Mr. Riley and Me

I visited the home of one of my favorite poets when I was a child, James Whitcomb Riley.  Read poems to your kids, everyone!

LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE

by: James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916)

INSCRIBED WITH ALL FAITH AND AFFECTION

 

To all the little children: -- The happy ones; and sad ones;
The sober and the silent ones; the boisterous and glad ones;
The good ones -- Yes, the good ones, too; and all the lovely bad ones.

 

ITTLE Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,

An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,

An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,

An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep;

An' all us other childern, when the supper-things is done,

We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun

A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,

An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

 

Wunst they wuz a little boy wouldn't say his prayers,--

An' when he went to bed at night, away up-stairs,

His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl,

An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wuzn't there at all!

An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press,

An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'-wheres, I guess;

But all they ever found wuz thist his pants an' roundabout:--

An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

 

An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin,

An' make fun of ever' one, an' all her blood-an'-kin;

An' wunst, when they was "company," an' ole folks wuz there,

She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care!

An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide,

They wuz two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side,

An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about!

An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

 

An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,

An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo!

An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,

An' the lightnin'-bugs in dew is all squenched away,--

You better mind yer parunts, an' yer teachurs fond an' dear,

An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear,

An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about,

Er the Gobble-uns 'll git you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

"Little Orphant Annie" is reprinted from Complete Works. James Whitcomb Riley. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1916.

P-P-P-Portland!

Mt Hood from the airplane

I just back from a 2.5 hour kayaking trip and it hurts to type.  The writing conference is really neat, fun, and amazing and I'm having a great time.  It is also very interesting.  Now I can teech kids to write good.


I love Portland!  My first night here was so full with meeting other teachers, going to Powell's Books, Deschutes Brewery (there's nothing like sharing the sampler with people you just met), and a Butterfinger donut at Voodoo Donuts (oh so bad for me after 10pm!).  This is such a walkable city; I just have to leave the hotel and the fun finds me.

The conference is from 8am-3:30pm, so we have all evening to explore the city.  Last night I went back to Powell's and a couple of friends and I found an Asian fusion place called Ping (it was highly rated by GQ, so you know it's classy).  Then we tried to find a brewery (fail), and then a chocolate cafe (also fail), so we just went back to our rooms and went to bed early.  Good choice.

Today one of my friends from Moscow suggested we go kayaking.  I had never been and it was a great adventure.  We didn't have to go far to feel like we'd left the city.  This beauty of the water and the trees and the sky suddenly came out of nowhere and it felt good in my spirit where I didn't even know I needed it.  Sorry no pictures though!

A Visit to the Chicago Art Institute

I am so blessed to have seen so much great art in my life.  Some paintings just give me chills to think about how old they are, or unique, or what the painter must have been thinking as he or she created.  I spent a couple of days in Chicago and by wonderful fortune, I have a friend who studies at the Art Institute and was able to get me a free ticket to the museum.  The Impressionists = so fantastique.  Modern art = not so much...

Check out what I saw...

 This is HUGE in real life!

 I could have told you, Vincent, the world was never meant for one as beautiful as you...

 It's the Moulin Rouge!

 Amazing from a distance; even better up close.

I hadn't seen this one before, but I really liked it.  It's called "Easter Mystery" by Maurice Denis.

 I just love this one.  So classic.

 Dorian Grey!!!

There were many school groups there (it was a Thursday morning, after all).  They were pretty cute and I'm glad they were being exposed to this amazing art collection in their city.

Outsider

I am so quiet now.  In public, on a bus, in a cafe, I don't say very much.  I am used to not knowing the language and concentrating very hard for non-verbals or key words or context.  I am used to being secretly different.

I am on a journey that will take me by plane and car to people I love and want to know more.  These journeys fill my soul like a tank of ethanol-based fuel.  They make me go, but are highly controversial with regards to the long-term benefits.

I am quiet, but my head is full; as is my heart.  We understand the reasons why, acknowledge the pain we are enduring, and possess the courage it takes to breathe.  

Nom nom nom

If you're ever in Durham, NC, be sure to check out Cosmic Cantina!

Their burritos are delicious!

 And they have great decor!

(this post is basically just for Jake)

Copyright Infringement: Kosovo Edition

Our tour guide/graphic designer at the Peja Brewery said that in the marketing world of Kosovo, copyright infringements are not a big deal.  Pretty much anything goes in terms of gaining inspiration from any other sources... as we saw for ourselves the rest of the day:

 Meg Donalds?

