First Day Off!

March 15, 2012

Since it was my day off I chose to wear one of my favorite new shirts. It's a slightly silky button down shirt and has blue and yellow birds all over it. Super cute. I paired it with one of my skinny jeans, my cute walking shoes from REI, and I have my hair pulled to the side in a side pony tail. By all means I look pretty cute, (if I do say so myself) but I am a stark contrast to all these people here in Chateau du Lac. Everyone is nicely dressed in suit pants, button down shirts and ties, and they're all dressed in dark colors--my usual colors of choice, black, grey and white. But, today I'm the canary among penguins. I'm actually slightly amused. I've ordered something with vegetables and pasta...I think... and I asked them to add chicken.

The view is lovely. To my right are arched windows and outside the windows the lake is glittering in the sunlight. The first whole day of sun we've had in almost two weeks! And God has blessed me with the sun on my day off. :) Today I am joyful. Today, I am thankful.

I was worried to go into the chateau. Worried that I wasn't dressed well enough and worried that I wouldn't be able to understand them, or they me. However, so far it's worked out! No one seems to be staring at me too much. Whether or not they're talking about me, however, I can't tell. ;)

I snuck a picture while no one was looking.
With lunch eaten, I am consuming bread hot out of the oven.
The dish did *not* have pasta...in case you were wondering. 

Delicious! I've been reading A Gospel Primer, by Milton Vincent as I've been waiting. I love this book! Right now I'm on page 20-21, "Resting in Christ's Righteousness" and "Enslaved by Christ's Righteousness".

"The gospel encourages me to rest in my righteous standing with God, a standing which Christ Himself has accomplished and always maintains for me. I never have to do a moment's labor to gain or maintain my justified status before God! Freed from the burden of such a task, I now can put my energies into enjoying God, pursuing holiness, and ministering God's amazing grace to others.

The gospel also reminds me that my righteous standing with God always holds firm regardless of my performance, because my standing is based solely on the work of Jesus and not mine. On my worst days of sin and failure, the gospel encourages me with God's unrelenting grace toward me. On my best days of victory and usefulness, the gospel keeps me relating to God solely on the basis of Jesus' righteousness and not mine." --Milton Vincent

Good stuff. Page 21 is equally as good.

I couldn't eat all of it, it was so rich. 

Now I'm having chocolate mousse. So. Yummy. I can't help wondering what the waiters think of me! If feels somewhat comical, though I am now quite comfortable and don't feel as awkward. They're sweet and seem kind. I'm pretty sure that was an almost $50 dinner...

I then spent two to three hours roaming the town. I'm pretty sure I covered most of Genval.

There's a pottery painting store on the left
and a clothing store with Levi's, Lee's, etc on the right.

I actually went in one of these stores and was told it was exclusive
and I needed an invitation by someone to get in.
Fine. Phhhhbbbt.
Rebecca told me later that I could've used her name to get in. 

So I went to the grocery store next door where I was pretty sure
I couldn't be kicked out. This, dear friends is the chocolate aisle. So many to choose from. 

I like the packaging on these the best.

But it's easier to understand what they actually are
when there are pictures...

I may end up going here simply because there's a word
I very well understand, advertising what they sell.
Sandwiches. I like those. 

At home with my chocolate.
I made an educated guess that this was milk chocolate
with possibly --I was hoping-- almonds in it. 

SCORE!!!!!!

I'd gotten so sweaty on my walk that I had to remove my bird shirt upon coming back to my room. (Don't worry...I had another shirt on underneath!)

I've adapted so completely to life in New Mexico that I am no longer used to humidity. 

Savoring my chocolate! 

Today I felt very much like a foreigner. I speak hardly any French and roaming around in a French speaking town without a native or someone who knows the language can be somewhat difficult. (But, because of our earlier failed attempts to find the lake I knew the main streets and how to get back to them.) I found myself thinking that what I was experiencing might be in some ways how international students feel when they come to our cities to study. They have no car, often don't know anyone and must find their way alone. I found myself wishing a few times to just have a friend to talk to. Or even for someone along the sidewalk to stop and have a conversation. It definitely strengthened my love for 'foreigners' to our own country. (I've made a few really lovely friends that I cherish by mingling with international students.) Today, I was the foreigner.

Other than my misuse of a few French words today, I really had a lovely time!

I'm glad for my chocolate, the lovely walk, the exercise, the sunshine, the can of coke I bought at the bookstore across from the train station, the flower shop I passed, the ducks at the lake, the sweet waiters at Chateau du Lac, my delicious lunch, and for coming back to a home of people excited to see me after a day on the town.