Not much to update, but I did want to pass along some pictures of the church I'm attending. You'll recall that it was built in the early 1700's.

Saturday, New Castle had a sort of "open house" in which many of the homes and museums and churches were open for tours. Unfortunately, it was a cool and rainy day, so not many people came to town. However, it did afford me the opportunity to snap a few pictures of the inside of this 300 year old building.

I did visit a few of the homes and a couple of small museums, but wasn't altogether with it. I'm still adjusting to working a swing shift and a new living arrangement. Things seem to be falling into place.

Work has been fine. There seems to be a lot of instability with the training staff, so that (I would presume) bodes well for my longer term employment.  Not that I'm worried, but some fret that as a contractor, you could be fired at any time.  This is true ... but frankly, that's true with just about any job..

Allergies ... ugh.  As bad for me in Delaware as in Michigan.  Amen for medicine.

One of the things I want to find quickly is a congregation with whom I can worship on Sundays.

Last week, I attended a small Methodist church. It was "nice," but I didn't feel particularly moved or connected to the people. Lovely little sanctuary. I'd suppose there were some members who had enough money to keep it up well.

Today, I attended a Presbyterian Church in the historic district of New Castle. Here are a couple of pictures:

I was delighted with the outgoing and lighthearted demeanor of their minister, Nancy Rowland. She led much of the service, but didn't preach, as the church was being used as a "neutral pulpit" for a young lady who was candidate for another pastoral position in the area.

The inside of the church is very 1700's - high wooden pews in a sort of horseshoe arrangement around a really high pulpit. The choir AND piano/organ are in the balcony. I'm glad I didn't have to put them up there. :-0

Enjoyed time with the small congregation after the service. A gentleman named "Cork," took me to his house a couple of blocks away. Like most in the town, it's been around a LONG time. He and his wife Jo have kept it up beautifully. He's got a pretty good view of the Delaware River from his home.

Will definitely go back next week.

My apartment is in New Castle, DE.

While I'm not in the historic district, I do live very close. I've always loved Colonial American history, so this a bonus for me.

The residents of New Castle have made an effort for over 300 years to ensure that their town stays tied to their colonial roots. Many of the houses are from the 1700's, one might even be from the 1600's - I need to check on that one. They pride themselves on having retained their historic roots, vice "reconstructing the town like Williamsburg, VA." I guess everyone needs to feel a little better than someone else about SOMEthing!

Thursday was one of two sunny days that I've seen since I've been here. I was able to spend about 90 minutes checking things out. Tried to find 2 geocaches, but one was inside a museum not open at the time I was there and the other turned out to be a virtual. So - I'll go back and see if I can find one of the "real" geocaches sometime soon.

I'm sure I'll write more about the town in weeks ahead, but here are a few pics:

The church cemetery has George Read's remains, as well as others who signed the Declaration of Independence.

The street view has a statue of William Penn. This is where he first set foot in the colonies.

I'm sideways ... but don't have time to mess with it right now.

The garden is one of several nooks in the town.

I've got a place to work, now.

Today, I finished all my training requirements, so now I need to begin working on getting up to speed for teaching.

I have a checklist of things to review with a "mentor" (very loose term). Most of it is orientation.

I do have access to the computer, and the size of the cubicle is actually quite nice. Tomorrow, I'll start putting in some of my work desk items.

I find myself very eager to get back in front of a classroom. I imagine that may happen sometime next week, as it is a necessary part of the qualification.

Right now, they are giving me the time I need to set up living arrangements.  I was very pleased with an apartment I saw yesterday and applied for it. It's in an older building, but is completely renovated with all new carpet, fixtures, and appliances. They are targeting a Friday move-in date, which would be AWEsome, so I hope to hear something firm by tomorrow afternoon.

Thus far, the Lord has been clearing a VERY wide path for me!

It was gray and raining when I left Michigan Friday afternoon.

It was gray and raining when I arrived in New Jersey early this evening.

On the whole, the trip wasn't bad. LOTS of traffic from PA to NJ. I had the feeling that I was traveling at the end of some sort of holiday weekend. I saw a few accidents, but thankfully I was not one of them.

I stopped by an apartment complex that I've been interested in seeing. I hope to formally tour it tomorrow after my first day of work. It's in New Castle, DE.

Castlebrook is an older complex, but is well recommended by previous contractors. I was very excited to see how large a complex it is, how well maintained it looks, and how large the parking areas are.  My Ram is a big truck to park. The parking situation was something I was looking for. I was also hoping for somewhere that I could take long walks. This already appears to fit the bill.

One picture is of an apartment - you can see it looks older.

One is of the office. You can see that it seems nicely maintained.

The last is of a typical parking area. The cars in the center are parked around a rather large median ... almost the size of a small park.

There are a few of these arrangements in the complex.

Many thanks to saintvi for provisions of food. I've not had to buy a thing other than gas since I left.  I enjoyed half of a stuffed bell pepper this evening.