And my favorite, the Facebook cafe-

Roadtrip to Peje

Since I knew nothing about the political geography of Kosovo, I'm assuming you don't either, so here is a map to illustrate my tale:

Notice that each city has two names- one in Albanian and one in Serbian.  So we started the day in Pristina, where Peder lives, and drove two hours to Peje.  I like roadtrips, especially in new places.  Anna and I talked about how, many years ago, it would take people weeks to get across the ponds (Atlantic or Pacific), but having that time was helpful for them to process where they're going and where they've been.  When you can get on a plane and fly around the world in 12 hours you don't get that, especially since planes have started showing recently released movies that I really want to see.  I know that I was on a 6-hour bus one day and spent 4 hours in the car the next, but I'm actually really thankful that I had the time to take it all in.

The view from Peder's apartment

I thought about many things as I watched Kosovo pass by out the window.  The buildings I saw were all built with the top floor jutting out over the first floor creating an overhang, balconies without rails.  They were taller rather than wide and for the most part stood alone.  The landscape was hilly with short brown grass as per winter, with small patches of snow here and there. The road was of varying conditions, from pavement to mud.  We passed cemeteries, a paint-ball course, rock quarries, and many, many American flags.  There didn't seem to be any real towns, just the similar tall building which could have been homes or businesses.  They were too far away to tell.

It is very strange to be in a place that was filled with violence and genocide just a few years ago.  You think twice about the things you see, and wonder what happened to make it that way.  We passed rubble that Peder said had been Serbian homes.  They were destroyed so the Serbs would never come back, and the destroyed buildings still haven't been cleared away.  We saw a church that had been bombed and all that remained amongst the wreckage was a corner wall.  The steeple sat upside-down on a pile of rocks.

Just outside the city of Peje is the Peja Brewery.  We literally passed by the factory, and did a U-turn to see if they gave tours.  It being a Saturday, they were gracious enough to have a Marketing Director and Graphic Designer who spoke English show us around.  The factories weren't running that day, but we still walked through the whole assembly line, from bottle making to labels, to bottle filling.  The brewery has an interesting history.  It was started as a state-run operation (because it definitely is the government's responsibility to make sure everyone has enough beer!), and is now co-owned by Slovenian investors ("47%").  I'm thinking I may have to someday return to do research and write a book... Our tour guide was so wonderful.  He took us back to his office and offered us drinks and free souvenirs (see the picture down at the bottom- free t-shirts!).

The Peja Brewery which we toured.  We never did find out whether this is full of beer or not...

Label machine

After the brewery, we continued into the city of Peje.  Peder met a friend at a coffee shop that we had heard about, called Sweet Bean.  It was started about a year and a half ago by an American couple, who we met while enjoying an amazing latte.  The couple are around my age and said they started it to teach young people about entrepreneurship.  It was a lovely place and my possibility-for-the-future Spidey-sense was on fire.  Isn't it everyone's dream to move overseas and open a coffeeshop?

I like taking pictures of my coffee

Our original destination was the Patriarchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church, 2km NW of Peje.  To briefly and inadequitely sum up the past 20 years in Kosovo, many regions are hostile to Serbs, so NATO Italians guard the premises. It is considered a very holy site, but I don't think the patriarch actually lives there most of the time.  Inside the walls are a church and the living quarters, a garden and a stone river.  The  nuns and clergy who live there keep the grounds kept, grow grapes, and keep bees.  The church has been partially renovated, and the frescos inside were beautiful.  Oh, there is also a gift shop.

Inside the church

Outside the church

Just hanging out in an Italian-guarded Serbian Orthodox patriarchy

Anna and Peder

After leaving the patriarchy, we continued on the road going westward into the mountains.  The road goes through a canyon next to a river.  The whole scene was majestic:  the snow and trees high up, and the different rock textures from the mountains.  It was dizzying.  I think it would be an amazing place to hike in warmer weather.  We had dinner on the top of a skyscraper in Peje before driving back to Pristina.

Amazing view

This will go down as one of my favorite days ever, I think.  And finally... our t-shirts from the Peja Brewery!

Peja souvineers!

Day One in the Balkans

I'll preface this all by saying that I wasn't even supposed to be here this week.  I was supposed to be in Sharm el Shiek, Egypt, with my family, but about a month ago we decided to seek another destination for February Break.  World events have had a way of disrupting my travel plans especially in the last year (ahem, Eyjafjallajokul), so here I am in Belgrad.

