Mother of the Bride Spot

C'mon Over to Grammie's Awards...and More

2011-06-13T16:15:00.003-05:00

Decided since I was no longer the MOB (nor even the MOG), I would start a new blog and see if I could keep it going. So come visit me at www.grammiesawards.blogspot.com.

Shopping for the MOG Dress

2010-03-17T19:24:00.002-05:00

I found the perfect dress. In my favorite "dressy" catalogue. Of course, I knew I couldn't get it until Susan orders her MOB dress so we don't get the same color....but my friend Carol suggested I order it anyway -- can always return it -- just in case they run out.

Good idea.

I've looked at this dress for several days. Yep, I really like it. Showed it to Tim -- he thought it was OK (what did I expect -- raptures???). Bob thought it was *nice*. Linda liked it. Torrey thought it really pretty.

So, pulled it up online, and then before clicking the "order" button, decided to check on the size of the last dress I ordered from them just to make sure I was getting the right size.

Raced upstairs and checked out the last dress.

Looked at it very carefully.

Came back downstairs to the computer and looked at my newfound MOG dress -- very carefully.

Canceled the order.

It was the same dress I had as my MOB dress for Torrey's wedding in a different color.

It was the same dress Linda had as her MOG dress for Adam's wedding -- which was in the same color as my MOB dress.

No wonder we all liked it.

Back to square one.

And the List Goes On...

2010-03-10T10:39:00.003-06:00

Here's the Groom 2 B in his finery with niece Laura and nephew Deven at Reuben's wedding in Mississippi....

Left a message with the person I'm hoping will be our caterer for the dessert reception on July 30. Left a second message with two restaurants in Montauk to chat with them about the rehearsal dinner. Made the guest list. Which is double the number -- both of invitations and potential attendees -- than I told Susan originally. I'm sure it must be Tim's fault. He says, "no problem." But then what does he know? As I pointed out on Facebook, he's only the groom.

Got Tim's suit. Slight problem there -- they were going to have to order it from their catalogue -- didn't have the right size or style pants (NO PLEATS!), and they didn't have the jacket in the right size either. Tim needs a 40 extra long, but evidently you are not allowed to be an extra long unless you are at least a 44. You could fit two Tims in a 44. The tailor said he thinks he can give us another inch on the sleeves. Salesman said, "no problem getting the suit in -- will be here in 3 to 5 business days." I said, "Problem. Tim leaves the country on Thursday and won't be home until 2 weeks before the wedding." Tailor said, "No problem. We can get it done." Type A personality Jan who wants everything done in a timely fashion is still muttering, "problem, problem." Especially since we won't have the swatches of material to send the groomsmen so they can get jackets in a similar color. At least for a while.

I did tell him it was just a bit more fun getting the girl's wedding dresses than deciding between a navy and a charcoal suit. On the other hand, I'd rather shop for a suit with Tim than have, say, a root canal.

He got a couple of white shirts. They actually look fabulous. And if he is going to wear a tie (he is), then he needs a 15 1/2-36.

Where am I going to find a shirt that size in a regular shop? You aren't allowed to be a 36 in sleeve length unless you are an 18 in the neck. The shirt he got with his tux for Reuben's wedding had sleeves that were made for an orangutan. They came past the tips of his fingers. I was wishing for the old fashioned garters men used to wear around their upper arms so we could adjust the sleeves, but I didn't even have a rubber band.

With all the focus on obesity in the US of A, you think the least they could do is make clothes easier to get for the tall and slender. OK, extra tall and skinny.

Dressing the girls was never like this....

MOG Duties -- Not So Much Yet

2010-02-23T14:39:00.003-06:00

So far, as the MOG, I've not done much. We have our rooms booked at The Crow's Nest, and that is about it. Oh. I've made a list. Finally dawned on me that I probably needed to do that as I am a very listy person -- added it to my current list of things to do which incorporates all sorts of other things as well -- books I want to read, birthdays and anniversaries, upcoming speaking, a year long calendar to just list things I know are pending....and even a list of "things to do when there is nothing to do" which includes updating our will.

Anyway, I know Susan is working much harder than I am on this event. In fact, she even has to help choose the place of the rehearsal dinner, which is turning out to be a bit more problematic than we originally thought. I'm sure the perfect place will come through though....Tim wants it casual. I'm sure he'd love it if we could replicate Jill's at Pal Joeys with plenty of pizza.

But I don't think there is a Pal Joeys in the East Hamptons!

I do have the Commons reserved for a dessert reception for the MC (married couple) -- currently they are just the EC -- engaged couple on July 30 when they get back from their honeymoon. It will give them a chance to meet folks here in Wheaton that aren't able to make it to the coast for the wedding. I should probably start thinking about getting a caterer for that -- Diane at the church gave me a few suggestions. So my pink file folder, tucked between the color printer and "Breastfeeding and Human Lactation" is getting fuller.

Meanwhile, this weekend is Reuben & Albrey's wedding in Jackson, MS. I'm excited about that as the entire family (nearly) will be there. Jill is coming with Deven & Laura (Derrick has to work), Torrey & Chris will be there, Tim is in the wedding, and Lyn and I are going to set out luminaria for the rehearsal dinner. Reuben is 5 months older than Tim. It is only fitting he get married 5 months earlier than Tim. I'm looking forward to meeting his bride. And looking forward to seeing my sisters -- and my brother if he is able to come, along with all my nieces & nephews. It's going to be a great family reunion.

Wish Annabel could be with us.

Let The Planning Begin!

2010-01-12T16:09:00.002-06:00

Linda, Carole and I do most of our work by e-mail. We have long and impassioned conversations about breastfeeding, lactation, Vitamin D supplementation, when we should go to the beach, what kind of collars Annie & Zoey (Carole & Linda's black labs) need to get, can we fit yet another Certified Lactation Specialist course in the 2010 calendar, and so on.

Such discussions extend to wedding planning. Tim's will be our collective seventh, though Jill got married before we were working so closely on these sorts of thing. None the less, Linda has married off Adam (Biltmore Estates, Ashville NC), Andy (Seattle Tennis Club), Carole has had two fabulous weddings at the beach in Avon, NC -- one son, one daughter. My two were a bit more prosaic, being that they were at College Church in Wheaton!! But a good time, none the less.

So....in 6 months and 5 days, not that I'm counting, it will be my turn again -- this time as MOG. The three of us, who are SUPPOSED to be finishing up our lectures, have spent the day on the rehearsal dinner. Never mind that none of us has ever stepped foot on Long Island, let alone East Hampton, or more specifically, Montauk. Not knowing where we are going or what we are doing has never stopped us.

We have a theme....we even have decorations!

Watch out, Tim & Annabel -- the Wonderful Wedding Wizards are coming.....

Goodbye Christmas, 2009

2010-01-03T12:14:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we took the tree down, put the ornaments away, put all the rest of the decorations in the basement, and pulled apart the 1000 piece puzzle that Torrey, Chris, Bob and I put together over Christmas weekend.

Today all the Christmas dishes were put away. BUT this year -- something new. Life is too short to save the "good" dishes so I moved the Christmas dishes into the china cabinet in the dining room, and instead of putting out the inexpensive stoneware we had been using, I got out what we purchased nearly 40 years ago as our wedding china.

Actually, it isn't the wedding china I CHOSE. I only got two salad plates of that. It's one Bob and I picked out well after the wedding, and it has been put to good use every time we eat in the dining room.

Which about now is once a year. For Thanksgiving dinner. For which I use the Christmas china.

But now -- it is in the cupboard in the kitchen, and it is going to have a useful life.

New Year's Resolution: Don't save stuff to use for "good." Use it NOW.

Goodbye Christmas. Hello good china!

Welcome 2010

2010-01-01T15:07:00.003-06:00

I promised I would blog more and do something else less. Whether that is Facebook, read, play silly computer games -- I'm not sure. Anyway, here's blog 1 for 2010.

First off, we have a wedding date -- July 17! Which just happens to be the 198th day of the year, not that I'm counting. Which means I have 198 days to save for the rehearsal dinner, get thin, and get beige. And keep my mouth shut. This is day 1. 197 to go.

New Year's Day is an interesting mix of old and new. Sort of a catch-up day. All new calendars -- I love taking the old calendar down and putting up the new. Starting a new section of my journal. Speaking of which, the journal goes from 2004 to 2014 -- when I bought it in 2004, one of Torrey's friends wryly noted that he thought I was quite optimistic. It's so fun to keep, that I bought one for each of my sisters this year. Evidently "As Time Flies" thought Lyn was extra prolific. They sent her two.

Anyway -- so that's the new. The old is doing the year end finances -- seeing how much was spent all year, figuring out where to cut next year, and how better we can do on saving -- all that sort of thing. Sort of a financial housecleaning if you will. Also new check registers, and new spreadsheets...

This year I started reading a new Bible as well. Last year I read the "Chronological Bible in a Year" which Torrey had given me for my birthday. It's really fun -- puts Job in the middle of Genesis! Anyway, this year I decided to get the Chronological Study Bible -- I find that trying to read the Bible through in a year ends up focusing more on the dates and where I am and how far behind I am rather than on the Bible itself. Looks as though the chronology is different, and it is the New King James Version (don't think I've read anything in the KJV except Luke 2:1-22 since The Good News Bible came out -- or maybe it was Living Letters). But this was the only version this came in, and so far, it's great.

The picture is of Torrey and Chris. I kept trying to upload it to Facebook, and FB would have none of it, so it's on this instead. I took it for our Christmas letter on the day after during our lovely snow which was 24 hours late. I think it is an amazing picture, quite frankly....

Bob is working on finances too -- though he's trying to figure out how much we need to have to retire. Frankly, thinking about that gives me the heebie-jeebies. So much so I think I'll go play Jewel Quest III.

Farewell to 2009

2009-12-31T14:40:00.003-06:00

Not that I've posted much in said 2009. I've already blamed Facebook for taking up too much time. And then there is Jewel Quest III. I'm embarrassed to admit that I actually periodically play this really dumb computer game. At least my friend Linda relaxes with something a bit more erudite like Mahjong. I can't seem to get past level 2 on level 2. Very frustrating!!

But my "resolution" for 2010 is to blog more and Quest less.

And this year I'll definitely have something to blog about! You notice that this is the "Mother of the Bride Spot." Well, while I'm not going to change the name of it, it will now become the "Mother of the Groom Blog."

In Wheaton -- Before

Well, I THINK I'll have something to blog about. Maybe not. The mother of the groom traditionally wears beige and duct tape. Maybe I could wear beige duct tape?

So perhaps I won't have too much to say.

This much I can report:

1. Engagement took place on the beach in East Hampton on Christmas Eve.

In East Hampton -- After

2. Wedding date still to be decided.

3. Groom headed for home and then on to Portland OR New Years Day.

4. Bride headed for Jordan tomorrow. That's 10 time zones apart, in case you are remotely interested.

5. That leaves the MOB on the east coast and the MOG in the midwest to do whatever MOBs and MOGs do.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Cooking.....or not....

2009-10-13T19:04:00.002-05:00

Yikes. It has been forever since I've blogged. Blame Busyness....blame lack of inspiration....blame Facebook... I do think about it on occasion, but don't seem to actually GET to it. And yet.

Tim is home. He's been living in Portland since he moved there the beginning of September, but was in Indy for a wedding. We brought him home as he is flying to the Middle East on Thursday for a couple of weeks -- a vision trip -- to see if that is where he would like to serve next.

Cooking is interesting when the Timster is here. First off, you have to understand that cooking for me is the 21st century version of what my esteemed grandmother did which was "apply heat to food." I apply microwave to food.

When it is just Bob and me, it's really simple. You buy in portions that will serve 2, and if you purchase them in larger sorts of packages, you break them down to portions that will serve two. Unless you are my dear husband who just throws them into the freezer regardless of portion size.

Hence the package of 6 frozen pork chops which I'm sure Bob bought because they were 20 cents/pound cheaper if you bought them in quantity. Good idea. If they had been broken down into three servings of 2 chops each.

Ahhhh!! but Tim is home.

"Tim -- are you home for dinner tonight?" "Yeah, I think so. Yeah."

OK -- pork chops out of the freezer.

An hour later:

"Uh, hey, don't think I'll be home for dinner. Going out with Michael."

Pork chops back in freezer, hamburger out -- can try that new hamburger helper I bought and see if we like it.

Several hours later: "OK, so you are going out with Michael for dinner tonight?"

"Uh, no. We went out for lunch. Guess I'll be home for dinner."

Too late to get the pork chops back out. Guess he'll eat hamburger helper with the two of us.

Dinnertime: Seems as though there is someone else here --

"Tim, is Sam staying for dinner?"

"Uh, yeah. Is that OK?"

"Sure -- HH stretches. Hope he likes it."

Sam is charming and grateful.

The hamburger helper is awful. The peas were -- well, peas.

Note to self -- don't buy Asian "mongolian beef" HH ever again.

Cleaning Drawers

2009-09-03T19:23:00.002-05:00

Funny how Facebook seems to take up blogging time. Hmmm....that should be noted as a danger....

Anyway, cleaning drawers. Evidently I am a packrat -- at least about some things. And I have a pen fetish. I wish I could count the number of pens I have found -- and they are wonderful!! Lots of colors, glittery, not so glittery, fountain pens, gel pens, ball point pens, markers, highlighters.....the list is endless. Not to mention my drawer is full again (plus I have 4 pen holders full....)

Tonight I found our first recorded budget from August 1, 1971. We had been married just over a year:

Bob's check was $850/month. Mine was $580/month.

Our house payment was $265, car payment for Bob's Cutlass (does anyone know what that is anymore?) was $90. Mine for my Kharmann Ghia (OK -- that's a blast from the past) was $180. We were helping to pay back my parents for their contribution to my Wheaton College education by contributing to Rosie's college at $75/month. We gave $150/month to the church, Missionary Internship, and Winning Women. Water was $5/month, Electricity $15/month, Phone $20, Gas for the house $10. Yikes!! Our "allowances" (Dave Ramsey would be pleased) were $40/month each. "Entertainment" and "Living" (which must ahve been groceries and eating out and movies or whatever) added up to $170/month.

As of January, 1973, Bob's check was up to $925/month, and mine was $625. Heady earnings for a young couple with not children in that day. We were putting $500/month into savings. Food was only $70/month. What on earth were we eating?

I have a note in April, 1973 -- "leaving $190 for fun, frivolity and EVERYthing else!" And at that point we weren't saving quite as much either.

In January of 1975, we have a total of $2170 in savings and our debits -- we owed Wheaton College $550 and my parents $750 for a total of $1300. Plus, of course, our mortgage on our little house on Edythe.

We were rich then.

Goodbye, Beast

2009-08-12T14:03:00.003-05:00

Bob has been looking for another car for me for ages. He's checked the Tribune every Saturday, kept an eye on various internet sites, and finally narrowed it down to a 2004 or 2005 Lincoln Town Car with no more than 75,000 miles AND at a price we could afford. We really do NOT want to make car payments again.

Saying goodbye to the Beast is tough. It's so distinctive that I never have any difficulty finding it among other cars in parking lots. It's big -- it seats 6 in the car and 4 in the trunk. It has a cassette player so I can listen to all the old books that aren't on CDs.

But at 204,000+ miles, Bob was ready for me to trade up so he wouldn't worry when I was on a long trip.

On Saturday, August 8, we said goodbye.

And purchased the "Beastie Boy". It's a 2004 Lincoln Town Car with 60,000 miles and enough bells and whistles (including both a cassette player AND a CD player!!) to even make me happy.

I don't have any pictures of it --- because --- it just looks like every other car on the road.

But I do like it.

I just don't LOVE it.

Yet.

It Happened Again....

2009-08-06T20:39:00.004-05:00

I don't believe it.

