Anya continues to be busy with her classes, including 3 AP courses. Her AP World History course project with a collection of short essays was selected by her class as the best researched. She thought that no one took the time to read them, so somehow her essays looked impressive!
After school is gymnastics. She’s has less than one month of gymnastics experience but had a good experience at the first meet on Thursday at Newport High School. The other young women are very kind and encouraging of beginners. She was able to see two friends from elementary through middle school and her past recreational soccer league who are doing gymnastics at Newport.
After gymnastics is homework, with drivers ed on Monday and Saturdays. We fit driving time in here and there.
I have been a busy beaver with my dissertation writing. I MUST get the writing finished by the end of the month! I really need to defend in the first week of June (in Norway), so with an estimated 5 months delay (the 3 “opponents” get 3 months to read it), it makes a pretty tight window for Knut to review and my final revisions. If you have room for an extra prayer or two, please put this in your prayers.
I did take a couple study breaks. I took Jean and Marv out to dim sum to thank them for all their support with proofing and filling in gaps with Anya care. Our conversation also helped me clarify some issues as I was able to talk through things with people who are informed about this project. Marv has proofed all of the approximate 78,000 words. This is such a HUGE blessing.
I also met Pam and Charlie for “fika” which is a Swedish tradition for coffee and pastry (tea for me). Pam and Charlie were both professors at Fuller Seminary, but I was fortunate to have mentoring in Hebrew from Pam and theological anthropology from Charlie, and both have provided professional and academic guidance. They continue to provide great encouragement, as they listened to the current phase of this PhD journey. They both have be PhD advisers for others, so they know this journey better than I do and from both sides. I wouldn’t be on this journey without them, so I am so grateful for their investment in me.
In the midst of the grey, rainy overcast of the Pacific Northwest, I have a bit of spring. My orchid is is bloom. I’ve never had orchid rebloom! I feel so Nordic, as it seems that most of the homes in Norway have an orchid in the window!
So, off to more revisions!
With blessings,
Beth