When I was about 6 or 7 years old, we lived on a small farm owned by my grandfather, where he grew watermelons. Periodically, he would stack melons in the bed of the truck and take a load down to Pismo beach to sell.

I remember coming home from school one day to find uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents, sisters, parents, and family friends all gathered. We made a chain across the field as the truck drove through, with each of us tossing watermelons hand to hand until the reached the truck to be stacked. After loading up, we all gathered on the lawn for (what else) ice cold watermelon. I still remember fondly all the fun and laughter of that gathering.
   

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

Today, at approximately 16:35, I began to rejoice.

As of this moment, I still am.

And that's all I have to say about that...

Well, I guess it's time and past time for me to update this...

I am no longer working with bomb dogs. The reasons are my own, and I don't really want to explain them to anyone. Suffice it to say, it became increasingly obvious that I was not where I needed to be. So... back to the job search!

I'm actually enjoying the time off right now (although the being broke is no fun whatsoever). I've been able to work in the flowerbeds, do some quilting, catch up on laundry, play with the dogs, etc. It's always nice to be able to catch up on things that tend to go by the wayside when you're busy.

I have some good leads on some jobs and hope to have some news very soon.

Beth

A quick update for those with whom I've lost touch...

Pet Country, after weathering many difficult storms and seeing God bless in so many ways, is finally closing. Since losing Fred in May of last year, Sherry's heart is no longer with the business. Over the remainder of the year, she'll be slowly discounting and selling off the remaining inventory... So, if you need anything for your pets, this might be a good time to pick it up. Things are selling out very quickly, so don't wait too long. There is also another pet store owner interested in buying the business and continuing it, so pray for God's will to be done in this.

Of course, this news left me looking for new employment, so I began searching in earnest a couple of weeks ago... sending out resumes, going on cold calls, etc. I had an interview last week with Federal K-9 Security Agency in Little Rock, and yesterday had a second interview and was hired. On October tenth I start working as a K-9 officer with bomb-, weapons-, and drug-dogs at the airport... I'm very excited about this, although I wish it were a bit more rewarding financially. There are great possibilities for advancement, however, so hopefully the pay scale will improve fairly quickly.

I returned to the store from my interview yesterday afternoon, only to learn the (potential) new owner had called in a panic (having somehow heard of my interview) to speak to me about managing the store for him if the financing goes through... something he has never yet actually spoken to me about. He asked Sherry, "Doesn't Beth know I need her to stay and run the store? Doesn't she know I need to hire her as manager?" Sherry's response--"Have you talked to her about it?"  I don't know what his offer will be, but please pray for God's leading in this decision. There's a part of me that would love to stay put and keep things going, but the idea of pursuing new interests and developing new aspects of skills is also very exciting... plus, I'd get to wear BDU's to work every day! Please pray for me.

Also, please let me know if you stop by. I'd love to hear from you.

Beth