But it is true.

It happened again.

The occasion was Andy's wedding in Seattle last weekend.

For the rehearsal dinner, I wore the dress I bought for Soren's wedding in the Outer Banks, but didn't wear because Linda was wearing it.

For the wedding, I wore the same outfit I wore for Soren's wedding. No one else had it. So far, so good.

But no one had seen Carole's dress -- or Linda's dress. Linda is the Mother of the Groom. In pink, which is appropriate for one welcoming a daughter to the family....

See what I mean???

The Timster is HOME!

2009-07-10T11:28:00.002-05:00

Well, he's been home for awhile....since July 1, actually. But for some reason it seems as though my blogging time has been taking up by that other time-consumer, Facebook. So, the blog has been sadly neglected.

It has been wonderful having him home, and he seems to have made the transition fairly smoothly. Things like air conditioning (not that we have needed it very much), microwaves, long hot showers, fast internet, regular electricity and refrigeration have been very welcome. He's not missing the sandstorms and flies, the dearth of a toilet in his house -- especially in the middle of the night (!!), the pallet on the floor of his little cement hut that was his bed for the last 18 months or the holes in his roof so when it did rain, everything turned to mud. Sanitation too is just expected here -- there, not so much. He doesn't miss the food -- the camel hump, the sheeps' unmentionables, the goat. And he's learning all over again how to eat slowly and savor the food (even his mother's cooking which isn't something that particularly warrants savoring!)

He's been busy, and his first week at home has gone by quickly. Lots of friends to see and catch up with -- lots of places to go and things to do.

We too have enjoyed having him here -- sitting out on the deck, enjoying a leisurely dinner and just chatting before he runs off to see someone else. Last night we were discussing some of the things he wants to talk about when he speaks at College Church on August 30. I've been making a mental list of some things that he "just can't forget!!" Guess I better put things down on paper for him. It's so easy to think of them now, but will he remember them all in 6 weeks if we don't write them down?

-- The daily prayer times their entire team had together -- DAILY -- for at least an hour a day, with two hours on Wednesday and an evening prayer time on Thursdays. No wonder they were seeing so much fruit in that area!

-- The Marabout (Islamic teacher) that wondered aloud to Tim why "followers of Jesus" would leave everything behind and come and live with them to feed, teach, and care about the little boys from the desert

-- The differences between the Puulars and the Moors

-- What "incarnational living" is all about and how it impacts the lives of the people around them

-- The men he became close to and discipled as a "shadow pastor"

-- The deep relationships he developed there. Americans don't have such deep relationships. We don't spend much time just listening. Africans are very good at listening. Especially just sitting quietly, listening to God

There is more, much more, and I'm sure things will come out over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, he's gearing up to go away again -- three weeks or thereabouts in Thailand in August for their every-four-year international conference and some traveling.

What's next? At this point, only the Lord knows for sure, and so far, He isn't telling!!

39 and Counting....

2009-06-28T08:07:00.002-05:00

We celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary by doing a day trip into Chicago -- train (only way to go into Chicago on a Saturday when it is the Taste AND the Cubs and Sox are playing -- each other!!). Walked from the train station to where we were going to see Jersey Boys and then wandered around looking for a restaurant that was open for lunch. Decided on the Italian Village which was only about a block away. It was wonderful -- incredibly cute and quaint. It actually has three restaurants: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays you are sent upstairs to "The Village." We were put in a little booth that actually was a BOOTH -- little door, tiny window, and almost completely cut off from the rest of the restaurant. If it wasn't for little Johanna in the other half of the booth who screamed most of the way through her lunch -- she did want pasta, she didn't want pasta, she didn't want to share her pasta, she wanted pizza....it would have been terribly romantic. The building was built in 1927, and I didn't have any trouble imagining Al Capone and his cronies brokering deals in that same little booth.

Then we went to Jersey Boys. The theater was amazing. Built 102 years ago, it seats 2400. As soon as I found out it used to be called the Schubert, I remembered I had been there before -- as a freshman (?) student nurse, we were given tickets to see Carol Channing in "Hello Dolly." Same nosebleed section -- but oh, it was fantastic!

We really enjoyed this musical. Warning: the language is a bit rough....but the music is SO our era! The story is about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons -- just one of the more than 10 or so names that the group was called. Remember songs such as: "Oh What a Night", "Silhouettes", "Earth Angel", "Sherry", "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Walk Like a Man", "My Boyfriend's Back", "Dawn", "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You", and "Rag Doll." ?? They were all there, and more.

Standing ovation -- the roar of the crowd -- great way to celebrate!!

What are the chances???

2009-06-13T13:28:00.002-05:00

Linda and I did it again. This is the second time -- hoping it will be the last.

Carole's son Soren got married this past Tuesday. It was a lovely beach wedding which requires slightly different attire from your normal evening church wedding -- especially since we had to scramble down the dunes to get to where the waves were lapping dangerously close to the wedding party. In fact, the guitarist had to make a hasty move to dry ground when his loudspeaker got a bit damp. But I digress.

Needless to say, there was lots of discussion about clothes, and exactly what DOES one wear to a beach wedding, shoes and so on.

You might remember, back in the days of yore when I really was the MOB, I had chosen a MOB dress from one of the zillion catalogues that keep the post office in business. It was a lovely evening gown, long, beaded, and eggplant. Linda's son Adam got married two weeks ahead of Torrey, and for her MOG dress, she chose -- yes, the same one.

She bought the purse which we both carried. OK, so it wasn't the same day, and we weren't wearing it at the same time, and only Linda's and Carole's families overlapped the two weddings. But it was a but humorous, none the less. Linda is about 5-2 if she stands on her tiptoes, and I am close to 5-9. One would not think we would choose the same dress.

But we did then, 3 1/2 years ago -- and we did it again. This time we were both guests at the wedding, sitting next to each other. It would simply Not Do to appear in the same sage green, crinkle cotton lace dress. Since she got hers first, I perused the catalogues and found something that would be very nice -- and not at all like Linda's.

Good thing I did get something different. Her's arrived.

Mine is still wherever they carry stuff that is on "back order."

If it comes in time, I think I may wear it for Andy's wedding (Linda's other son) which is in Seattle on August 1.

Weddings are SO fun!!

Box Number 25....

2009-05-24T18:15:00.003-05:00

This afternoon I packed up the last box we'll send to Tim in N. Africa. We made a special trip to Target to get him the power bars that he likes, and picked up a DVD (for cheap). Bob will make sure it gets out by the end of the week while I'm teaching in Southern Indiana and Georgia.

By the time he gets home on July 1, he will have been gone 25 months. He spent three months in Canberry, France learning French. We may have sent one box there. He then spent just over 3 months in Fez, Morocco learning Arabic. We sent him a couple of boxes there, and took ourselves over as well. We've sent 25 boxes for the 18 months he has been in "Narnia" (called so because it isn't....), and taken ourselves there as well.

It will be interesting going to the grocery store with just an eye to what is on our shopping list and not "what would Tim like...." What was challenging was sending him things he could eat that didn't require electricity to fix, and could be done over a one burner kerosene "stove." Do you know how much of our food requires microwaving? I couldn't send anything that needed refrigeration after it had been opened, and nothing that contained pork.

Heavy on the list has been protein powder from GMC the last 10 or 12 boxes because he's been losing so much weight. Power bars, cereal bars, candy (none in Narnia) -- emphasis on Swedish Fish and Mike 'n Ikes. I sent a couple of cans of soup early on, only to have one of them explode in the box. Now I know why they say, "no materials that are liquid, hazardous, flammable, dangerous..."

Well, I've sent liquids -- shampoo, liquid soap, and a few other things, but I'm much better at packaging them now. No more explosions have occurred.

I've sent books, and a few DVDs. I hid an 8 GB flashdrive in his protein powder, and have sent a few DVDs that I've not mentioned on the customs list. I did once, and the box was opened and the DVD stolen -- along with 2 of the 5 power bars I sent -- and the dishtowel that Tim needed.

I've sent battery operated fans and battery operated LED lights that he could stick to the walls as well as a great little battery operated lantern that has lasted the entire 18 months. He has enough batteries to open a small store -- but he'll give them to his friends in the little "subdivision" where he lives.

I've sent presents for the children, and one of the boxes I sent was all Christmas gifts for the four families that "hosted" us in October last year.

Only two of the 23 boxes Tim has received have been opened by the "Narnian" postoffice -- there are two more to get there. We've been really fortunate, as there is nothing to stop the folks in the PO from opening them and taking what they want.

Shipping the boxes has cost more than the contents of the boxes, but it has been a labor of love. I'm grateful to the US Postal system that they have international flat rate boxes, and I've learned to pack them compactly to get the most in a small space.

I'm feeling just a bit nostalgic over not sending him any more boxes....but -- we don't know where he end up or what he will ultimately do for his life's work -- or as he says, "for the next 20 minutes or so..."

If I were to hazard a guess, I suspect there are more boxes in my future -- and in Tim's.

At the rate postage is going up, I better start saving....

Governments Strapped for Cash???

2009-05-07T17:14:00.002-05:00

I sent my taxes to the appropriate places -- IL, IN, and the Feds -- on April 15. The feds cashed my two checks -- owed taxes for 2008 and estimated taxes for 2009 with alacrity. IN cashed my estimated tax check quickly as well.

It's been nearly a month and IN hasn't cashed my check covering my owed 2008 taxes. I mailed all the envelopes at the same time in the same mail box. LEC taxes AND our taxes. A total of 6 envelopes.

Did I not mail the IN taxes? Did they get stuck in the post box? Are they going to charge me exhorbitant interest for late taxes?

I e-mailed and within 5 hours got a response. "Wait three bank statements and write again if still not cashed. Don't send a replacement check at this time."

Um -- that is THREE months!!

Linda's husband Will actually called and talked to a real live person. Evidently their check hadn't been cashed either. (LEC is an Indiana-based company).

He was told.....

Are you sitting down????

"It will be another 6 weeks. We don't have anyone to open the envelopes."

Remind Me That I Love Traveling....

2009-04-29T13:44:00.002-05:00

I was blithely humming along I-55 on my 3 hour trek to Decatur IL, listening to my current audiobook, when a thought slowly began to take form.....I didn't remember putting my suitcase in the trunk.

Pulling over to the side of the road, I checked it out. The trunk sported our LCD projector, a wrench, a gizmo to take the nuts (bolts?) off the tires and -- nothing else.

Turn around, go back another 40 minutes, thank Jesus that I hadn't gone any farther than 50 miles, and head for home. The suitcase was politely waiting for me where I had left it, by the door of the garage. I heaved it into the trunk and set out again.

Dusk fell, and so did the rain....poured!!! Rainmakers -- here we are again. Just ask us to do a program wherever there is a drought. We'll take care of it.

The hotel was a new Hawthorn Suites. I got our key, went up to the room, turned right around and went downstairs to the desk again. "Carole and I are really good friends, but we would REALLY like to have two beds please." "Oh," said the rather geeky attendant, "there is a pull out couch as the second bed. It should be all made up for you."

Yes there was a couch, and yes it was made up. It was miserably uncomfortable. The combo of the pull out couch and the refrigerator that cycled LOUDLY every hour or so wasn't exactly conducive to restful sleep. The room was also a handicapped room. If you have never been in a handicapped room, they are wonderful for people in wheelchairs. I hung my dress on the ironing board holder. The sink was tiny and had the only mirror in the room. This is for two women trying to get ready for a professional program at 6:00 am???

We always try to get to where we are going at least 20 minutes early to make sure all the AV works and everything is in order so we can start promptly at 8:00. At 8:15, we were still working on the recalcitrant AV equipment. The wireless keyboard didn't work. Neither did the clicker. They gave us a mouse to switch the powerpoint slides, but it only worked sporadically. I finally went out and got our projector and hooked up our computers. Ahhhhhh......

We got back from lunch for the second session (we do two of these programs each day), and evidently it was the day to test the fire alarm system. It was a very loud DONG - DONG - DONG -- right in our room, 28 dongs every 5 minutes for 40 minutes.

Carole did a magnificent job of yelling through it.....and finally it stopped. Until the afternoon shift came on, and it started again during our video....

Next week this will all be funny.

Meanwhile, remind me why I travel for a living??

Oh yes, by the way -- today we are at another hospital (where the AV is working perfectly and there are -- so far -- no fire alarms) and received an award for "Making a Difference" in Breastfeeding Education for our Building Bridges program from the Illinois Department of Health.

Combat pay? Maybe this is why I love doing this....

Yep, it is.

The Beast -- Wounded, but not Fatally

2009-04-03T09:24:00.002-05:00

Last Friday, a week ago, I was on my way to make rounds at the hospital, where about 1 1/2 blocks from home there was a horrible, grinding and scraping sound as the Beast came to a sudden halt. I gingerly got out of the car, and amid a horrid smell, there was the right front tire, deader than the proverbial doornail.

I called our favorite car-fixit-place, and gave them my name and said, "My car just died." "Oh," he said, "The Lincoln?"

You know you've taken your car in waaay too many times when all you give is your name and they know the car.....

So they took it away on a flat bed -- evidently you don't just *tow* a Lincoln, and Chris drove me home -- you also know you've been there waaay too much when they know exactly where you live and don't need to ask directions any more.

Called me back later with the news. The good news: it's fixable. The bad news: not until Monday afternoon -- and I was leaving for Springfield on Sunday. The worse news: it was gonna cost me....

But the really good news was -- I was only one block from home, and not on I-55!!

The ball bearing that does something funky with the tire on the left side had shattered and punctured the tire. I had had the right one replaced already (I think this is sort of like knee replacement surgery -- or maybe hip replacement -- in a person), but had had plenty of warning with the Beast just dying in the middle of the road for that one.

So -- I rented a car to go to Springfield. It was a nice, 2009 Toyota Camry (30 miles to the gallon!!).

But it wasn't the Beast.

She is home now, and driving just fine, thank you very much. But the verdict is that it might be time, just might be time to start looking for a new car.

I'm going to rent a car to go to Vincennes this coming week -- Bob is nervous about me taking TB on a long trip.

Another car?

I'm not ready.....

I need a bit longer.

Of course, when I have to actually pay the bill for this last surgery, I might be a bit closer to readiness.

Maybe.

Saga of The Beast

2009-03-20T08:14:00.003-05:00

September, 2003. I fell in love. Bob and I were walking by the funeral home parking lot when I saw it....and fell head over heels in love with it.

IT was a 1997 Lincoln Town Car -- cream colored body with a blue top. It was the top of the line which meant it had all the bells and whistles for 1997. It also had 140,000 miles on it....

But....BUT -- it was only $4500!

We checked with our limo company who said that these cars were designed to go at least 250,000 miles if you took care of it.

Within hours it was mine. We figured if it would last until Tim graduated from Taylor in May, 2006, we'd have found ourselves a bargain.

This morning on the way home from the hospital, The Beast turned 200,000 miles.

I still love The Beast. I don't want to give it up. It still drives like a dream.

I figure if I keep it much longer, I can enter it in Old Car night on Front Street in Wheaton in the summertime.

The Beast's license plate?

JANZLMO.

Home....

2009-03-15T20:35:00.002-05:00

It's funny how good it feels to be home.

Home.

I'm not traveling nearly as much this year as last -- perhaps that is why I am relishing being home as much as I am.

Home.

Sure. We get up in the morning, and I go off to the hospital to see moms and babies....have lots of stuff to do in the office when I return, but there is something about being ... home.

Although if I were traveling I wouldn't be facing a root canal tomorrow.

Valium, anyone?

The Yearly Physical....

2009-02-18T18:15:00.002-06:00

Had to go in to see Marie for the yearly physical.

Doncha just love them? No matter how nice your doc is -- there are just some things that Are. Not. Fun.

