You Autumn Know: The We-Wu for September 30 - October 4, 2024

If you want to be technical (and I usually do because I am occasionally a pedant), the dates should actually go back to September 28. Yes, we do sometimes work weekends around here!

Last time, I mentioned OMS Live! The weather on Friday necessitated us setting up a little earlier than planned on Friday, and we continued our setup on Saturday morning. We had been expecting about 300, and I think we ended up somewhere around 3/5 of that - probably because of weather and other issues. Or we just can’t count.

It’s fine. The people who needed to be there were there, and I think the sessions went well. I was only able to sit in on the first session because I was doing other duties during the breakout session and final session. I was filling cannolis and laying out macarons.

Sadly, there were no guns to be left, only cannoli to take. I obliged.

Then we were laying out all of the food because you can’t have an OMS event without scads of food. The cannoli were a big hit.

Then we had to pack it all up and be out by 6ish. It was a very long day. But I did learn about a new fruit - well, new to me.

This is rambutan. Yes, I know it looks like brains, sea urchins, or perhaps an alien entity that is now taking root in my own brain.

It’s not. Promise.

Rambutan is native to Southeast Asia, and is similar to lychee. You have to peel the fruit, which makes it look like an eyeball that came out of a giant. Really, it just tastes like a juicy, less flavorful grape. You also have to watch out for the giant seed that the fruit is wrapped around. I’m not sure it’s worth the effort, but the aesthetic is cool.

I spent the rest of the weekend doing the normal stuff and trying to win the affections of a new cat charge.

Bonnie is an older lass, and she is quite set in her ways. We eventually came to a sort of accord where she let me feed her and I left her alone. She’s a beauty, and I don’t blame her at all for being a little cantankerous.

This week has been fairly productive. I was working on the new proposed booklet, which actually required a lot of Googling - or searching, as the kids are apparently saying these days. (I don’t blame them - the Google algorithm is trash these days.) I also got to consult some of my own resources since I moved most of my religion books to the office to make room for more Civil War books in my apartment.

I wonder if they accounted for the weight of books when they built it.

Anyway, on Tuesday we started a new training on emotionally healthy discipleship. The first week was heavy on background, but I did write down some good thoughts. This will take place every Tuesday for the next few weeks, which is exciting.

On Wednesday, I finally took a moment to listen to my body and realized I was on the brink of a cold and also really, really tired. So I made it my comp day for the weekend festivities. I needed it. So much.

We took some time out of Funding Friends to try the new Oreo Coke. Look, I don’t know why Coca-Cola does stuff like this. I remember when Vanilla Coke came out, and it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. But since then, we’ve had Clear, Cherry, Cinnamon, Orange, and whatever other weird notions crossed some executives’ brain. Oreo Coke isn’t terrible. But I’m not going for it over any other flavor.

I started working on my next prayer letter, which is the first one I’m doing in Canva. I don’t like change, but we must adapt to the times. I’m still going to grumble about it, though. I do appreciate having a variety of options. And AI-generated images can be hilarious.

I think that might do it for the week. We’ve had a few projects come in, so I was able to get stuff to my people. A couple of them will be traveling soon, so it’s good timing for getting stuff back to translators. I’m still trying to figure out how we got to October already. I mean, I’m ready with my pumpkins, but I got my first invite for a Christmas party this week, and that’s just wrong.

Oh! I do want to take a moment to address current events. Hurricane Helene did her level best to completely destroy the southeastern seaboard. A lot of people are in dire straits because of this storm, and it doesn’t look like relief efforts are overly reliable when it comes to the government. If you can spare some coin, I would suggest an organization like Samaritan’s Purse. If you are in the area and we can help in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I continue to pray for everyone effected.

Take care of yourselves, my friends.

Bye!