Where do I begin?  Having virtually no reference for what to expect in either Belgrad or Kosovo (truly, I wasn't even sure if the latter was a city, country, or what.  Actually, I'm still trying to figure that one out), I'm not sure where to begin to tell you what I am seeing.  I knew that Belgrad was a city because of when a Chinese Embassy was bombed in 1999, I didn't have school in Beijing for a week (more of those world events changing the course of my life).  But other than that, I'm afraid my Balkans education has been sorely lacking.  I'll try to explain as I go and use pictures.

I left Moscow in a blaze, except for the sitting in traffic for 2 hours on the way to the airport (some days it only takes 15 minutes).  My flight to Belgrad was about 2.5 hours.  I met my lovely friend, Anna, and we took a bus back to her house.  After a quick lunch we were off to the bus station where we boarded a luxurious coach and began the 6 hour journey to Prishtina, Kosovo, to see her boyfriend, Peder.  In order to get seats together we had to sit backwards and I am amazed I didn't get sick.  Thank you, Ira Glass and others for distracting and entertaining me along the way.  We stopped after 2 or so hours at a rest stop, and got some tea/coffee.

We spent about half an hour at the border into Kosovo.  There are some interesting rules regarding boarder crossing from Serbia into Kosovo, stemming from the fact that Kosovo says they are an independent country while Serbia does not.  In fact, you can't enter Serbia from Kosovo unless you have entered Kosovo from Serbia.  We didn't have any problems though, and I later learned that in Kosovo, they love America.  I saw quite a few American flags fluttering in the Kosovar wind, and it was weird.  It was about another hour to Prishtina where Peder met us with flowers.  We went back to his apartment and got some food before going to what I'm going to describe as a living room bar.  It was there I had my first taste of Peja beer.  More on this later.

This is where I have a difficult time explaining what I saw.  My first impression of Pristina was a strong smell that recognized from the past, from China.  Later Peder told me it was probably the coal factories, which does make sense.  Prishtina felt old and new, a strange combination of falling apart and being rebuilt.  Everything seemed a work in progress.  Remont.  We went to artsy places where Peder seemed to know most people.  We walked past a large building with a big blue lit-up sign that said "American School of Kosovo."  There were no Western restaurants or stores that I could see.  And we needed to take a flashlight to see the water filled holes in the street.  I have these images and no conclusions.  The day before had actually been Independence Day for the Republic of Kosovo, but there were very few people out that night and no trace of the celebrations.

Moscow is two hours ahead of here, so I fell asleep quickly, after brownies at midnight.  Anna and I are back in Belgrad now and we're about to go to a cafe now for dinner and book reading.  More on the road trip to Peja and new friends later...

Teaser: I spent the weekend in Kosovo

We just got back and are having a quick bite to eat before bed.  I'll write more in the morning...

"You can never go home."

I've been back four days and it's not home.  But I'm still having a good time.  I forgot how late nights go here.  I haven't gone to bed before 1:30am.  The first night a we watched a friend's band, the second night we went to my friend Sharlene's wedding and danced late into the night, and last night dinner and a movie with friends turned into a bizarre evening of Catholic youth group and San Mig Lite.  This is Never Never Land.

Today we're going to church in Makati and then somewhere with Christine's family to go swimming.  Yesterday we stayed in bed most of the day.  My first day we had lunch at Cibo which thankfully has not changed a bit.  Mostly things are the same.  The weather is the same always- around 85/29, high humidity, chance of rain.  I've heard the same The Corr's song five times that was big 10 years ago.  For the most part the fashion is the same.  There have been some renovation changes to Alabang Town Center, but it's basically the same.  Everything smells the same it always did.

What has changed?

I'm different.  And I see it all through different eyes.  Eyes that ask the question, "Could I live here again?"  I feel a lot of peace here.  I remember parts of my soul that came alive here.  I grew up a lot here.  But I like where else I've been and where I am now.

New Year, New You?

I heard that slogan on a news channel recently and it made me think.  I know that a lot of people make New Years resolutions and that most of them don't last long enough for the ink to dry before people are back to eating, working too much, watching TV, compulsively logging into Facebook or whatever.  I haven't made any resolutions per say, but I've been trying to do things to "get ready" for the new year, like what I wrote about in my last post.  There are so many unknowns in this new year I feel like I just need to get a framework in place (that just ensures I will be fed and safe), and let life happen. 