This is one of them.

But I did get my chuckle when the nurse, dutifully filling out the computerized history form, asked me what I was using for birth control

"Um.....Old Age?"

A Visit to the ER

2009-02-11T09:40:00.002-06:00

I spent yesterday in the ER with chest pains.....had had them since Sunday night -- all day Monday (but were faint enough that I could fob them off).

Tuesday morning I woke up at 12:30 am and couldn't go back to sleep. There they were. Definitely left sided pains, radiating down to my left arm. No elephant sitting on my chest feeling, no huge sweats, no feeling of impending doom, just a pulse rate that was out of sight, and the pain -- front, back, arm. Hmmm.

At 4:45 I got up, showered, dressed, and told Bob we needed to go to the ER....

He showered and dressed while I stocked computer, book, Bible, contact lens case, glasses -- all the "just in case stuff", and, of course, put on makeup. You think I'm going to show up in the ER with last night's underwear and no makeup? Not me!!

12 hours later I was discharged with a clean bill of health. At least whatever I have in the chest is not my heart. (I will NOT listen to those TV shows that discuss how women's heart attacks do not have the same symptoms that men's do. The fact that my father died of a sudden coronary after being given a clean bill of health at exactly my age may have something to do with my paranoia).

My chest X-ray was normal. (Evidently they don't count fat as abnormal). My cardiac enzymes (blood work) was normal. I talked them into ordering all the other blood work my doc wants for my yearly check up which is next week....and then I had a nuclear stress test.

Uh -- don't do that. Not fun. Took about three hours. And I'm still, I guess, glowing in the dark. Not to mention the walking on the treadmill part. The walking isn't bad. The speed -- not so bad. The INCLINE??? BAD!! I will not tell you how many minutes I lasted. Suffice it to say I might have made it through two auditions on American Idol complete with Simon's caustic comments.

Maybe.

But the little donuts that demonstrate my blood vessels evidently are all clear. No clogging with Doritos, onion chip dip or chocolate.

Bob was most thankful that my chest pains happened on Tuesday and not today because he really has a very busy schedule today, including having breakfast with our new senior pastor. So glad I could accommodate him. Especially since Torrey was born on a Wednesday against his express wishes.

Memo to self: Avoid Wednesdays for emergencies or childbirth. Doesn't make Bob happy.

Oh yes, the day of Torrey's birth, he managed to leave my bedside in the labor room to go to his Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (P&T) meeting.

Grateful to Jill -- born on a Sunday, and Tim -- born on a Thursday.

But I digress. However, keep in mind that my "emergency" did occur on a Tuesday. Whew!

Anyway -- I'm here, safe and sound for the moment. And truly thanking God that there was nothing that showed up. I'm still not sure what the chest pains are all about, but the ER doc assured me that all they needed to do was make sure I was safe to go home, it wasn't my heart, and they didn't care beyond that.... Evidently they worry about lawsuits in which they declare the chest pains a figment of an old ladies' imagination (especially if she is wearing lipstick and bringing her book to read) and send them home to drop dead within 24 hours. Not good for the corporate image.

But as to really what CAUSED the chest pain? Let's leave that to Marie to figure out when I see her next week. (Marie being my long-suffering *real* physician).

Nice....

Sorry no pictures -- too bad they won't let me have a snapshot of my amazingly clear arteries. I'm sure you would all be quite interested.

Um, not.

Last -- and Favorite Stop -- Malta

2009-02-09T20:11:00.007-06:00

After another wonderful day at sea - amazing how much there is to do....we got into Malta about 1:00 in the afternoon. It was wonderful. Of all the places we visited, this is the one I want to re-visit. Carole and Bob were right -- this is exactly what they said too. The ship pulls up right into the port of the city, so you can walk right into the heart of the main town -- or you can wait for a bus -- or you can take a tour with RC -- or you can venture out on your own.

We opted for a "venture out on your own" which wasn't too difficult as that required walking up a bit of a hill and then a bunch of stairs into the main "downtown" area. Valleta is one of those places you could spend a long time, particularly if you don't have a tour guide hurrying you along to the next stop. It isn't all that big....in fact, if you had a full day or a bit more, you could rent a car and drive alll along the coast.

The next time I would do what Carole and Bob did -- go on a bus to the M'dina -- the old walled city of Malta, and tour there. They said it was truly wonderful.

Coming into port was a fabulous view. The advantage to coming in at 1:00 in the afternoon is that You. Are. Awake!!

We started out with Linda and Will, but they opted to take a bus, while we opted to walk. (I'm the total martyr here, and plan to play it for all it is worth when I have to see Marie for my usual check up in February....)

Up the stairs....

Well, dang, I didn't take any pictures of the stairs. Sigh. They were there -- trust me -- my thighs do!!

The picture of the Lipton's Iced Tea is for Linda and Carole who refuse to drink any tea but Liptons. Yet another reason to return to Malta.

We visited THE Cathedral -- St. John the Co-something or other. Yikes -- I can't remember -- I'm sure it wasn't the co-conspirator, but of course, that is what comes to mind. In any case, it was absolutely beautiful -- well kept, geared to tourists in that we each got a little doodah that took us around the cathedral with audio lectures on each stopping point. It was truly amazing. Unfortunately most of my pictures turned out totally blurry (having not a clue as to how to take them w/o flash), and needing to really go to the bathroom. Finally found one, waited a really decent length of time in front of the woman's room, only to be a tad disconcerted when a man walked out of it.....

A toilet is a toilet is a toilet -- and if ya gotta go, well.....

True confessions:

1. I wanted to spend more money here than anywhere. Malta had the BEST stuff to buy. I resisted jewelry, but did get some things for everyone else -- my girls, and a bit for me as well. I have the prettiest vases -- Malta is known for its glassware. Truly lovely.

2. I had positively, without-a-shadow-of-a-doubt, the best capuccino I have ever had in my entire life. Right across the street from St. John the Co-whatever....

We met up with Linda and Will at that point, and after extracting many promises from Tim as to what time he would arrive at the ship, we let him go find an internet cafe from whence he could chat with friend Jen.

I LOVED Malta. Did I say that before? My pictures do not do a bit of justice to the little town we were in....up hill and down dale (though I'm not a bit sure of what "down dale" really is....)

Y'gotta have your MacFix....

We had, of course, go to St. Paul the Shipwrecked church. They wouldn't allow picture taking in the church, which was a pity -- but they also didn't charge us to go through it. That was obvious. Rather than the shiny gold, copper, and silver objects of arts that were in St. John the Whatever church, this church was smaller, dingier, and certainly nothing was polished.

Except for the statue of Paul the Apostle in the front of the church in a glassed in box. There he was, as, I suppose, they thought he arrived in Malta. Do go to the story in the Acts of the Apostles to read about Paul's arrival on Malta. Shipwrecked, they came into harbor with the ship gone, but not a soul lost. Paul and company are making a bonfire on the shore when a viper comes out of the brush and latches on to Paul's hand....he shakes it off into the fire, and since he suffers no ill effects from the viper's poisonous bite, the people of Malta declare him a god....well, it goes on from there -- you have to read it for yourself. Wonderful story - especially if you are visiting Malta.

So there is the statue of Paul -- replendant in green and gold robes, holding what looks to be a Bible which would have been printed in at least the 15th century. A snake is slithering up behind him....

It was gorgeous. A bit out of character as to what I THINK the whole scene looked like, but oh, how fun....

Carole told me that the M'dina had a lot more dedicated to Paul as they think that is really where he landed and lived for some time....

Sigh.

Anyway, we meandered a bit more through the town, taking pictures, buying souveniers, and finally headed back to the ship....

I absolutely cannot wait to go back to Malta. What a wonderful island!!

I'm hoping my dear sister will weigh in on this post -- she and Tim (her dh) spent a week here on one of their much needed, but not-frequent-enough breaks.

Maybe someday....

Camels, Michael Jackson, Pyramids, and the Sphinx!

2009-02-03T19:16:00.013-06:00

Due to a storm that was headed our way, the captain chose to skip Cyprus so that there wouldn't be any danger of our not getting into port in Alexandria. That gave us an extra day at sea before our really long day in Egypt. For this one, we opted to go on the Royal Caribbean tour rather than getting one of our own...

Up early and eager, we got our number (19) and got on our bus.

Only to discover we had all been put on the wrong bus. This one wasn't going on the Nile cruise -- it was going to the City of the Dead in Cairo instead. Oops.

It was a long drive from Alexandria to Cairo. Our tour guide was hot into selling things -- T-shirts and cartouches which she promised if we only ordered Right Now we could get it at the end of the trip.

First stop was an old mosque. It wasn't terribly impressive, but it did have 365 lights in it! Poor February 29 gets left out again.

Next stop was lunch on a cruise on the Nile. Wasn't exactly what I expected. Evidently Moses wasn't born near Cairo -- there wasn't a bulrush to be seen. There were, however, lots and lots of buildings. Looked just like any old city anywhere. We even waved at TGI Fridays! The Nile is brown, in case you needed to know...

Tim looks thrilled with the food, doesn't he? It wasn't the best -- though I LOVED the ice cream!!

Now here is the kind of boat I thought we would be on...

I think I was expecting the Egypt of the old Agatha Christie mysteries, or Elizabeth Peters Amelia Peabody books....not the Egypt of 2009....

In fact, seeing the pyramids behind the city was a shock. I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't this:

The pyramids were surrounded by lots of um -- sales people and camel vendors. Will and Bob (Peterson) think they could market the place a lot better and perhaps do an Egyptian Disneyworld -- perhaps "Sphinx R Us" or "Pyramidic Planet". I do think they need help...

I digress.

I wanted to ride a camel. Another one of the 101 things to do before I die is now crossed off the list....Tim was an unenthusiastic passenger with me -- I didn't want to do it on my own, and there was no way I was going to get Bob to go! So Tim graciously decided he would accompany his old mother...

Our little camel boy spoke lovely English -- told us the camel's name was Michael Jackson. I told him Michael Jordan would have been a much better fit....which brought on a lovely discussion of basketball. He was quite impressed with Tim's command of Arabic....I too, am very impressed with Tim's command of Arabic. Despite having learned several phrases in Morocco, I'm left with la shukran. (No thank you).

The Great Pyramid -- the one the three of us are standing in front of -- is the only one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World that is still standing. The pyramids, however, are not the oldest man-made structure on the earth. That honor is given to a stone gate in Malta. (This took up a full breakfast discussion the next day...) And you can't get into the pyramids -- Evidently you can if you go to Luxor, but maybe on another trip....

Then on to the Sphinx... This guy -- well, you can't get up close and personal with him. He is surrounded by a fence which is probably just as well. That way the only thing that will make him crumble a bit faster is the acid rain and pollution from the 15,000,000 folks that live in Cairo and its environs.

The last stop of the day was one of the many "Papyrus Institutes" where we were treated to a lecture on how papyrus is made, and then encouraged to spend many euros on beautiful pictures painted on the papyrus. I opted to take pictures of the pictures instead....much to our tour guide's disgust because we are quite sure she gets a commission on all that is sold. Maybe Royal Caribbean does too....hmmm....

We finally headed back -- sleepy -- a bit disgruntled at spending so much time in the last shop rather than more time exploring the wonders of Egypt, and hungry....

The line was LONG to get back on the ship. And it was COLD.

The next time I go back to Egypt, I'm going to Luxor, and I'm going to find some bulrushes. I think I'm going to go with Agatha Christie, because I want to visit the Egypt of the past. I think it's much more romantic than the Egypt of the present.

Blago is Gone...

2009-01-29T19:25:00.003-06:00

I don't think any of us are going to miss him.

I wonder how long it will take to get his name off the tollway signs...

Nope, none of us in IL are going to miss him.

look, Look, LOok, LOOk, LOOK! OPA!!!

2009-01-28T18:56:00.009-06:00

And so began our introduction to Rhodes. The guide for our private tour was -- in a word -- unique. He talked pretty much non-stop for the entire day; was very nice, took us to some lovely places -- but oh my....

He tried to teach us some Greek. We weren't listening. But bless him,he did try. His favorite was to suddenly point and yell out, "look, Look, LOok, LOOk, LOOK, LOOK, LOOK!!! and when he finally had our attention, yelled OPA!! for whatever sight he thought worthy of our attention.

We started out going to Lindos, which is located on the eastern shoreline. We took a little side trip to visit an out of the way pottery place -- I'm sure our guide took a cut of whatever we bought, but their stuff was beautiful. Not sure what I'm going to do with what I got -- but it brings back good memories, none the less.

Lindos is a cute little Greek town -- from a distance looks like all the neat pictures of Greek towns you see on Webshots (my favorite cheap date). The exciting part was climbing 292 steps up to the Acropolis which gave an amazing view of the harbor which includes St. Paul's Bay where the apostle is said to have landed. The wonderful part about going in January is that there were NO lines. Of course, not too many shops were open either....

And more....

The cute little town...with the typical roadway and sidewalk decorations made out of pebbles

Rhodes, of course, was the home of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Colosseus of Rhodes which doesn't exist any more. That brought a huge discussion amongst us as to what we could name....not much, as it turned out. The great pyramid at Giza - the only one still around -- and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. There are four others -- but you are going to have to do what I did...use your friend Google and find out the rest of them!

We then went to the Old Town of Rhodes which was a fun medieval walled town. We wandered down the Street of the Knights and visited the old Hospital of the Knights -- um -- I'm glad I wasn't a nurse there! There we had some late lunch and said a grateful goodbye to our guide...look, look, look, LOOK, LOOK!!! OPA!!

Our guide explaining the doors to the city....OPA! Or would that be OPEN!!

Linda, Carole, Bob, Will, Tim, and our intrepid guide in front.

The hospital

Dare you to lob one of these at your enemy!

Yup -- the Body Shop -- go figure!

And finally, farewell to Rhodes...but not before a bit of drama with Tim who decided to find an internet cafe where he could chat with Jen for a bit. This involved getting very bad directions from people in the Old Town, walking for ages....and getting back to the ship just about the time I was beginning to panic.

You see, I had memories of a particular 'nuther cruise in the Caribbean when Tim and Torrey went out of an evening in Barbados and were booking it to make it on the ship in time. Last ones on the boat -- hysterical mother -- nope, not a good show at all.

Two Things...

2009-01-27T19:48:00.003-06:00

Number 1: I cured the icemaker in the refrigerator once again using the hair dryer. I have saved SO MUCH money (read -- hard earned $$$) with that little trick. Read it and weep, Sears....

I totally ROCK!

Number 2: I burned the bottom out of my teapot by totally forgetting the water I set to boil for my cup of tea.

So much for my cup 'o decaf Constant Comment...sigh.

It's all Simon's fault.

Well, I was watching American Idol, hence it is Simon's fault. Or maybe Randy's.

Maybe?

Port Three -- Athens

2009-01-24T15:45:00.007-06:00

But first, more tea....

Bless Bob -- he went out and bought me some plain cough medicine. Here's hoping it works. If not, I'll not be going to church tomorrow, and will miss our new senior pastor's first preaching Sunday. OTOH, he probably wouldn't appreciate someone hacking away every two minutes during his sermon.

But -- on to Athens!

I think one of the things that amazed me was when we pulled away from the port that late afternoon and the city seemed to stretch for miles. There was no sense that Athens stopped or started -- just kept on going and going. We actually ported in Piraeus, driving into Athens from there....

Again, Carole had gotten us our own van and tour guide so we were just the seven of us. That meant we could do a customized tour rather than the ones offered by RC. We wanted to see both the Archeological museum AND the Acropolis -- and in all the tours we looked at we could do one or the other, but not both. So we opted for a day trip we had a little more control over.

