. Yeah, it looked interesting but they both said it was really good. I may have to try it next time I’m down there.

Some asshole in a Jeep parked so close to my side of the car in the parking lot that I had barely a foot of room to open my car door. I didn’t feel the least bit sorry for the dent my fat self left in his running board when the door was forced against it when I squeezed in. Whoever was driving just didn’t want to have to park across the street, so they squeezed in as close as they could to avoid being in the tow away zone. Total asshole thing to do.

We all just chilled at the condo that night. In the morning Kris made breakfast, which was totally awesome of her. She made breakfast every morning.

That day we spent at the pool, beach and then out shopping in Historic Downtown Fernandina. I got us lost going there at first. The map I looked at showed a historic town, but it turned out to be a cluster of old house where the original town was first. That was interesting, but not what we were looking for.

After I finally got David, Laura, Key and I to the right place, Emily, Kris and Gabe had already started down the nice little strip of shops. We all just did our own thing. I ended up buying some awesome shoes at a place called Twisted Sister. We all met up at the end of the day so we could go back to the condo, get dressed and then go back to town for dinner at The Crap Trap.

That meal turned out pretty bad. I thought the food was good. Emily and I split the crab leg dinner, but Key ended up having a bad allergic reaction to eating food cooked in the same oil as shrimp. He and David both have allergies to shellfish. David didn’t have as bad of a reaction, but I ended up having to rush Key and David along with Laura to the nearest pharmacy to get some Benadryl.

Everyone was OK. Key slept his off and David just took a couple of doses as a precaution.

The last day at the condo we just spent hanging out there, either on the beach or at the pool, or even just inside watching movies. Kris cooked us all potatoes, steak and chicken on the grill and made salad and brocolli. It was all so very yummy! Kris really is an awesome cook.

Kris and Gabe left around noon Monday to go back to Georgia. It wasn’t until around 3:15 or so that David, Emily, Laura, Key and I piled into my car and headed back home. We stopped in Savannah to eat dinner at Vinnie Van Go-Go’s and to get some sweets at the Savannah Candy Kitchen. We got back on the road at 7:00 and I finally dropped off everyone and got back home by midnight. I was exhausted and already sick. Apparently I had allergies to something blooming down at the beach as I had started running a fever, coughing and just feeling achy Saturday night. To top it off, I started my period.

I spent yesterday and today (Tuesday and Wednesday) at home trying to get over all the allergies and their side affects. I’m finally feeling better. I went and had lunch with Krista at the sushi place where David proposed to me. Then she and I went to Dots and Game Stop. Now I’m home and waiting for David to get off so he can come have dinner and watch Ghost Hunters. He’ll also be bringing my dad more of John’s beer, which I’m sure my dad will enjoy.

If you’d like to see pictures from the trip, you can click this link.

Current Mood: Cool

Ok, so maybe Otis Redding will forgive me for changing his lyrics to “Dock of a Bay” up a bit for my entry title. I don’t think he’s rolling over in his grave of anything.

In less than five hours I will be getting on the road with David, Emily, Laura and Key, heading to Florida! I wish I could say we were heading for sunshine and warm breezes, but the forcast gives us one full day of sun with 30% chances of showers in the afternoon every other day. Plus we have to deal with bad storms on the way down tonight. Pray we have a safe trip and a safe time!

I’m really excited about going. Kris and Gabe will be coming down tomorrow to join us, which is awesome! I went and met up with Kris yesterday at What the Pho? and took my mom along. I’ve been trying to get my mom to go up and try Vietnamese food for a couple of months now. I think she liked what she had. She wasn’t a fan of the pho, though.

After eating with Kris and giving her back the coolers she left at David’s, I took my mom to Cafe Mozart’s Bakery for dessert. She had the NY Cheesecake, which I think is the best cheesecake I’ve ever had. My mom liked it, but I don’t think she’d be wanting to make a trip up just for the food we had. Ah well, at least I got her to try some new stuff.

My brother did leave yesterday to go back to Korea for another two months. In June he comes home and then begins his station at Ft. Stewart in Savannah, GA in August. I’m glad he’ll be in our own state for this stationing. The only thing I’m worried about now is that he may be in training for being deployed right as mine and David’s wedding is taking place. Matthew just has to be there! I can’t get married without my brother! I will only get married once and I want him there for it, standing up at a groomsman.

It will be all right. I just need to have faith.

I really need to get the rest of the stuff ready for the trip. I also need to move some things in my car so I can fit all five people in as comfortable as possible. Is it possible to put five people in a PT Cruiser and have them not feel like sardines in a can for five and a half hours? I guess we’ll have a clown car experiment.

Another rainy day in Georgia, for which I am truly thankful! If you lived on water coming from a well in your yard, you’d be thankful for rain, too! We are still in a drought in Georgia and every little drop of water is a life giving gift from God as far as I’m concerned!