I've always thought that you are who you are over a long period of time, not simplified to one moment.  Following that line of thought, it's very difficult to reinvent yourself all at once.  Pick one area where you'd like to change and do it day by day.  That's my new years advice.

Speaking of advice, I'm a collector of random information that I like to air out on this platform from time to time.  So here's some random information I've recently heard that may or may not be true:

My fashion sources tell me that the new looks for the ladies in 2011 will be:  60s ladylike, with some elements of 70s bohemian and glam, biker & punk, lace/knit/macrame, flared pants (I assume to combat skinny jeans), stripes, and I'm sorry to say, more jumpsuits.  Hairstyles will be bobs with bangs, so I'm all set.  And if clogs are truly making a comeback, I think I'd rather go barefoot. 

My financial advisers tell me that individual stocks with high-paying dividends are the way to invest this year.  Interest rates on savings accounts and CDs are pathetically low, so picking a relatively stable stock that pays a quarterly dividend of more than 3.00% is a much better deal- if you're young and plan on holding it for the long run (which you should be doing unless you're 70).  I read in USA Today that large companies are flooded with cash right now, so that they're putting it into upping their dividends and buying their own stock, which makes each one still out there worth more.  Investing is an area that I've definitely learned more about, little by little, this year, but it's still pretty complicated. 

As far as politics go, I'm still trying to figure out this whole Tea Party thing.  I really like that people are being more vocal about how things are run, but it seems like they're focused on just one issue (the economy).  I was happy to defy demographic statistics and cast my vote during the mid-term elections this year.  I recently heard a woman call into a radio show and say that 2010 was the year she stopped voting after 30-some years.  Her reasoning was that she didn't like how things were going and didn't trust anyone, so she was would just exist while things happened around her.  I wanted to reach into the speakers and punch her.  Or send her to North Korea where she really wouldn't have to worry about doing her political homework.  Vote, people!

Let's see, what else can I talk about?  I'm sitting in an airport, if you haven't figured out yet by the length of this thing.  Travel!  In 2011, I'm going on a Holy Lands travel binge this Spring.  Egypt and climbing Mt. Sinai in February and touring Israel in April.  I'll be in the US after March 13 and hope to go to Serbia sometime in there still. 

Well it is time to go board my plane!  If you're in Manila for the next 10 days, EMAIL ME AND WE'LL HANG OUT!

It was a good Christmas

It was a snowboarding in Utah, 42 inches of falling snow, bake off where everyone wins, love to my family, love from my Savior, Christmas Eve service and crazy wrapping paper throwing during the every growing cousins gift exchange, waking to cinnamon rolls and lots of cousins kind of Christmas.  It was pretty much the best kind. 

I actually miss Christmas and the anticipation of it all.  It’s a good thing we start celebrating in November.  There’s no way we’d be able to fit in all the joy if we only started after Thanksgiving. 

Now it’s a much needed haircut, sitting by the fire, singing carols at the retirement home, custard and coffee, shop till you drop, cousins from the other side, games every night, trying to get the Christmas letter postmarked before 2011 week in-between Christmas and New Years.

I spent the morning doing things to bring in a good new year: resume updating, moving around money, planning, praying, and journaling. 

I’m ready to leave the snow for a tropical vacation after the New Year…

The How I Feel ABCs

I spent the night in the Amsterdam airport on Friday.  It's a long story that involves winning the longest-time-ever-spent-sitting-on-the-runway award from Delta and standing in a lot of lines.  I had a lot of free time, so in 26 letters, here is how I was feeling that night:

Annoyed
Bored
Come on!
Drained
Exasperated
Forgotten
Going to stay
Here all night!
Icky
Journaling
Keeping watch
Lost
Money can't save me
Noise, noise, noise!
Overwhelmed
Personal space
Queues a mile long
Runway for 6 hours?!?!
Stuck
Tired
Unbelieveable
Vigilant
Waiting
X-ray machines (hey it's an airport!)
Yawn
Zzzzzz

And sometimes your flight gets canceled

Well, I'm in an airport again.  In Detroit.

And earlier Atlanta.

And even earlier Salt Lake City.

And I'm trying to get to Iowa.