We saw the magnificent Temple of Zeus, Hadrian's Arch -- and the Acropolis. But first, the Archeological Museum which was fabulous. The antiquities -- my goodness. They were beautiful...many of them are in the British Museum (go figure) -- guess we'll have to go there to see the rest of them.

Then on to the Acropolis. Just before you climb up to the Acropolis is Mars Hill where Paul preached to the Athenians and talked about their unknown god. It's rather plain. I don't know what I expected...should have looked at the pictures in my Bible Story book a bit more carefully I think.

The Acropolis is right there. It was quite a climb up the hill -- but we made it. Not for the faint of heart or the elderly, that is for sure. I'm a bit nonplused by the scaffolding around all the old structures, but I'm glad they are working to fix it up. So much is damaged by the acid rain and the smog -- looking out over the city of Athens and the suburbs, you can see why.

While we were waiting for Will and Linda at one point, Carole and I had a discussion with our tour guide about -- what else? -- Breastfeeding! It's not at all prevalent in Athens -- too many young mothers worried about losing their figures. She nursed her first baby for 5 months and was in the minority.

Do you suppose that discussion could qualify this trip as a business expense?

No, I didn't think so either.

We wandered into the Plaka and had some lunch at a little taverna which was decorated in the most garish green I've ever seen.

True confession: Greek food isn't my favorite of all the cuisines I've encountered. But it was fun, and I got to try some ouzo for the first time since we were in Greece 32 years ago.

Going through the duty free store on the way back to the ship, we were delighted to see the notices on these cartons of cigarettes:

Tomorrow: Rhodes!!

Sicily

2009-01-23T15:39:00.006-06:00

I really should have written this on the ship. Now that we are getting further and further away from the trip, I look at pictures and realize I really can't remember what they are all about! Is it old age?

Nah, couldn't be.

Could it?

Anyway, we boarded the ship on January 5. Our first full day on the 6th was a day at sea. That's always fun because you can explore the ship and get to know it a little bit.

Here's pictures of our first night at dinner

Our first stop on the high seas was Palermo, Italy. Carole (our consummate cruise director) had arranged for a private tour rather than go on the RC ones, and it was fabulous....First stop was Erice, a little town with a medieval castle and 14th century Mother Church, tiny winding cobblestone roads and little shops.

It was so fogged in that we couldn't get much in the way of pictures, and it was BEASTLY cold!

Fortunately the fog began to clear as we started making our way back to the van, so I did get a couple of shots of the little town...

We got up close and personal with the temple of Zeus. Looked so much like Athens, but is just outside Palermo....Shows the Greek influence in the architecture. Still cold, but the fog has completely gone - and we aren't on the top of the mountain any more.

The countryside near the temple.

Back into Palermo. We decided to skip the exhibit with all the dead people, and opted instead for the sights of the city and another cathedral.

Back to the ship in time for tea and scones with whipped cream. Mmmmm....

Tomorrow -- another day at sea!!

We're home, but....

2009-01-17T20:03:00.004-06:00

....I'm going to be posting...um, would this be post-tripolusly??

Er, anyway, post whatever, regarding our Amazing-Cruise-To-Europe-Camels-And-All.

For the already posted version, see my friend Carole's blog: cruzineurope2007.blogspot.com.

She (not that I'm jealous or anything) actually was able to log on In Her Stateroom.

I, that is, WE (in our stateroom -- Tim, Bob and I) were unable to log on in our room. OK, so Linda couldn't either. Why not? It seems that Brilliance of the Seas is not necessarily brilliant when it comes to internet access. In case you haven't looked, newer computers don't have a modem. They do, of course, have wireless capability, but no dial-up modems. And Brilliance, in it's ever-lovin' brilliance, simply doesn't have the capability of communicating with Macs. (So there, Steve Jobs....).

But I, as usual, digress. The reason for the tardiness of this post is simply because I had to get to a "hot spot" on the ship to communicate. And I didn't. At least not to add to this blog. I did download e-mails, but I didn't blog. So there.

For those of you who care, here are some pictures of Barcelona....

Number one, perhaps on my list of 101 things-to-do-before-I-die: Ride a cable car over nothingness. And here I did it -- on the way to Monserratt, the monastery where the roads had been washed out -- so up we went!

This is the beautiful (and famous) Cathedral of the Sacred Family. I don't have Tim here to remind me of what it really is in Spanish, so you can take it for what it is worth. Done by Gaudi (who is evidently very famous in Spain -- or in Barcelona -- take your pick -- it isn't done. Not by a long shot. Very lovely, but very full of lots of scaffolding and ladders and planks and whatnot. It was impressive on the outside, but not worth 11 Euros each (that's about $16.50 in $US -- each) to admire a lot of, um, not much. We consoled ourselves by considering that we had contributed to the restoration of said cathedral.

Think the IRS will let us take it off on our taxes as to a non-profit?

Tim here, is resting on his bed in our pink, that is to say VERY PINK, room at the hotel in Barcelona. I LOVED the hotel. It had a 24 hour open buffet which served all manner of goodies (including verybadwine) but only had 18 guest rooms, had a "dining room" which was sorta like your average family room -- that is, if your family room could seat about 30 people at small round tables. Anyway, it was a great place to hang out, especially since there were seven of us meeting up at various times.

This is the rest of the very-pink-room. If you are pink-o-phobic, don't book your overnights here.

Our hotel in Barcelona was about one block from what I called "Michigan Ave" in deference to the Mag Mile in Chicago. This is one of the structures by Gaudi (hey -- this pic would cost you at least 1 Euro in Spain -- and you are getting it for free, from my camera -- on this blog!! Such a deal!! (See reference to the picture above -- he's the guy that did so much of the Familia Sagrida)

For those of us into Mothers and Babies and Breastfeeding (OK, so I'm a Lactation Consultant -- and, we are into mothers/babies/breastfeeding...) here is the statue that is right outside the Barcelona Ministry of Health.

Gotta love it.

Two, of many, pictures I could have taken and shared with you of food in the market on Las Ramblas -- the street Bob, Bob, Tim and I strolled in the morning. I got 1/2 kilo of Savilla olives that taste as close to any of the ones Tim, Bob and I enjoyed in Sevilla back in '04 when he (Tim) was studying there. ("Back in...." sounds really far back, as though it was at least in the 1900s....) It truly was an amazing and beautiful market. No preserved lemons though -- I'm on the hunt.

The best, however, was noting that they did not go in for Dunkin Donuts....it was Dunkin COFFEE! Had to share this with y'all. Does this mean you are dunking your coffee into something? I'm just not sure.

Dunkin Coffee. Gotta love it.

More anon.

On Our Way!

2009-01-08T08:14:00.001-06:00

We are here on the Brilliance of the Sea, chugging our way to Athens, having spent yesterday touring Palmero, Sicily. We spent a couple of days in Barcelona first...amazingly, we all met up with each other – Carole and Bob who made it without incident, Linda and Will who were rerouted to Zurich, and, true to form, lost their luggage in the process; Tim, who came via Alitalia and Rome, and us.

Barcelona is now definitely one of my all time favorite cities. It is absolutely beautiful! We were in a little hotel in the middle of the city, one block from Barcelona’s Mag Mile. We were also just a couple of blocks from Las Ramblas – a great street to walk down late at night when all the activity is going on. It was cool – coats definitely needed, but great walking weather. Our little hotel had only 18 rooms, and a 24/7 buffet where we could get anything we wanted to eat or snack on. We ate dinner out – tapas one night and paella the other. Tapas were great – paella not so much. Bummer.

Monday the 5th, we get on the ship. It’s lovely, but the internet leaves a little bit to be desired. If you don’t have a modem in your computer, or you use a Mac – well, you are out of luck being able to do internet in your room. Only Carole has a computer that is old enough to have a modem....

But it is wonderful anyway. So far, a day at sea, a tour of Palmero, and now our second day at sea.

Already my pants are getting a bit tighter....

We are off to the pool. More anon!

Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T14:47:00.002-06:00

It IS Christmas Eve, though it isn't feeling much like it -- yet. Usually Bob takes today off, but because of his limited vacation time he can't this year. We'll be glad, of course, once we are on the cruise early next year!!

It's light outside. A couple of the neighbors have put out their luminaria. I'm waiting until Bob gets home from work to do that -- hoping he is able to at least leave a bit early.

Tim is out. Of course.

Torrey and Chris are most likely on their way to Ohio to spend the weekend with Chris' two sisters, two nieces, two nephews, and two brothers-in-law. Hmmm -- they may have double the fun!

The mail has come. I didn't get any Christmas catalogues. This may be the first day in the last 2 months that I've not received a catalogue of some sort. Maybe the merchants have figured out that Christmas Eve is a tad too late to order something in time for tomorrow. It would take more than Santa and his magical reindeer to get it here in time...

I'm imagining Deven just beside himself with excitement. Jill said she couldn't put anything under the tree as Deven would be helping to open it as soon as it was there. He is going to be a shepherd tonight in their children's Christmas pageant at their church. I wish I could be there to see it.

Usually on Christmas Eve we go out to our favorite Chinese restaurant for dinner, the elves leave jammies, we go to the 11:00 service at College Church, and then get in our elf jammies for some hot tea before we go to bed.

But we did half of that last Friday night -- dinner at Beijing (which is under new managment and we didn't like it half as well -- time for a new tradition???) -- elf jammies, but no C'mas Eve service. It's a bit odd doing two Christmases -- half one time and half the other. No stockings tomorrow either....

But I am making cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

That is to say Pillsbury and I are making cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

Another Great Video

2008-12-19T10:22:00.002-06:00

OK, thanks to my dear niece, Liz Anne, here's another fun one...

Frisco Christmas Lights - Wizards in Winter
The song is Wizards in Winter by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
© 2008 YouTube, LLC

A Favorite Christmas Song...

2008-12-19T09:43:00.002-06:00

Mary Did You Know?
Music and lyrics for "Mary Did You Know?" by Spoken
© 2008 YouTube, LLC

Bowing

2008-12-14T14:44:00.002-06:00

Ummm -- that is bowing as in applying bows, rather than bowing as in paying homage to the Queen. Or King, as the case may be.

Anyway, we have spent part of the afternoon putting bows on Christmas packages. We have a system. Wrap all the packages together. Heave a huge sigh of relief. Count to make sure everyone has approximately the same number of packages (this is left over from when the kids were little -- does it hang on forever?). Clean up the mess.

Remember that tradition calls to apply bows to said packages.

As I was doing so this afternoon, I chuckled over the rallying cry on Christmas morning -- "Save the Bows!! Save the Bows!!" I wonder how many years these same bows have seen Christmas duty. We have a big plastic box full of them. At least this year we for-bow buying any more.

I debate whether or not to just put a premade bow on the box, or should I tie shiny metallic curly ribbon (red, green, blue, gold, silver) on it? Bob's system is to tie one color of curly ribbon around it and then put a premade bow slap-dab in the center of the tie. No thinking there. But on his tags he always writes a little clue as to what the present might be.

Not too many surprises this year -- we shopped together. Chicos got the bulk of his money this year -- they had waaay too many nice things. So few surprises in fact that he got most of my presents wrapped -- at the dining room table -- before we left for church at 7:45 am.

Don't ask what time he gets up.

Even on Sundays.

Oh my. He just came up from downstairs with another box full of bows.

Good. More for me to add to HIS presents.

We're Cool Now....

2008-12-10T16:36:00.002-06:00

....we've learned how to text-message. Now to learn the lingo.

Torrey & Chris got new phones and talked Bob into getting a new one too -- one with a touch face and full QWERTY keyboard. My "contract" isn't up until July, but Torrey gave me her old phone which has a full keyboard on it....

How cool is this?

Cn u jst c us txtg? Us old folk?

Yup, we are now the ultimate in cool.

Or we will be when we each get an iPod.

A Thankful Heart

2008-11-30T15:04:00.003-06:00

On January 24, 1998, my friend Debbie started to keep a notebook of things she was thankful for. She covenanted to list at least three things a day for which she was grateful.

Debbie was one of the first people to welcome us to Wheaton. She came to our front door with her (at that time) two youngest children and a plate of cookies. "Hi," she said. "My name is Debbie, and I live right around the corner from you. This is my son Matthew, and this is my daughter Lori Beth. I wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood."

"And this is my daughter Torrey Beth," I said, as I pulled three year old Torrey from behind my skirts (um -- that is figuratively speaking....not literally, mind you).

Debbie and I became good friends. She lived in a lovely Victorian house on our block, around the corner -- a home that must have housed large Victorians, since ours must have had rather small Victorians living in it. She invited us to College Church -- to the "Young Couples" Sunday School class. We were hooked, and we never visited another church in Wheaton -- a city of churches.

That was 1982. Torrey Beth and Lori Beth were best of friends for many many years. Debbie held the flashlight when Timothy was born in August, 1984 -- at home, with no electricity -- during a major storm -- while Bob helped deliver him (HEY -- *I* delivered him -- Bob just helped!!) -- because the midwife didn't get there until 10 minutes after Timothy. Debbie said she THOUGHT she was going to make PB & J sandwiches and play Monopoly with Jill & Torrey during the birth -- not be a significant part of it!

We shared many a Thanksgiving dinner at Ed's mother's home -- who generally invited at least 20 or 30 others, including Russian refugees. Ed & Debbie introduced us to our new Thanksgiving tradition -- going bowling after T'giving dinner. It became a tradition to try and beat Ed....this year Torrey and Bob got the high scores (150 and 154) beating out Ed by just a few pins....

Thanksgiving Eve, College Church has a wonderful service -- it is hard to decide which one we like the best -- Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Eve, or Easter Sunday. They are all amazing.

Each year, three members of the congregation are asked to give their testimony. Perhaps because of something unusual that has happened that year, perhaps because they have a special story to tell. When Torrey was a sophomore in high school, she was one of the chosen.

But I digress.

This year, Debbie was one of the three who were asked to speak. And that is why I know about the notebook of thanksgiving. Debbie has been keeping these lists for nearly 11 years. She has always been able to find something to be thankful for -- even when she broke her back. That day she found 11 things to be thankful for! She said she's missed a few days, but never because there wasn't something for which she could praise God.

Debbie and Ed don't live around the corner from us any more. They have moved to Wisconsin, where Ed was the owner/proprietor of an amazing and beautiful resort and campground. But their wonderful home here in Wheaton hasn't sold yet....

Since our trip to the resort in June, the bottom has fallen out of the economy. The bottom fell out of the resort/campground as well. Let's just say that life and finances have gotten impossibly and unimaginably difficult for Ed and Debbie.

It isn't over yet.

But Debbie still thanks God, every day, for at least three things.

God is good. It's easy to praise God when things are going well. Not so easy -- but much more authentic -- when life seems to be at its lowest ebb. You see, God is still good when the Dow plummets, and half our retirement is -- just -- gone. God is still good when we think retirement is a couple of years away -- and we realize that we may be working for another 7 or 10 years instead (and we are grateful that we have a job at all). God is still good when cancer hits. God is still good when a daughter gets pregnant out of wedlock, or another child send threatening suicidal notes. God is good -- and loves us REGARDLESS of our circumstances.

The question is -- do we still love God during these hard times? Can we still praise Him?

Debbie can.

Debbie is one of my "heros of the faith."

My "Thankful Heart" notebook is only four days long -- but one of my "thank-yous" is for my dear friend, Debbie.

Mom's Version of Torrey's Questionnaire

2008-11-24T20:09:00.002-06:00

I love getting those questionnaires that make you think about what you like, what you don't like, and answering them. Makes me think. Well, Torrey put her answers up for this Christmas questionnaire on her blog, and so -- hey -- me too! Me too!! If you hate questionnaires, skip this one.
***********************************************************

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your family and friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy this entire email and paste into a new e-mail that you can send. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person that sent it toyou......Tis the Season to be NICE

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper mostly because I can get it real cheap at Costco or from The Lakeside Collection. But bags are SO easy!!

