Bethune Catholic

Earlier today I treated you to a pic of my Henry .22 lever action rifle (here's another). Mr. Culbreath mentioned the other day at Stoney Creek Digest that he had a shotgun, but hadn't found much use for it. I tell you what, twice I could have used my Henry .22 on wild dogs who roamed in-two of which ate my chickens. I had to chase them off with the butt end of a BB-gun. Not anymore. A .22 will take down a dog (not to mention a deer if you're close enough and a good shot). But what I am really looking forward to is the fall: when it will be legal to hunt rabbit and squirrel.

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Prayers requested....As mentioned here before, I have been doing some teaching this year at the "local" (50 miles away) Catholic school. It has been more than 'some teaching'; I have been teaching full time since August. While the $ is certainly not making us rich, at least until the present gas woes, the job was stabilizing our economy here at Bethany, which had suffered a bit the last couple years when we were relying solely on Requiem Press (and the love of dear friends) for sustanance. This year has been a huge stress on the family, the long days and long commute-along with trying to keep Requiem Press' head above water in the meantime.

Fortunately during the year I have also picked up a couple consulting gigs which look like they may continue through the summer. So it is time to decide whether to teach another year, look for a job back in industry, or to try to make a go of it here with RP and some consulting work.

Personally, I hate to leave the Bethany homestead on any day-it has been hard to do so every morning-even if I do enjoy teaching after a fashion. I don't know if the consulting will be regular enough to take the place of that regular paycheck though. After a year, I think Mrs. Curley and I have found the regular paycheck may relieve some worry, but it doesn't make you happy. (Of course worry doesn't make you happy either. We have our way to go in trusting God-who has always come through-by the way, although not always how we have expected it.)

I was interviewed for the school newspaper last week and asked what my dream job would be. I gave a short answer, but would answer it more completely here: I would live right here and make wooden toys and furniture, be a local handy man while working my small acreage (and of course maybe reprinting a book or two here and there), and doing a little writing myself. I could work and teach my children and eat 3 meals a day with my family.

Now that that is said, I pray that Mrs. Curley and I can recognize and then embrace God's will for the Curley's in the coming year. Please do say a prayer for us, and we will say some for you too. Oremus pro invicem!