It makes no sense.  What was supposed to be a 2 flight itinerary, leaving at 10:30am and arriving at 4pm, became the last 24 hours of my life, which involved leaving SLC at 1am.  It's 10:42am (central time) and the final flight is about to board.

It was weird having another day in Park City.  It kind of felt like when we were stranded in France.  

Not supposed to be there, but we were.

I need to go catch that last flight, but I must beg forgiveness for the week of silence.  Photos and prose coming soon~

If you're ever in... Independence, IA

Tommy and I were tourists today.  We made a run to Wal-Mart in Independence, IA to get things for detasseling, which begins this Saturday.  And then we walked around the town.  Located about 15 minutes from where we live, Independence ("Indy" to the locals which is very weird to me, since I lived in Indianapolis, which is also an Indy) is an important city around here.  Besides having the nearest Wal-Mart, it's the county seat to Buchanan County and the gateway to other major cities, such as Waterloo and Cedar Rapids via I-20.

One thing I did not expect to find today was Em & Jerri's Coffee Co.  The local coffee shop in our town recently closed, much to our distress (Midwestern farmers aren't really the type to sit with a cup of chai and read in a cafe), so we've been on the lookout for another cool place to go.  As we drove through downtown Independence, Tommy and I spotted Em & Jerri's neon electric cappuccino and ice cream neon signs and decided to stop in.

I was immediately impressed by 1950's decor, variety of tables and chairs, and chalkboard menu full of desserts and coffee drinks with remarkably low prices.  They sell The Republic of Tea products.  For lunch they offer a simple daily sandwich (usually a Maid Rite or pulled pork BBQ, as per the Iowan pallet), as well as potato salad and chips. I had a half chicken salad sandwich on marble rye bread and Tommy had a 2 croissants.  We both had mango smoothies that were delicious. 

At the back of the store is an area called the Newsroom, which pays homage to the building's history as the offices of a local newspaper by posting framed clips on the wall.  Em & Jerri's also provides free Wi-Fi, I am happy to report.  I will say that the place was pretty cold, so bring a jacket or get a hot drink.  Overall, though, I was extremely pleased with the find.  I wanted to ask the woman in charge, whom I assumed was Em or Jerri, about the shop but she was busy as we were leaving.

But even more remarkable is what I read about Em & Jerri's Coffee Co online.  Em is actually 21-year-old woman living with a disability.  You can read more about her story here.  I am so happy to have found a place that not only provides coffee in a fun atmosphere but has also given an entrepreneurial young woman an amazing oppertunity.

So, if you're ever in Independence, IA, check it out :-)

Travel blues.

Oh, the words that have passed between many and me. 

But right now, I can't think of a thing to say.

I am tired of the road and want to go home.

I want a hug.

I want a coffee shop where I am known by name, and relationships that don't need facebook to survive, and to stop saying things like "we should move to ________ together someday."

My heart can't really take it anymore.

Who are you gonna be?

Yesterday, I met the Travel Answer Man in the waiting room of a hospital, of all places.  He travels and gives advice on tourism.  Sitting for hours listening to his stories of his worldwide travels and the things he's done, my mind simultaneously was racing with "How can I get this job?" and "I'm so glad I teach."

Even though the name I've chosen for my current profession is "Freelance Educator," a born freelancer I am not.  That's why photography wouldn't have worked out for me as a career, although I love it dearly.  My friend, Ian, is an talented photographer, but he has the business sense and work ethic to keep getting jobs (in creative places, like Alaska).  Having that much flexibility would drive me crazy.  I like the school day schedule, and even more the school year schedule.  I like working with the same colleagues and seeing the same students day after day, and feeling like I'm making even a small difference in one place.

I am not a wanderer either, at least not in the way I once was.  The world is a glorious, glorious place and has many wonders to behold- but anymore I'm not wandering wondering.  I know, for the most part, who I am and what I want, and finally have the confidence to live like I know it.  I hope that doesn't sound presumptuous of me.  I have found, as the Travel Answer Man and I discussed, how to take the things I'm good at and enjoy, and turn them into a job.  Most people have that backwards, I believe.  A few years ago, I stopped worrying about what job I could get with which degree, and made a list of the kind of person I wanted to be and the things I wanted to do in life.  So I teach.  And I happen to teach in Russia.  And I travel a lot and I love it.  And I can build on the foundation of my original list.

I am a wanderer, in that I search for new things, places, and ideas, but I am much more rooted in me.  I am very content with where I am right now.  Perhaps I'll expound on this tomorrow...