2. Real tree or Artificial? I grew up with real trees, and for the first 30+ years of our married life we had a real tree. But then I got tired of cleaning up the needles and having to turn off the lights when we went out and having to water it....so....we have a fake one. We succumbed.

3. When do you put up the tree? Thanksgiving morning. We used to do it the week before Christmas, on the 18th, but since getting the artificial one, we can put it up early and take it down late and there is no danger of fire. We do all our decorating then. This year we got the C'mas china out early and have a few decorations up. Won't take as long on T'giving Day then.

4. When do you take the tree down? Depends on who is home now. I'd love to leave it up until 12th night (January 6), but this year, we'll take it down on New Year's Day, most likely, since we are going on a cruise in early January.

5. Do you like eggnog? I haven't had it in so many years, I don't know....

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Yes, Torrey, you got way too many gifts as a kid!! When I was 5, we lived in Ireland, and had no money. My father made a wagon for me out of an apple crate and some wheels he scrounged from the dump. My mother gave me a little clothespin that was on a card that said "With love to Janny from Winnie the Pooh." I've never forgotten in, and in going through some things in Montrose this summer in preparation for the Torrey family reunion, I found the clothespin. Evidently my mother had kept it all these years...

7. Hardest person to buy for? I....don't really know. I think my son Tim. Like Bob, he doesn't really have any hobbies, and just how many DVDs can you get him anyway? And this year with him in Africa, it really limits me and stretches my imagination.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Torrey and Jill. I'm forever finding things I think they would like. Besides they are girls. Deven and Laura -- my grandbabies -- also easy to buy for.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. We've had it for years -- can't remember how long. It is kept in a box that my sister sent our presents in when she sent them from Japan (which had to be 1980 or 81). And yes, the manger is put in the little "attic" that the stall has, and Jesus is put in Mary's arms. I've always wondered why every manger scene has him naked in the manger. It was COLD, folks! Have you ever looked at the paintings by the great masters? Half the nativity pictures have him on the FLOOR -- naked -- with Mary dressed in some gorgeous robe (nice and warm, I'll have you know) with her hands in the air.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I always send a C'mas letter in a card. And I do mail it. I probably do it as much for me as I do for anyone else. Then the letter is put in a notebook where I have a copy of all of the cards I sent out (1970 thru 1980) and the letters which started in 1981...

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? The old version of Miracle on 34th Street. The spiritual lessons it teaches are amazing.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Anytime in November, especially if I have to mail gifts overseas..

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I'm not sure. I do like Christmas cookies. A lot. And it shows.

15. Lights on the tree? I grew up with multicolored lights on the tree. And we still have them that way. White lights outside.

16. Favorite Christmas song? Parts of the Messiah -- I adore the Hallelujah Chorus, but in our church we sing that at Easter. The nurses sung it to me after Torrey was born though I had it on tape. I would have played it after Tim was born, but we didn't have any electricity. I sang it to myself after Jill was born -- having a baby is such an amazing Hallelujah type of thing. There are a bunch of them. We start playing them on Thanksgiving and play them through New Year's Day.

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We stay home and hope that everyone will come to us.

18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? "On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen..." Are there any more? Besides Rudolph, of course.

19. Angel on the tree top or a star? A bow. I actually made it myself one year. It looked a bit dorky, but to my amazement, everyone seemed to like it, and so....

20. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Always Christmas Day although the Elves arrive Christmas Eve with new jammies for everyone. We started the Elf tradition when Jill & Torrey were little. Anyone that stays with us over Christmas Eve is "elfed."

21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The traffic, the crowds, and the need to give too much when so many others have too little. And I'll add to Torrey's comment that I really don't like the focus on Santa (OK, so I DO like Miracle on 34th St) -- and the focus away from Jesus.

22.Favorite Ornament theme or color? My favorite color is always purple, regardless of the time of year.

23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey (absolutely cooked off the bone), buttery mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, cinnamon rolls, pumpkin pie. Add gravy, black and green olives, and dressing made with cranberries and orange juice. However, this is Thanksgiving dinner. Our traditional Christmas dinner which was basically the same ceased to exist the Christmas (2006) we discovered our turkey (I always get a fresh one) was deader than a doornail and, Oh Lord, he stunketh. Since then we have hors d'oeuvres and pick all Christmas afternoon and evening.

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? I want something I can't have, and that is for all three of my children with their families to be home....instead, this year we will be alone. I'm glad Torrey and Chris at least are coming the week before Christmas. Other than that....

25. Who is most likely to respond to this? My sisters

26. Who is least likely to respond to this? Bob. No question about that....

18 Days at Home...

2008-11-19T07:05:00.005-06:00

I'm in the middle of 18 days at home -- longest stretch since last December. 2008 has been rather harried -- but amazing. Two trips to FL, one of which was to meet my new grandbabygirl,

one to Montrose PA for a Torrey family reunion (These are all the Wheaton grads at the reunion....)

and one to "Narnia" to visit Tim -- which also took in a short trip to "Perelandra." We did our first exhibiting ever -- at the National Association of WIC Directors conference in Louisville.

We went to Wisconsin for a weekend stay at a fabulous resort with friends we have known since forever...

And had the worst rain ever in the Chicagoland area -- true flooding, though our basement stayed dry -- praise the Lord!!

Other than that I had 35 speaking gigs -- some only one day, some as long as 6 days. Some as the only speaker for a conference, most with one or both of my LEC compatriots, Linda and Carole. I only have one left to go next month, and then am finished until February!!

So today....no mom/baby dyads at the hospital, no moms scheduled to come and see me here, nothing on the calendar!! Oh my, what shall I do?

My "to do" list is long. I could write lectures for 2009. I could clean up the dining room. I could mail the C'mas package to Lyn. I could look for the C'mas wrapping paper in the basement. I could....I could....

I could have another cup of coffee! I think I will!

Why We Have Children

2008-11-18T18:30:00.002-06:00

There are a number of reasons why we have children. Enjoying their ingenuity is one of them. This is from a friend.....

Adventure 4 -- Driving....

2008-11-14T15:32:00.003-06:00

As I gaze out over our nice, American, suburban street that was repaved this summer, I'm in awe. We have sidewalks, we have grass, we have streets with stop signs and stop lights. People -- for the most part -- obey the rules of the road. We have street signs and house numbers so that you know where you are going.

Narnia -- not so much. Driving, even with my beloved son, is tantamount to taking your life into your hands. There are a few paved roads -- mostly with large potholes. A few makes it sound as though there are more than there are in this city where the infrastructure can handle about 25,000 and the population is 750,000 give or take a few donkeys and goats.

Almost every car on the road is a taxi. Tim is a master at negotiating prices. Most of the vehicles are vintage Renaults that most likely harken back to the early 70's. They are about the size of our Saturn, and a full taxi is 3 in the front (including the driver, which means two people sit in one seat) and four in the back which is designed for two. If you want to go any distance, you pay for another seat which we did when we went on our mini-vacation to Perelandra. If you are really lucky, you will have a handle to pull on to close the door. Otherwise you will pull on a rag. There might be one handle to pass around the car to open windows. Or not, as the case may be.

There is one rule of the road. "He who is the most aggressive wins." I think the cars are supposed to drive on the right hand side of the road, but I'm not really sure as we seemed to drive on the left as much as on the right. The drivers tried to avoid the biggest potholes -- most of the time.

There are no street signs. How you know where you are is anyone's guess. All the buildings look alike -- mostly a brownish sort of tan. Tim would say -- "do you know where you are now?" Uh, no.

In the "nicer" part of town we did see a few stop lights. And there were actually a few street lights which were functional when the electricity was on -- it went out with rather depressing regularity. If you had it at all -- which Tim doesn't.

There was not a single fender bender when we were there -- near shaves, but no bumps. Absolutely amazing.

In the evenings when we went to Tim's neighborhood for dinner, we got the company car. Tim has learned a lot about driving since he got there.

I hope he is able to unlearn it when he gets back home.

More on Eating in Narnia

2008-11-01T12:20:00.004-05:00

Eating -- it is such a social event, and in Narnia -- oh yes, truly an event. "Tea" is also an event -- a ritual. Three small glasses of mint flavored tea that are sweet, sweeter, sweetest. One never leaves until all three glasses of tea have been finished. The ritual can take up to an hour....

I've already described our fish dinner (complete with fish eyes). We also had beef and chicken (both excellent), a lunch of scrambled egg sandwich makings, pizza (at a restaurant)-- note the fried egg on top:

and a tajine (which Tim declined to tell us about until we were half way through the meal).

"It's camel."

CAMEL?

It was very good. I thought it was beef.

"In America, we don't eat camels. We look at camels."

Maybe we are missing out on something.

Adventure 3 -- Eating

2008-10-25T19:40:00.004-05:00

The simple act of eating really shouldn't qualify as an adventure -- but in "Narnia" EVERYTHING was an adventure.

Our first full meal was with one of the families that Tim works with and the family in their compound. We ate outside under a lovely large tree that was delicious shade in the 110 degree heat.

Setting the table was easy. Evidently no one here has heard of Martha Stewart....

1. Shoes off
2. Sit on mat on the ground around "tablecloth"
3. The hostess comes around with a pot of water, soap and a big bowl over which you wash your hands
3. Large bowl of food in center
4. Dig in -- right hand ONLY, please

The trickiest part was figuring out how to squash the little handful of rice into a little ball that you could toss into your mouth without dribbling the entire thing down your front. Considered to be very bad form.

We weren't very good at it.

But the food was delicious. Fresh fish -- the ENTIRE fish -- vegetables and rice. The seasoning was amazing.

And when you are finished? Lick your hand clean.

Oh -- and then you get to wash your hands again.

Simple -- easy -- and a minimum of dishes to do which is a good thing since evidently Maytag, Kenmore, GE, and the like haven't found Narnia yet.

Adventure No. 2

2008-10-22T17:04:00.004-05:00

Avoiding squattie potties.

I truly had what was (probably) an irrational fear of having to use one of these facilities which ranged from a nice tiled one in our guesthouse (fortunately they had a regular western style toilet too),

to one that wasn't quite so nice but most likely just as functional.

It would be one thing to be able to use one of these holes in the ground if you had grown up squatting (or doing yoga) all your life. It's a whole 'nuther thing to start when you are (mumble-mumble) years of age!

But I did it.

How? you ask.

The traveler's new best friends: heat and a short supply of clean drinking water equals....

A decreased need to USE said facilities!

First Adventure....

2008-10-20T16:53:00.002-05:00

After leaving our house over 24 hours earlier, we finally arrived in -- what I will refer to as "Narnia" -- because it certainly wasn't....

We knew Tim couldn't come into the airport to meet us and we'd have to negotiate customs, passports and luggage on our own. We are worldly travelers -- and English is spoken everywhere -- why, it's the universal language, isn't it?

Not so much.

But it wasn't bad. Once we got used to the pushing and shoving (McDonalds has never seen ANYTHING like this), we handed over our passports, had them stamped, and got out to get our luggage. All four suitcases were there!!

We went out into the steaming heat and darker than dark. It was about 8:15 pm.

No Tim.

English was spoken outside the terminal -- "Taxi! Taxi!! Taxi??"

I spoke the second of the three French words I knew: "Non."

Oops, four. I can say "oui" too.

No Tim.

9:00 -- No Tim.

9:30 -- No Tim.

What were our options? I had the phone number of his office, if we could sign language someone to let us use a phone. But of course it would be closed, and it was. I didn't have Tim's phone number -- never thought we'd need it. (Dumb. Always take a spare hankerchief and a phone number).

9:45 -- No Tim.

Cars were pulling into the airport and were pulling out. People were getting into and out of the cars. It's a small airport, and there is only one building and only one entrance to the building.

10:00 -- No Tim.

We decided that if worse came to worse, we'd sleep in the airport, and call the office in the morning.

Believe me, that would be WORST!

About 10:15 a man came up to me trying to communicate something -- what, we couldn't tell. He ran out of the airport with his buddy and came back with a cell phone which he thrust to my ear.

"Where ARE you?" shouted Tim.

"Where are YOU?"

The upshot of it was that he was not only not allowed in the terminal building, he couldn't get into the airport at all -- and had been waiting for over 2 hours outside the fence. The police assured him everyone spoke all sorts of languages in the airport -- English? No problem!!

"Taxi?"

Airports

2008-10-18T08:01:00.003-05:00

Did you know that Pepsi has the soda concession in Terminal 5 (the international terminal) at O'Hare? I was very disappointed to learn that I couldn't have my beloved Diet Coke.

Also, truth be known, I think it is a rather ratty terminal to welcome international visitors. What's really weird is that it is the only terminal in which the restaurant (such as it is) is OUTSIDE security -- so once you are in, about all you can get is a soggy sandwich -- and said Pepsi. My friend Linda would be happy.....

But I digress. I really wanted to talk about CDG -- Charles DeGaulle.

It is HUGE.

It is COLD.

It is EXPENSIVE.

Bob and I had an 8 hour (EIGHT HOUR!!) layover there on our way from America to Africa. We landed in 2F and had to go to 2E. Or was it the other way around? I can't remember. In any case, one would think that the two terminals would be cheek by jowl. Nope. Not. They are miles apart -- and depending on which gate you are going to (which they will let you know oh, maybe 20 minutes before your flight is due to leave) you may have to take a tram.

Make sure you don't have any less than at least two hours between flights -- or you are an olympic sprinter.

During our 8 hour layover, we bought a sandwich (which we split), a cappucino for me, and a coke for him -- yes, we left the Pepsi consignment behind, though Air France also has it. It cost 11.50 EUROS. At the current exchange rate of about 1.35, that is equivalent to $15.50!

For a not so good and rather puny lunch. Sigh.

I suppose it is right up there in line with the Hermes scarf I didn't get, or the Cartier watch I also declined.

But now I know why French women aren't fat. They hang out at the airport, run between terminals, and don't eat.

Airplanes

2008-10-17T18:59:00.004-05:00

On Monday night we arrived home from a week long trip -- I hesitate to classify it as a "vacation" -- to Africa where our Tim is working for an NGO in an underdeveloped (that's an understatement) country.

Our total of 28 hours of flying time on Air France was an exercise and study in "how much can your bottom take of the most thinly padded seats in what must be the entire universe..."

Now I know airlines are trying to cut corners, but this corner, when sat upon for 9 straight hours, really took a toll on my -- admittedly -- well padded behind.

Surely they could cut something else instead.

Not the space between the seats. When the person in front of me put his backrest down, I found myself spending the time counting the flakes of dandruff float off his head...

Not the width of the seats themselves. Now, after 6 decades of living, the aforementioned well padded behind has also spread slightly. Fitting into the seat itself took some manual -- um -- well, some, um, dexterity.

Not the food. I do like food on airlines, and flying overseas gives us the only opportunity we have to eat on a plane any more at all.

Not the pilot or the flight attendants -- or please, Lord, don't skimp on the fuel. That makes me nervous.

But couldn't we find something else on which we could cut down?

I have it! They give out little boxes with the ugliest little brown sox you have ever seen -- ostensibly to keep your feet warm while they are saving on fuel for heat (evidently pumping it into the gas lines so they can get you to your destination rather than setting down 10 miles short of the airport).

Perhaps they could simply stuff all the sox into the seats for padding?

The Journey Begins...

2008-10-04T12:56:00.002-05:00

....with a single flight -- well, make that two flights -- on Air France to get us to North Africa.

Timothy -- here we come! He assures us this will be nothing like our trip to Morocco last year. First we have to navigate the airport in which my number one word will be: No.

Then the squatty potties. Those make me nervous, I assure you. I'm sure my mantra is going to be along the lines of "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!"

Bucket baths.

Donkey carts.

Camels.

