A Safe Place

      Jenna's Utah friends have been in school for two weeks.  Her first day was today.  I told her not to be nervous as all of those who attend Coffenberry today will all be new to the school.  6th graders start middle school.  I think she was excited and nervous.

     The bus picks up at 7:00 a.m.  We left the house early, not quite knowing where the bus stop is.  We crossed the street and waited - hoping that there would be at least one other student who would know if we were standing in the correct spot.  Close enough.

     Fall is in the air - finally.  Some trees have started to turn.  For the first time we saw rain yesterday.  We've been praying for rain.  Rain without lightening. Our county has been in extreme fire danger since we moved here.  Everybody has told us that the summers have never been as hot as this one has. 

I think the hill behidg this house looks like a large haystack

     This morning seemed more promising of cooling off as there was a thick fog hanging over the hills.  I hadn't seen that since we had stayed in McMinnville earlier in April.  So happy to see that again.  We really need the moisture.

It has been smokey, but this is a fog from the river (I'm guessing)

    She forgot her clarinet.  I had planned on stopping by the school to pay for lunch.  I left her clarinet at the front office.  It was still there when I picked her up.  Band was not a part of her schedule.  I went back to the office to find out why.  There was an error and her schedule will change tomorrow.  She'll no longer have crafts.  How sad.  She doesn't want to be in band anyway - especially at the expense of crafts.

     I've been keeping a journal for Jenna since before she was born.  Before she turned ten, I figured she could continue writing on her own.  Often, getting her to write anything is as has proved challenging - though I don't know why.  She's very creative.

     On the last Wednesday in August, we went to a youth center which I discovered as a supplement for after school.  At first she was not at all excited about the idea of going, but went from "being forced to attend at least once a week" to "I'm going everyday"

     We'd gone there for an open house and she received a journal in a raffle - a journal she has actually written in every day since she brought it home.  YEAH!!!!  I'm certain she will have tons to write about now that she's home.

cover of Jenna's new journal

     The fire sign needle had been changed to Moderate.  I don't know if that's for real or if it was an ignorant prank.