Has anyone else had a time of their life of wandering wondering?  Are you still in it?  Stories!

1,500 miles

In the past two weeks I have lived in the blue room at Grandma Norma's... an underground apartment... 3 basements... and a hotel.  I have been hosted by 5 wonderful friends and relatives.  I kept blankets and a pillow in my car, along with 8 books (brought and acquired along the way), a medicine supply, two suitcases, and too many pairs of shoes.  I've listened to two audiobooks, NPR, podcasts, and Regina Spektor, Florence and the Machine, and hours of other great music.  I ate at fabulous wedding feasts, and granola bars while on the go.  I drove approximately 1,500 miles just getting to each destination. 

And for what reason?

Because I love and am loved.  I have friends to are lovely enough to let me stay at their houses, invite me to weddings, and feed my soul with conversation.
And now I'm ready to slow down.
Someday I'll have a place where I can invite people to come; until then I journey on.

Omaha/somewhere in middle America

Rebecca got married!  It was such a beautiful wedding, one that reflected the bride & groom's personalities and recognized God as the center of their love.  It was a reunion for old friends who have graduated and gone on their way, and a time to meet new friends who all share a love for Ru and the Sailor.  This was the first romance I've seen from start to finish, I thought as they went through the slide show of the two of them growing up and meeting.  I remembered vividly when many of the photos were taken, and even took a few of them.  I remembered what was going on in my life then.  They have a beautiful love and I'm excited for what is in store for them!  Congratulations David and Rebecca!

They also had a photobooth at the reception, which is just the greatest idea ever.

weddings.food.friends.

I wrote this 9 days ago: The month of May was lovely.  I'm in the US now, but I'm spending the day on the couch to try to recover from a little chest cold.  My head feels like someone slugged it with a bat and I sound like a smoker.  Not the greatest thing before I'm supposed to drive 9 hours to be in a wedding.  Pray for fast recovery!  It's a good thing to be at Grandma Norma's when feeling like this.

The following day I drove to Indiana and listened to the audiobook of Blink.   I wish I could say that I read minds now, but all I really learned is that I'm very selfish and don't focus on other people enough.  It wasn't a bad drive and I ended up meeting the wedding party in Indianapolis for Mongolian bbq.  We went back up to Taylor that night and worked on wedding stuffs the next few days.

 

The wedding essentials: manicure, pedicure, hair trim, flower arrangements for the church, bachelorette party, lingerie.
Even funner: thunderstorm warnings, 8 girls living in an near empty apartment, an extra-large wedding party, firemen groomsmen, candy table, The Marriage of Jon and Alana!

Saturday night took me to the Harrisons of Indianapolis, a dear family who took me in last spring while I was student-teaching.  They make the best food.  And tea.  And conversation. Several firsts: playing Settlers of Catan, watching Doctor Who, mud tea.  They were also very patient with me as I went through second week culture shock ("The roads are so big here!  Where are all the trees?  In Moscow we have prettier buildings.  In Moscow it's harder to get around.  In Moscow everyone speaks Russian." and other nonsense).  I always leave a little of my heart there and hope to return soon.

The next stop was Chicago to the lovely, talented RB living in a house full of girls.  These three days I've been living in the "hostage room" in the basement behind the washing machine.  It has been so nice to finally get to sleep in and spend a day catching up on all the internet-ish things I've been avoiding for the last week.  Tuesday, I spent the day with Babson while RB was at work.  We breakfasted at an amazing little cafe, saw her apartment, went to the mall and bought shoes and underwear, and drove around, reminiscing and speculating about the future.  Too many tasty conversation bits to go into detail.

It's impossible to remember everything we say, but maybe God made us forgetful so we could savor discoveries over and over again.

RB and I have enjoyed many delicious moments on this visit: frozen yogurt, chili and cornbread with a house full of people, mimosas on the back swing.  (I love food.)  We watched Amanda Seyfried's gorgeous hair in two movies; the former was a laughable and ridiculous dvd, the latter was pure girl entertainment in a cinema. 

Unfortunately through it all, I've been in poor health (voiceless, coughing, allergic to Indiana).  I'd like to say I'm on the mend, but I really have no basis for that judgment. I cough through the night, so I apologize for any germs I may be trailing behind. 

I'm heading Out West again today into the big unknown.  I am so blessed.