Bush taxies.

Language wise it will be back to "haricovert" and "Oui" and "Merci" and "Ohhh la la."

Lots and lots of people.

But mostly, it will be seeing Tim for the first time in over 9 months.

We'll be there in less than 24 hours! I can't wait!

October 2? Already?

2008-10-02T20:04:00.003-05:00

I looked at the blog tonight and discovered I haven't written since September 6. How can that be? Surely I've posted more often than that!!! No? I'm SURE I have written -- um -- SOMETHING.

But what?

I guess I've written in my head -- which is really terribly useful, I know.

So -- what has happened since September 6?

Um. Well. Let's see.....

I've spoken in Madison WI (great frozen custard there), Davenport IA (If this is heaven, it must be Iowa??), Saginaw MI (we could discuss spending 2 hours on I294 because of flooding on 80/94 and having Bob help me figure out how to get from the middle of nowhere to the middle of somewhere), Middlebury IN (betcha didn't know there WAS a Middlebury -- where there is a most amazing hotel -- the Essinghaus -- do go there for a visit), Louisville KY (Linda, Darlene and I were on stage as the Lactonettes -- no, no pictures I'm afraid), Fairfax VA (greatest little Greek Taverna in Alexandria!!) Evansville & Tell City, IN.

And I've spent the night with Torrey & Chris at the Ray of Sunshine Motel.

Uh -- maybe that's why I've not posted.

A "what are the odds" experience:

Flew to Washington DC on a largish plane (largish being defined as yes, they let you take your roller suitcase on and put it overhead) -- an A/B-aisle-C/D/E configuration. I was in 17A on the way to DC -- I've figured out that I'll never, despite all my flying, get anything beyond cattle car on American, but that if I choose the window seat, I get at least a Zone 4 or 5 which gives me a hope of putting my carry-on in an overhead bin.

On the way back I was in 14A. My seat companion was the same man that was my seat companion on the way TO DC. Now -- I ask you, what are the odds?

He said he didn't recognize me -- but did think my suitcase looked familiar.

Y'wanna be noticed? Get a light lavender carry-on.

He's an economist and was at a meeting in DC -- but he does state and local economy, not federal. He thinks our governor, which shall remain unamed (primarily because I can't pronounce his name, let alone spell it!!) is "dangerous."

Enough said.

Except that I was hoping he was going to push for the $700 billion to be divided among all Americans who are law-abiding, ethical, tax paying citizens (I figure that oughta eliminate all the CEOs who have already taken $95.000,000 in bonuses) so we could stimulate the economy.

Guess not.

Sigh.

Anyway, that's what I've been doing since Sept 6.

Dumpster Day!!

2008-09-06T19:48:00.009-05:00

Mr. Bob has been looking forward to this day for weeks!! Months? I'm not sure there is anything more satisfying to him than filling a HUGE dumpster with -- um -- junk. Trash. Leftovers. Garbage (of the solid kind...not the once a week waste kind). Well, ALMOST more satisfying.

OK -- we won't go there.

Today -- ta da -- DUMPSTER DAY!!

It arrived yesterday.

It is HUGE. I simply can't imagine how we are going to fill the whole thing. First thing, I suggest to neighbor Steve that he might want to put some of his stuff in it. To fill it, doncha know.

Bob suggests I take a look at the garage attic (second floor...)

Then look at the garage floor!

Boxes! There are BOXES! Hundreds of boxes. Empty. (Except for the ones that house millions of styrofoam "peanuts."). I spend the afternoon cutting boxes down to size (and cutting several fingers in the process).

Midafternoon, Steve comes over to inspect our progress and to offer some of his accumulation to help fill the massive dumpster. I tell him that I'm really sorry, but evidently we don't need his help at all....

Did I mention we still need to clean the garage bottom??? There is NO room for the cars.

But -- believe it or not -- the upstairs is CLEAN!!

This is the third dumpster since we moved here 26 years ago. We are hoping it is the last until we move....maybe in 4 or 5 years.

Meanwhile, there will be NO Dumpster Diving!!! As it is, we are "over the line" on the top, and will have to pound some things down tomorrow.

How on earth can we be over the top???

Being a Grammie in FL

2008-08-31T07:29:00.003-05:00

This is my 5th day of being a Grammie to Deven and Laura. The job is lots of fun -- Laura sleeps a lot during the day, so Jill and I have time to visit -- and, believe it or not -- read! Derrick is home for the first month, so there really isn't all that much for me to do besides laundry, wash dishes and pump parts, and hold the baby. Oh -- and play Memory with Deven which I'm sure is helping me stave off Alzheimers! The fact that Deven generally wins doesn't bode well for the staving off part, but at least I'm working at it.

They haven't asked me to cook. Good thing. Derrick is excellent, and as we all know, I'm quite capable of applying microwave to food, but not actually COOK.

We're getting more rain -- probably from the effects of Gustav. We can tell because the raindrops make little "G's" in the pool....

Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!

2008-08-20T21:11:00.002-05:00

She's here! Laura Indira (Jill says I am NOT allowed to call her "Indi") arrived today at 2:44 pm after a 6 hour labor. I don't have pictures yet -- what's up with that, Derrick? She weighed in at 5#10 oz, and 19 inches long.

Most importantly to this lactation consultant, she's nursing like a champ! No tongue tie... whew!

I can't wait to head to Naples to see her -- yes, she is a hurricane baby, but no, she isn't going to be named Laura Fay.

I also told Torrey she couldn't name a baby Fay. Fay Ray is simply too much to contemplate.

So yes, yet another August birthday. Another periodot. Guess I don't have to give Jill another peridot necklace -- she can just pull out the one I gave her for Deven!

I'm SO excited!!!!

August Birthdays

2008-08-18T12:21:00.002-05:00

On Sunday in Parade Magazine which comes with the Chicago Tribune, a question was posed to Marilyn Van Savant (is that her REAL name??) asking which month has the most birthdays. I knew immediately, of course -- August.

My suspicion is, of course, that the reason there are so many August birthdays is because everyone really wanted babies born in May or June, but they didn't quite make it.

We have done our best in our family to make sure we uphold the supremacy of August.

August 2 -- Nephew Timothy
August 3 -- Grandbaby Deven
August 9 -- Son Tim
August 11 -- Daughter Jill
August 24 -- Brother in Law Rob
August 25 -- Me
August 31 -- Niece Rosie

Now, new grandbaby-to-be is due on Sept 1 or 5 (depending on who you believe -- the OB or me, take your pick). If you have heard rumors that a lowered barometric pressure brings on labor -- well, we are eager to see what Tropical Storm Fay does when it hits the Naples FL area tomorrow morning.

If baby Laura is born this month -- at least she'll be in august company!!

Birthday Update, 2008

2008-08-15T12:25:00.002-05:00

The last post about birthdays was a bit -- um -- depressing. As dear BIL Rob pointed out, Tim has NO sewer or drainage system in his city....rendering most everything a sea of mud, water, and -- uh -- donkey unmentionables.

But -- a brighter update:

Torrey and Chris rescheduled her birthday celeb for August 9. I've not gotten all the details yet, but am given to understand it was wonderful. She is her father's daughter -- all gifts consisted of sundry and assorted CHOCOLATES!

Then she and Chris went to New Orleans for a conference Torrey had to attend -- and in true Ray fashion, there were unreal airline glitches, including the one in which they got to the airport in Indy, only to discover the hospital system had quite forgotten to actually PURCHASE the ticket for her to get to NO. Of course, being that it was Monday -- there was no one in the travel department to talk to, so for a mere $800, Torrey bought a one-way ticket to NO. I'm sure if the hospital refuses to pay for a ticket back to Indy, she can always bunk with Aunt Rosie and Uncle Rob for the rest of her life.....

I'm sure she'll have an update on HER blog....

Timothy recovered from his birthday bug in time to house-sit for a physician couple in his city who live in what he terms The Palace. A *real* bed, a *real* shower, a *real* potty, air conditioning, wireless internet, a refrigerator and a car....and for company, a dog. Today is his last day of living in luxury. Tomorrow afternoon after a naming ceremony, he goes back to his little cement box with no electricity. The battery operated fan we sent him back in June quit after two weeks, and though I've scoured the Jewel, there don't seem to be any more. (Well, OK, I've not hit Target, Walmart, Dominicks, Walgreens, CVS.....yet.) So it was only $5. So -- it should have lasted longer than 2 weeks, for pity sake!!

Jill's contractions petered out, got stronger the next day -- enough to send her from work to the OB office where she was deemed to be Not In Labor Yet. But 3-4 cm dilated. Her bags are packed, she's ready to go....

As of today she is either 37 weeks, or 37+4 (if you like my due date better), and Derrick is heaving a great sigh of relief. She's off work today, tomorrow and Sunday, and if she is still With Child, she's working 8 hours on Monday as her last day. Then she gets to sit around and twiddle her thumbs.

And perhaps she'll put a new and clearer message on her new iPhone -- Derrick's birthday gift.

As for me? I'm home (for just over 48 hours before heading to Salt Lake City), and loving it. A Chair of Bowlies -- oops -- a Bowl of Cherries for nibbling (OK, so there is a bag of chips calling to me), and enough work to keep me busy for at least 4 days -- and here I am....blogging.

At least it isn't MY birthday yet.

Birthdays -- 2008

2008-08-12T20:10:00.002-05:00

The kids' birthdays have all come and gone for 2008. Torrey's was first, on July 19. It was a big-un, her 30th. Chris made elaborate plans for a surprise birthday party complete with a menu to rival all.

BUT -- that was before the 4th of July accident to his foot. He spent Friday the 18th in surgery, so the party ended up being a rather small one of four -- Bob and I drove down as planned, but instead of Chris' wonderful eats we had take-out PF Changs and a Coldstone Creamery cake. All of a sudden, our gift of 30 wrapped gifts took on more significance. I think they would have paled in the face of 25 or so guests -- but with only four of us there, they made a big splash! (OK, so they were LITTLE presents. But Torrey is like my mom -- if you give her a pencil as a gift -- as long as it is wrapped, she thinks it is great stuff).

Tim's day was next, on August 9. He turned 24 -- and spent his birthday with some type of a "bug" (I won't elaborate for the sensitive who read these posts) -- the worst of which he has experienced since he went overseas -- including passing out when he got upin the middle of the night. A couple of days before that there was a rainstorm -- very unusual in his part of the world -- a very BAD rainstorm that absolutely pelted them for about 3 hours in the middle of the night. His discovery -- his roof is not rainproof....he spent the night filling up and emptying assorted pots, pans, and even cups. Because there is sewer system or drainage facility in his city he said it was pretty much of a mess for a couple of days -- one didn't know if one was stepping in rainwater or, um, other more unmentionable liquids....(remember, much of the transport of goods is done by donkey cart).

Two days later -- August 11, our Jill turned 34. I called to check and see how her day was going -- and she was spending it with Deven having premature labor. Oh joy. Contractions 10 minutes apart....I pulled out my old birthing center tricks and suggested a warm bath and a glass of wine to see if she could stop the contractions -- it IS after all, a bit too early for this baby to come. No alcohol of any sort in the house. But evidently the warm bath helped, because when I called back later that night, contractions had petered out.

Hmmmm. With all these great celebrations going on, I wonder what is going to happen on my birthday in less than two weeks?

At least we can be quite certain that I won't go into labor!!

Reunion -- Part II

2008-07-29T18:39:00.002-05:00

I'm feeling just a tad guilty for not having posted anything more about the reunion. Suffice it to say that I got home from the ILCA conference where I was inducted as a "Fellow(Fellowette? Fellowess?) of the International Lactation Consultant Association -- the first time this designation has been given, and to just 16 of us. The conference was in Las Vegas. I suppose that has a certain irony, given that the 800+ of us there were promoting the use of breasts as functional -- while the rest of the "strip" (interesting word, that....) deems them decorative.

Bob would probably grant they are both.

But I digress.

I got home to discover that Ben, true to his word, had sent an wonderful booklet he put together complete with pictures of Generation 1 through Generation 6. Therefore I had to be true to MY word, and sent off a post to Wheaton College with a picture of the Torrey/Wheaton College Alum called "Getting Together in Montrose, PA." I also sent a post about our reunion to College Church since a goodly number of Gen 3 were members/attenders there when they were in college. Of course, GGM (Mother Clara) was a member as was Great Aunt Edith, which made my children (when they were still attending) at least Gen 5 College Church members. I betcha GGM would never ever dream that one of her Great-Great-Grandsons would go as a worker from College Church to North Africa!

Great Grandfather prayed for his children, his grandchildren and his great- grandchildren. And God has blessed the family through the 6th generation.

May we all be as faithful.

To quote Torrey & Liz Anne: "I love our family."

P.S. For an update on Chris' foot -- please see Torrey's blog: http://www.marriedcouplebytorrey.blogspot.com/

Reunions, etc

2008-07-08T19:25:00.004-05:00

Just about every 10 to 20 years or so, the Torrey family has a reunion. I didn't attend the last one which was held at Camp of the Woods in the Adirondacks in 1998, but my entire family was at the Montrose (PA) one in 1988. We may not reunion often, but when we do it, we do it with panache. I was not on the planning committee. My one (most likely ill-advised) e-mail offering to do a powerpoint of all the families with assorted pictures somehow got lost in cyberspace and no one took me up on it. My cousin Ben and sister Lyn were the primary movers and shakers for this -- one living in Korea, the other in Berlin. Thank goodness for e-mail (even if every e-mail I sent Ben ended up in his Spam. I suppose there could be a message there, right?) My not being involved is probably a good thing. Maybe next time???

For anyone who has waded through my 3 years worth of posts (yes, it HAS been three years) knows that I have mentioned Montrose here and there. We have a family home just up the hill from the Montrose Bible Conference founded by my great grandfather (GGF) RA Torrey in 1908, so this was the Centennial celebration of the conference. My branch of the family stayed in the cabin -- Bob and I with Torrey & Chris, Rosie & Rob with Rob, Jr., Tina & baby Charlotte -- did I hear her cry ONCE? I don't think so. Oh yes, she did, but we introduced her to pizza crusts and she decided that noshing on pizza at the tender age of 6 months was better than crying....but I digress.

Also with us were Reuben & Liz Anne; Lyn was there with son David who is checking out colleges -- so far in the running are Princeton, William & Mary, and WHEATON. If David chooses Wheaton (how can he NOT?) I will not make him dinner, but will take him to Alfie's. David, that's a promise!! Bro Rick came on Thursday night as well, so all four sibs were together.

This was Tina & Chris' first visit to Montrose. So we did all the traditional sorts of things -- walking in the woods, going downtown, running in the fourth of July 10 K (Torrey, Rosie & Robbie took medals)....

(I suppose it is only ironic that deep fried hot dogs and funnel cakes are being sold to benefit the new hospital....and the new head of the hospital will be our dear friend -- who is a -- cardiac surgeon. Keep this up, David, and you will be more than busy!!)

.....playing cards, and building a fort in the woods behind the house.

That is, starting to build a fort.

At which point, Chris was truly and firmly inducted into the family. He dropped a rock (at least 100 pounds) on his foot and ended up in the ER.

Going to the ER in Montrose is another family tradition. Our corporate family chart in the teeny tiny Montrose hospital is bigger than all our charts put together in all the other hospitals in the US of A, I'm sure.

Chris is definitely now one of the family.

More reunion memories anon....

Presenting Eden Rose!!

2008-06-18T15:21:00.004-05:00

Eden Rose, born in London on May 5. Welcome to the world, baby girl! This is my third grand niece....which, of course, makes me a very old, Great-Aunt Jan!!

Her sweet parents, my niece Helen Clare and husband Adam.

With her Lao Lao, my sister Rosie.