I have taken all this week off in order to help save my job. My boss is so far behind on paying me that I offered to take a week off so there wouldn’t be more money added to the nearly $1,000 he already owes me. It worked out well seeing as I already had Friday off for the beach trip and this is my brother’s last days home before he leaves for Korea again.

It’s been nice having my brother home, though it’s been like any other time he’s been around… he’s not around. He goes off with everyone but his family 95% of the time, and it sucks! We want to see him and spend time with him, too! Ah well… he’s a big boy. He can make his own choices. I just figured he’d want to see us more than he has since he was gone nearly a year.

Today I’m playing nurse to David… and not in the kinky way, so don’t go there. He has food poisoning and really needed someone here to help him. I feel bad for him because he doesn’t take sickness very well. He’s asleep right now, which is good. I already talked to his dad, who gave me instructions on what to do for him.

Thursday evening I’ll be leaving with David, Emily, Laura and Key to go to Fernandina Beach, Florida for four days. I’m really looking forward to it! Kris and Gabe will be joining us Friday through Sunday and I’m happy they’re coming as well! I’m looking forward to seeing Gabe’s first reaction to the beach and the ocean.

The number of people has grown a lot since yesterday. Laura said she wouldn’t be able to come, so I was looking for another fourth person to join us. I asked Kris and she was able to pull strings. Then Laura informs me last night she can go and now her husband Key can as well since the Navy screwed him over (again) on paper work. So, now we have gone to think it would just be three of us (originally just me and David since the time at the condo was a Christmas present from David’s parents) to seven of us! But I think the more the merrier. The next trip will be just me and David, though, since we’ll want some time alone as well.

Matthew leaves tomorrow morning. I feel bad that I had to come look after David today. But, like I told him, I don’t plan to just start practicing the vows I am going to take after we’re married. I am here for him now; for better or worse, richer for poorer, sickness and health. I would say “till death do we part”, but we don’t see our relationship ending at just death. We plan to be together in Heaven as well as Earth.

Now I feel like I need to fill everyone going on the trip in with more details. I’m more paranoid about getting everyone ready to leave at the same time than I am about getting my wedding organized!

Maybe I can get my brother to spend some time with me if I leave now. I also need to get some lunch. I’m starving!

Current Mood: Playful

This week seems slow and fast at the same time.

Tuesday after work David and I went on a date… alone! We barely ever get to go somewhere alone anymore, so we decided to take advantage that night. We drove up to Duluth to eat Vietnamese at What the Pho?, which was just as good as ever. Sadly, since we had to go so far (and got stuck in traffic going up) we didn’t have time for anything else other than to head home and go to sleep.

Yesterday (Wednesday) David came over for dinner and to watch Ghost Hunters. I was hoping that Matthew would be around so he and David could get to know each other, but Matthew just bought a new truck yesterday and wanted to go off in it. I really want David and Matthew to at least get to know each other a tiny bit, seeing as they’ll be brother-in-laws soon. I got to know John, David’s brother, over the past 13 months, so at least I have that going for me.

Today is rainy and scary since there’s a tornado watch that doesn’t end till 2:00 this afternoon. I am scared to death of tornadoes! Really it’s just bad storms in general. Weather is one thing we have no control over so there is no predicting what it can do and when. That scares me.

I picked up the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan yesterday morning. I started reading it last night, but I have a hard time getting into it since there is always something or someone distracting me. It seems as soon as I sit down to read a book, my mom has to start chatting or the phone starts going off with texts and emails and calls. I’m hoping that I can read at the beach next weekend.

I believe we’re all ready for the trip down to Amelia Island next Thursday. Yay! A week from today I’ll be leaving for the beach! It will be mine and David’s first trip anywhere together. It seems like it’s long overdue to me, even if this one includes Emily and Laura coming. I’m glad they can come, though. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun! I really want to at least go on one ghost tour of the island and to try and drive down to St. Augustine one day. I think I’m finally old enough to really enjoy the rich history that the oldest city in the States holds.

Matthew as good enough to get my oil changed for me on Tuesday. Hopefully he can change out my spark plugs and stop my car from doing the jerking thing it does while going up hill, or even sitting still when I run the AC.

I also go a flat tire on Tuesday when I left work. One of my co-worker’s (that’s the best thing I can call the people here in the office with me, even if we aren’t really co-workers) sons saw it and flagged me down before I left the parking lot. He helped me reflate the tire and then I went and had the hole plugged for free at my old neighbor’s tire place. First David has a flat, then my mom and now me! I think there’s a conspiracy!

Nothing new going on today. Just the weather and the usual slump at work. Hopefully the bad weather means that the people going to probation in McDonough will be parking in Moye’s Pharmacy’s parking lot. Means more money for us! I can use all I can get right now so I can pay bills and have money for the trip next week.

I hope to spend some time with my brother. He was gone almost a year and now he’s gone while being back! I just want quality time with my one and only sibling. Is it too much to ask?

Want to see something that scares the sh*t out of me? Click here and read the stuff in this novel. It could happen to us and this presidential administration doesn’t care about a “war on terrorism”.

Current Mood: Bored