By the way, Lao Lao means "old-old" in Mandarin, and is the name of the mother's mother. My grandmother was Lao Lao (now "Grand-Lao Lao), my mother became Lao Lao, and now Rosie has inherited the name. My children decided I would NOT be Lao Lao, so Bob and I are Papa and Grammie.

Specifically for Torrey

2008-06-12T10:23:00.001-05:00

Hey, babes, this one is for you (see comment in your last blog....)

Father's Day is Coming...

2008-06-12T08:57:00.002-05:00

...and in honor of that holiday, here is Anita Renfroe in "Dadsense."

Carousel 10??

2008-05-24T11:14:00.002-05:00

Arrived at O'Hare from Toronto last night -- American Airlines. Baggage claim -- carousel 10. That is what was listed when I checked flight times on the internet; that's what they said on the flight..."Pick up your baggage at carousel 10." OK -- no problem.

Problem.

Where in the heck is carousel 10? I came in the far end of baggage claim as we had flown a puddle jumper (nearly) from Toronto and were disgorged at G-19. Big sign: 'Baggage Claim 1-10 ahead.'

Hmm -- interesting; they now have a place to get your boarding pass in baggage claim as long as you don't have baggage. If you don't have baggage, why would you be in baggage claim? There were probably 6 self serve kiosks there.

But I digress. All of a sudden there is a sign that says, 'Baggage claim 1-9 ahead.'

1-9? What happened to 10?

I practically trip over Bob who is wandering around looking for Carousel 10 as well. He doesn't know where it is....

We finally find someone from American Airlines that assures us there is no Carousel 10. "But that's where the flight attendant told us to find our luggage."

She smiles sympathetically. "What is your flight number? "

"4069 from Toronto."

"Hmmm.....ummmm....dear me....it says it's at 10. Except there isn't a 10."

Oh good.

"There is a service area between 4 and 5. Just go there; I'm sure they'll be able to help you."

"Thanks."

As we tool down there, I check the arrival board again -- yup, 4069 from Toronto is in, and the baggage is on carousel 10.

We keep on walking. Just as we are passing carousel 9, I see my familiar bright blue bag with the Wheaton College luggage tag, spinning merrily by.

I still don't know where carousel 10 is.

Still Here -- I Think....

2008-05-21T08:51:00.002-05:00

I'm still here -- I think. Well, actually, I won't be here in a couple of hours, but on my way to speak in Toronto.

This is the busiest spring/summer/fall on record.

We are going to Soren & Whitney's engagement party on Saturday in Fort Wayne -- that's Carole's son....and then down to Indy to visit Torrey & Chris at the Ray of Sunshine Motel.

I'm hoping it is warm enough and time enough to just crash and have a glass of wine on the deck.

But I think they have grand and glorious plans to walk the Monan Trail.

Note to self: take decent shoes.

The following weekend, Rob, Reuben & LizAnne arrive. Rob is officiating at a wedding at College Church. And not immediate family at that. Perhaps they need to make him "Adjunct Pastor of Weddings." Rosie will be in London with Helen Clare, Adam, and darling new niece, Eden.

Pictures coming later....

Hyper-Imagination

2008-04-27T20:41:00.002-05:00

Generally I hear from Tim via e-mail or Skype three or four times a week. Given that I am his mother, that's pretty good. Compared to the days when my grandparents went to China as missionaries in 1913 and communication was a good 3 months or so, this instantaneous communication has really spoiled missionary moms. Skype is a whole 'nuther experience -- I remember having to "talk" to Lao Lao (means "Old Old" or the mother's mother in Mandarin) and Granddaddy on those old reel to reel tape recorders to send to them when they were in Korea....

Anyway, here I am able to hear from my son via e-mail on a daily or nearly daily basis, and talk to him via Skype once a week or so, depending on my travel schedule.

So -- fast forward to the beginning of last week. I heard from Tim on Monday, but nothing Tuesday or Wednesday. On Wednesday I got an e-mail from Jen wondering if I had heard anything because, as a good "special friend" Tim e-mails her daily. Uh, no. Nothing.

OK, Fast Forward to Worry.

I didn't sleep Wednesday night. As is typical of my hyper-imagination, I had Tim abducted by terrorists (yes, there are some in his country), and thrown into prison -- and since no one knew how to get him out, he was languishing there with no help.

Um....I won't go into the vivid pictures that ran rampant through my mental theatre.

Moms and girlfriends worry. Dads don't.

"His internet is probably down." That was Bob's take.

"Yeah, he might be murdered and dismembered and all you can think of is that maybe the internet is down???"

Later that morning there was a voice mail on my cell phone.

"Hi Mama, it's Tim. Our internet is down. I'm going to a National Park for a couple of days, and will try and connect again on Saturday -- or go to an internet cafe if ours still isn't working.

OK -- so Bob was right. Again.

Doesn't matter. Next time there is something like this, my hyper-imagination will have developed something new and different for me to dwell on.

"Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, and lean not unto your own IMAGINATION!!"

Well, it SORTA says that.

But my imagination is beyond compare. Too bad it doesn't go so far as to write best sellers such as JK Rowling's imagination carried her.

Oh well. Most important -- Tim is fine. His internet is just down. That's all.

Critters on the Brain

2008-04-20T12:30:00.002-05:00

The other morning, approximately 4:37 am, Bob got up to go downstairs with The Munch while he ate (he has to have company, regardless of the time -- long story). Anyway, I kinda woke up when he got out of bed -- and then thought, "Gee, I thought he took the cat downstairs. Why does it feel as though there are critters under the bed, moving it? Maybe Munch is still there?" At which point I fell back asleep and didn't give it another thought....until....

I got an e-mail from Carole asking me if I had noticed the earthquake early in the morning.

So THAT'S what it was. Not critters -- an earthquake!

Bob didn't notice it at all....

Success!!

2008-04-14T18:04:00.003-05:00

We accomplished in two days what the critter folk couldn't do in 3 months. I'm sure it was the trail of smokehouse almonds leading INTO the trap, and the lure of the peanut butter sandwich that did it.

Meet Simon:

Bob is calling the critter guys as we speak -- they can come and release Simon into the wild -- somewhere a LONG WAY AWAY FROM HERE -- and finish the job of capping the vents that they didn't do last week.

Squirrel Hunting...

2008-04-13T14:48:00.002-05:00

My BIL, Rob AKA The Silver Fox, says that in the deep south they just use rifles....

Up heah in the Nawth, we have brooms. And "humane" traps. The traps are so humane that although we have had 5 of them here, we've never caught anything -- neither raccoons, squirrels, mice or -- whatever else we have living here.

The last trap was left on our roof several weeks ago, giving our neighbors great topics of conversation as to whether or not we had caught anything. No. Evidently squirrels don't like, or are too smart for the walnuts they put in there.

So, with Simon in the basement (just thought it was much easier to name him, and there is a certain resemblance to Simon Cowell -- not the least of which he wears the same fur every day -- rather like SC), Bob went on the roof to get the trap and see if we could accomplish what ABC Wildlife has not managed to do in the last -- oh, nearly three months.

First we had to figure out how it works. That wasn't easy. And I think the peanut butter sandwich that I left in the trap in bites is perfect for the mice. I left a sign pointing to the trap saying, "Simon -- really really good peanut butter sandwich, just for you...." but I think we are going to have to work on this a few more times before we get it right.

I think I need to slather something that is too big to get through the holes of the trap with peanut butter so that if Simon wants it, he'll actually have to get in the trap to get it.

I have some smokehouse almonds. I wonder if I should just put the can with a few almonds in the trap, add some peanut butter -- and see if it works....

Stay tuned.

Spoke Too Soon....

2008-04-12T13:24:00.003-05:00

Heard some scuffling in the basement while we were eating breakfast. Munch was calmly sitting in the kitchen -- and that is our current family. Hmmm.....

Got downstairs, and there -- in full living color -- scampering across the basement floor was -- a squirrel.

I cornered him in the back basement wielding a broom (brooms are great for catching squirrels, doncha know?). He managed to elude me pretty well -- fast little buggers they are. Finally trapped him behind the big old grandfather (which was my GREAT grandfather's) desk. He wouldn't budge, and we couldn't budge the desk.

Have NO idea how he got in.

And have NO idea how to get him out.

Maybe Bob should try and pry up the squirrel trap that is still nailed to the roof and I could bait it with a lovely peanut butter sandwich????

Critter Story....The End?

2008-04-10T18:02:00.002-05:00

Never did catch any critters. Various critter guys came and went and pontificated as to what sort of animals we had. All agreed that at one point there were raccoons -- goodness -- the raccoon droppings and, um, odor -- are hard to miss. Most likely squirrels as well. But as to who was able to scamper into the cage, withdraw the entire bait (tin foil and all), and then shut the cage door behind him/her -- that's anyone's guess.

I figured since Wheaton College is less than 6 blocks from here, that it was most likely a college educated animal. Lots of those around.

Anyway, last Saturday, critter folk came and got rid of all the old insulation in the attic, put odor eater and flea stuff down, blew in new insulation, fixed all the holes and put a cap on the attic fan.

At 8:30 on Sunday night, someone came out to put a cap on the vents. Now -- 8:30 of a Sunday evening in the pitch black dark? Bob and I were dubious, but they insisted it was no problem.

About half hour later he came down and said he'd be back in a few days -- he needed a rope to be able to rappel down our roof. Rather steep pitch to it.

It's Thursday. We've not seen them.

But the roofer has been here, and we are going to be the proud possessors of new gutters and whatever comes with new gutters. A couple of entrances that critters can get in will also be fixed.

We hope.

And that, my friends, should be the end of the critters.

Should be.

Munchkin @ 3:33 AM

2008-04-06T13:30:00.002-05:00

Ask Me About My Children

2008-03-30T16:06:00.002-05:00

Just before church this morning, one of my casual friends whom I've not talked to for awhile stopped and asked me about my family -- specifically my children. She has 8, three of whom mirrored my three in ages, stages, and grades.

I realized after we chatted that there is nothing I like better than to be asked about my children. Never mind what I'm doing -- that is boring. Ask me about Jill -- Torrey -- Tim -- and I'm in my element.

I suppose it is because I think my children are amazing. I'm immensely proud of them. All three are utilizing the gifts God gave them, and all three of them are serving Him in their own special ways.

So yes, ask me about me, and I can tell you the salient points in about 11.6 seconds.

But ask me about my CHILDREN, and I can wax eloquent for hours.

Maybe you don't want to ask me about my children.

Taylor Tragedy Revisited

2008-03-28T21:40:00.002-05:00

As I write this, I am watching NBC Dateline -- "The Twist of Fate" -- the story of the horrible Taylor van accident two years ago -- April 26, 2006.

The story touched me incredibly then -- as it does now. I will never forget waking up in a hotel room in Santa Barbara, seeing my cell phone blinking blue -- picking up the message from Tim... "I'm sure you have heard about the accident at Taylor -- just want you to know that I'm OK."

My Tim knows me well -- he would know immediately that I would wonder/assume that he had been involved (I've killed off all three of my children more than once in imagined tragedies when they don't get home in what I think "is time." (I'm all for 8:00 pm).

Anyway, tonight, Matt Lauer is recreating the entire story -- interviewing both families -- the story is not sensational -- but sensitive. And it is the most amazing story of the grace of God, the love of Jesus that has ever, in my experience, been on prime-time television.

Jesus has been glorified tonight.

It is an awful story -- I can't imagine being either of those sets of parents -- but had the girls not been confused -- this story would have never been told.

How will this story -- on the Today show, on Dateline, and, I understand, on Oprah -- impact Americans -- or people around the world?

Will it bring people to Jesus? If so....this tragedy will not have been in vain. And I think both families would agree....

"Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

This can be said about both families.

What an amazing testimony.

Thank you, Jesus

Telephone Woes

2008-03-22T15:42:00.003-05:00

It seems that Comcast decided that all customers needed to have their phone lines upgraded to digital within the next couple of months, or they ran the risk of losing their phone service, phone numbers or both. Of course, you didn't HAVE to do this -- you could switch companies instead.

Foolishly, we decided to stay with them.

First there was the issue of the three land lines we have -- the house phone, the fax line, and the office phone. I can't run Lactation Education Consultants or my business as IBCLC for Wheaton Pediatrics without all of them. That was a problem. They only allow two landlines per house.

Bob finally said he guessed we'd go with another company when they all of a sudden decided they could do three lines and give us two bills.

So last Thursday, three very nice men came out and spent the better part of three hours switching the lines -- which meant our high speed internet, our cable for the TV, and the three land lines. I have 2 very complicated looking black boxes on the floor near my feet with green lights on them.

Before they left, we checked that we could get on the internet. No problem.

I thought things were mighty quiet on Friday, but didn't pay much attention to it until later in the evening when I realized that I had two voice messages on the house phone -- I'd been home all day and hadn't heard the phone ring. That was odd. I took the two messages, and then when I went to call my new mom back, got a prompt to change the voice mail.

That done, I went to the office phone to change that voice mail. Odd they didn't tell us that would have to be done -- but -- oh my -- I can't get voice mail on the office phone. There is just a long long pause, and then a disembodied voice says I've called the wrong number, please hang up and try my call again. I tried several times. Didn't work.

Then I called my home phone from my cell phone. It rang on my cell phone -- but not in the house. Not even a blip. And no caller ID.

So I called Comcast. Well over an hour later, they said they'd put us on the list -- "yes, ma'am, at the TOP of the list" to get the phones fixed. I can't exactly run a business without voice mail on a business phone.

It's a bit tough to pick up calls on the house phone when it doesn't ring -- and hard to know that you have a message unless you pick up the phone periodically to check.

So the voice mail on the house phone instructs you to call my cell if you want me, or Bob's cell if you want him.

Comcast called today.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"One phone doesn't ring or have caller ID, and the other one doesn't have voice mail."

"What do you mean, it doesn't ring?"

"Um. It doesn't RING. No sound."

"You mean, it doesn't ring."

"Right."

"Not even a blip?"

"No. That's why the voice mail tells you to call my cell -- because the phone doesn't ring."

"Oh -- you mean you are home?"

"Yes."

"I tried calling your house, but no one answered."

"Yes. That's because the phone doesn't ring."

At that point he said he'd look into it and call us back.

Yeah -- right.

Critter Update

2008-03-16T15:28:00.002-05:00

As reported a couple of days ago, CritterGuy came out and set a new-and-improved trap. "Very sensitive," he told me. Nice fresh bait in the aluminum foil.

Set and ready to go.

Bob checked the trap yesterday. No critter.

Maybe he/she is gone? Possibility.

He checked the trap today.

Uh-oh. Bait gone. Aluminum foil and all.

And this time critter not only got in and out -- he shut the trap door behind him....

The New Bump

2008-03-15T15:11:00.004-05:00

Yup -- Jill and Derrick are expecting baby number two on September 1 (my date) -- or September 5 (the doctor's date) or August 30 (Jill's hoped for date). How fun to think of being Grammie and Papa to a new little person!!

So, here is Baby Bump the middle of January when we went to visit:

And here is Baby Bump, looking a lot like her/his Daddy at just 12 weeks gestation. I think this is truly an amazing ultrasound. Despite my years of working in OB, I still look at most ultrasound pictures, smile wisely and wonder which end is up. But on this one, you can really tell. Astonishing!!

I can't wait to meet this little one in person....It's going to be interesting coordinating getting to Florida at the right time....but those sorts of things we leave in the Lord's hands. I'm free from August 24 thru September 10, so I'm trusting I'll be able to be there at least for a short period of time!

I was able to show Tim this picture through Skype yesterday --

Ain't technology grand?

Tim showed me how much Vegemite he has consumed over the past two months. His jar is almost empty.....here's hoping the next box gets to him SOON.

Critters Redux

2008-03-14T19:34:00.002-05:00

Critter Guy came back today. As did WallFill Guy and ServiceMaster get-rid-of-the-old-insulation Guy.

Trap number two. No critter. Bait gone. Critter Guy looked at the bait (it is neatly packaged in aluminum foil), and discovered it had been opened from the back and the bait removed. He thinks -- mice.

OK, so we've had mice. Since we put in the new kitchen, nothing until this winter when there was evidence of their nocturnal forays into a couple of the kitchen drawers. YUK! And plenty of evidence in the basement just below the kitchen. Triple YUK!! But we took care of them (never mind how), and we've not seen any evidence of their mouse conventions either upstairs or down for the past several months.

I assured Critter Guy that what we were hearing were NOT mice -- they were more along the line of elephants (see previous blog). Mice -- I can deal with mice. Not nice, messy, but they at least are little. Squirrels -- we've had those too in days of yore, but well -- not so bad. But raccoons? 30 to 40 pounds of LARGE and NASTY (think hissing, snarling and thumping), not to mention an attic full of destroyed insulation....ugh.

So, we currently have trap number 3. We have estimates for taking out old insulation, putting in new insulation, deodorizing the floorboards, and making the house animal proof.

Will we catch the bandit? Well, that remains to be seen. We've not heard him recently -- but that doesn't mean anything. He/she/they have moved to the western side of the attic which is above the bathroom, so as that is visited only briefly at night, we haven't heard much of anything. Or -- is he/she gone? Could be. But maybe there is a family, just biding their time.

Critter Guy said that birthing season is April and May. Momma Raccoons like to birth in attics, and then the babies know where to come home. I am NOT, repeat NOT going to be a lactation consultant to said raccoons. They don't know how to get raccoon milk, I'm NOT going to help them.

All is quiet at the moment.

I'll keep you posted.

Critters...

2008-02-27T20:21:00.003-06:00

We have critters.

Unseen, but not unheard.

Imagine be woken from a sound sleep with thumps, running, jumping, and -- yes -- shrieking -- in the room overhead. Not pleasant. Not a bit of it.

So we called Critter Guy and he determined it was most likely raccoons. And that the shrieking was most likely not the - um - throes of raccoon passion, but squirrels in the process of being devoured by said raccoons. Alive.

So he put up a trap which Bob was to check every morning. That was nearly a month ago.

Nothing.

No critters. And, in fact, no noises above our bedroom anymore.

They moved to a space above the bathroom.

Sleeping is much better, but midnight forays to the potty have taken on a different dimension.

Still no critter in the trap.

Critter Guy came back again today and blithely announced that no, there were no critters in the trap. There wasn't any bait, either. Evidently what we have in our attic is:

A Trap Savvy Critter.

Lovely. He/she (I'm not sexist) is able to float into the trap, take the bait, and get out without being trapped.

So Critter Guy rebaited the trap, found two spots where the animals are getting in, and will be back in a few days to (a) see what we have, (b) rebait the trap, (c) move the trap, and give us a quote on putting in all new insulation because which, to put it succinctly and in one word, the current insulation:

STINKS.

Gotta love a house built in 1898 that evidently provides a rest home and gymnasium for critters.

Almost finished...

2008-02-22T17:31:00.002-06:00

....with our first 6 day course of the year. One more day -- I leave for Chicago tomorrow and it will be mighty nice to get home. This has been a good group -- we have 38 with us which is a good number, though maybe a tad more than we can get to know comfortably.

I'm better. The Levaquin worked. The Robitussin with Codeine worked. The Mucinex worked, and the inhaler worked. So after 5 days of not eating much of anything -- we are going to cite Levaquin as a good appetite suppressant, I'm finally back enjoying food again.

It's always fun being at Linda's -- her house is right on Lake Norman, and it is amazing sitting in the family room which is really a sun room/kitchen/eating area with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the lake (which is woefully low this year, NC being part of the summer's drought).

Bob, Carole's husband got here tonight, and he and Will are cooking -- tempura shrimp, oysters, vegetables, and a variety of other things. Just got a taste -- mmmmmm.

Home tomorrow...here's hoping United is on time....

Of course, flying is a whole 'nuther story.

Charlotte = Sick

2008-02-13T20:50:00.002-06:00

OK, what's the deal here? I'm leaving for Charlotte on Sunday morning (crack of dawn -- no, before the crack of dawn) and I'm sick. Again. This is the ultimate in pits.

I wish someone would explain why Charlotte, NC -- lovely city -- have been there at least twice a year since -- oh, I don't know, Hector was a pup -- and more than 50% of the time, I'm sick.

Again.

Cough, sniffles, cough, hurting chest, cough, fever (slight, I'll admit, but to me, anything over 98.6 is a FEVER. Of magnitude), cough.

I was tempted to "call in sick" today since I knew I had to see a couple of moms in the hospital, but I braved it and went in anyway. Saw a mom here at home. Fobbed off a couple more with over-the-phone-consultations which -- OK -- I admit it -- isn't the best. But.

So why Charlotte? Why not Chicago? Why not Indianapolis?

Haven't a clue. But here it is again. Wonder if a Z-pack will do, or if I need Hycodan.

Where is Dr. Will when I need him?

Post Office Woes

2008-01-27T13:56:00.000-06:00

Last pictures of Tim....

One stuffed suitcase.

At O'Hare.

Bye....

I'd never diss the U S of A Postal System, though on occasion it feels as though things are going by ye old pony express rather than by jet. No -- this has to do with where Tim is in North Africa.
I sent a package two weeks ago. It took about 10 days to 2 weeks to get to him when he was in Fes. So I thought, "any time now and he'll have another jar of peanut butter." Today he told me that it usually takes up to two months for a package to get from the post office in the city where he is to the recipient's hands. Sometimes it might take up to 6 months. Evidently, manana is always manana. I wrote back and wondered if he could go to the post office there once a week or so and see if anything had come....we'll see.

Now I know why they suggested sending it via DHL. I did go to the little place up on Geneva where they send packages via DHL. I was busily filling out the list of stuff in the package for customs while she weighed it.

"That will be $237," she announced.

For peanut butter? I don't think so.

Back to the good old US postal service where it left the US in 4 days, and presumably has arrived in the appropriate city. But will now languish in the post office for another 6 weeks to 6 months.

Oh yes, the other bit of news? About 75% of the packages make it to their intended recipient.

I'm now into flat rate boxes and looking for very small jars of peanut butter.

Box number two is going out tomorrow. I don't think it will make it for Valentine's Day.

Maybe I should shop for his birthday now. It's in August. Maybe, just maybe, the gifts would get there in time.....

Whirlwind Visit....

2008-01-24T20:25:00.000-06:00

And Christmas in mid-January happened last week. Bob and I headed south for a bit of sun and lots of hugs from our grandbabyboy -- who is not really a baby any more. He's 3 1/2! It was wonderful visiting -- Derrick has done an amazing job clearing their 3 acres of land!

We got to visit the clinic where Jill works -- she pointed out that their gyne tables are actually heated....now that is true luxury.

It still seems odd being the old folks going to visit the young people in Florida. There is something backwards about it, I think.

It was so nice being there....

Dominos....

2008-01-10T18:36:00.000-06:00

I had never played Dominos. Isn't that weird? I thought all you did with them was stand them up in a nifty row-design to knock them down.

Well, that's not TOTALLY true. I knew there was something you could do in which you would match the dots, but I'd never played a game before.

Torrey and Chris brought a set of Mexican Train Dominos (white ones with multicolored dots) when they came for Christmas, bound and determined that we were going to learn how to play.

It was so much fun! Of course, I lost big time because I didn't have a clue that there could actually be a strategy to the whole thing. Bob and Chris kept playing with their dominos, lining them up in some sort of a pattern, while I'd just look at mine, match them and hope for the best.

We bought a set to see if Tim wanted to take them with him, but he was so overweight in his luggage that he opted to leave them here at home. So Bob and I figured out a way to play with just the two of us, and spent a Saturday night thoroughly enjoying ourselves.

Tim's first night in North Africa? Playing Mexican Train Dominos with the other workers who were having a New Year's Eve party!!

I figured out how to strategize and why you play with your dominos, setting them up in a certain way. Cool! I was very excited.

Didn't seem to matter. I lost anyway.

Next time.....

I Love Skype!

2008-01-02T19:38:00.000-06:00

This is not designed to be an unsolicited advertisement for a particular product/company. It is just that -- well I'd love anything that allows me to talk/see Tim for free. I was able to chat with Lyn (in Berlin) for well over an hour yesterday, working on stuff for our family reunion in July. And today, Tim called me from his "office" and we chatted for just a few minutes. He was dressed in his traditional garb -- a nice blue bobo (bubu? bobu?) that he says comes to his shins -- he'll have to have a couple of them custom made to cover his ankles as they are meant to do. His "office" is a passageway between a couple of other offices, so it isn't very private, but hey -- it's a place where he can do his work! He was showing me around the office when something happened and our connection was lost.

It was GOOD to "see" him. I realize he's been gone only since Sunday (and this is Wednesday), but it seems like a long time.

The important thing is he is there safe and sound. His luggage also made it without falling apart and without any breakage. YAY!! Thanks to Jen who helped him pack, he really was able to take a lot of stuff -- including two large jars of peanut butter which I suspect will be gone quite quickly as one of his friends there is already looking forward to "sharing" it.

I wonder if I should buy stock in Jif....

He's Gone...

2007-12-31T18:02:00.000-06:00

My last glimpse of him was through the posts and bars that outlined the security system for Terminal 5 at O'Hare. And then he was gone.

It has been a wonderful 2 weeks -- I'm so grateful we could bring him home inbetween his Adventures for God. Off to country number 3 -- another in North Africa where his French will be useful, but where he will have to learn yet another Arabic dialect. I'm glad he could spend time with Jen, especially, but also with Susie, Kara, and his friend Michael who was home for the same two weeks from his Peace Corps stint in Guatemala. He even got down to Indy to see Wes, Brian, Ben & Aaron -- and of course, Torrey and Chris were here for Christmas.

His suitcases were heavy -- he's packing for -- well, nearly two years -- though I expect a few care packages will fly between here and there. One suitcase was 68 pounds; the other was 62. Somehow they overlooked the one that was 62, and only charged us for the really heavy one. I just hope it made it in one piece...

"Ah, I see you washed your passport" said the ticket agent. Evidently she has seen that before. He'll need a new one -- just don't know when he'll be able to get that given all the traveling he will be doing.

I cried when he left. I tear up even now.

Being an empty nester is tough.

At least Jen and I can do a Ladies' Day Out periodically. That helps.

Yes -- it does.

Moroccan Dinner

2007-12-29T16:22:00.000-06:00

Thursday night we decided to do our version of a Moroccan dinner with the "Poulet au Citron" which has an emphasis on the olives rather than the preserved lemons. Tim and Jen were the assistant cooks, chopping garlic, arranging olives, putting together the spices for the "juice."

Susie, Kara & Michael came over for dinner as well, which wasn't quite finished when they arrived, so the kitchen was full of happy noisy people. It was wonderful. I presided over dinner wearing my purple jellabah (of course). Bob presided over dessert which was vanilla ice cream with Saunders Hot Fudge (the best in the world, I'm convinced -- it comes from Detroit. I tried to make the hot fudge once -- I found a recipe for it. I used a very clean, washed bottle to store it in. The hot fudge was delicious -- if you like a very faint odor and taste of dill. Evidently the bottle had once been used for pickles. But I digress....) Not very Moroccan, but there you are.

Our menu:

Poulet au Citron avec Olives

Broccoli (because Jen is into healthy)
Couscous (surprisingly good given that it came out of a package)
Fresh Italian bread (what, you think we are going to get Moroccan bread at the Jewel??)
Red wine
The aforementioned ice cream with hot fudge -- which wasn't hot, but that's OK.

We had great fun, the chicken was amazingly good, consider that my general claim to fame in terms of cooking is applying microwave to food, and super fellowship.

I do like Tim's friends.

Christmas Traditions

2007-12-25T17:32:00.000-06:00

It is so much fun to hear about other folks' Christmas traditions -- how and why they became traditions. We each bring much from our family of origin, and then combine them to see what fits -- what new ones we'll add; what will work for awhile, and what will be put away -- perhaps as we add children -- or as they grow and leave the nest.

So I thought I'd try and list ours -- where they came from and why we do what we do.

1. Decorating for Christmas on Thanksgiving Day

This actually started -- oh -- maybe 12 years ago or so when Rosie began sending us Christmas dishes for our gift. Seemed smart to get them out at Thanksgiving and keep using them through the new year, thus getting at least 6 weeks use per year out of them. That started getting us decorating -- which includes the little Dickens village I have on the buffet in the dining room. We moved from a real tree to a real-looking one about 4 years ago, so we are now able to decorate the tree on T'giving Day and keep it up through New Years.

2. The yearly Christmas letter.

Bob and I got married in 1970, so this is our 38th Christmas together. I have a notebook in which I have a copy of every card I've sent out -- with a synopsis of each year that I would hand write until I finally got a bit smarter, and in 1981 started what would become the annual Bulletin. It has morphed from a typewritten letter on plain paper, to a dot-matrix printer on holiday paper, to laser jet printer with water marks, to clip art (1996) to pictures (2003). Jill and Torrey are keeping up the tradition -- smart girls -- they started a lot earlier in their marriages than I did!!

3. Luminaria on Christmas Eve -- see the Christmas Eve blog in 2006 for this one.

Every year we drive around our neighborhood to see who has "complied" with the unwritten rule about luminaria....it's fun to see that almost everyone on our street has.

4. Christmas Eve dinner at Beijing.

Tim was 16 months when we first went to Beijing for Christmas Eve dinner -- he's now 23. It's a highlight! Gone are the days when Bea and Johnny, the owners, would come over for a little chat. Seems as though it's become a VERY popular spot. The restaurant was packed out last night. What do we eat? Same thing every year: Won ton soup, potstickers (2 orders please), crispy shrimp, orange beef, mu shu pork, and sesame chicken.

5. Christmas Eve service at College Church

We've moved from the 4:00 children's service to the 11:00 candlelight service -- at least 12 or 13 years ago when Tim decided he was too old for the children's service.....

6. Pajamas from the Elves

I think this one started when Jill was about 4 and Torrey was 1. The elves choose new pajamas for each member of the family (or anyone staying with us over Christmas Eve) and leave them, wrapped, on the person's bed so they are there when we arrive home from church. The kids believed in the elves long after they stopped believing in Santa. My favorite memory about that is my mother, a couple of years after she and Amos married, came running down the stairs yelling, "We've been elfed! We've been elfed!!"

7. Tea....

After everyone gets their elf jammies on, we gather in the kitchen for a cup of Christmas tea. This year it was Candy Cane Lane. (Moroccan mint for Tim).

8. Birthday cake for Jesus

We don't do this one any more, but when the children were younger, this was the tradition after the jammies and before bed...."Happy Birthday to Jesus."

9. Stockings

Of course. And still.

10. Gifts put out before everyone else is up

This is probably tradition in many families -- but Bob and I still put out the bulk of the gifts under the tree and fill the stockings before everyone else is up. We used to do it after Beijing and before the Christmas Eve service -- fortunately our parlor/living room has pocket doors so we can close them and no one can see what is there. Now we just get up earlier than everyone else, put the coffee pot on, and put everything under the tree. That's the advantage of not having little kids....in case you needed an advantage.

11. Pictures - then stockings - then presents

And presents are one at a time....always. With Bob being "Santa."

12. Christmas dinner....is no more

Instead (see blog for Christmas 2005 regarding Lazarus, the dead turkey that did not rise again) we have hors d'ouevres and snacks all day long. No cooking for the One Who Only Applies Heat to Food, and a totally relaxed rest-of-the-day reading, playing games, putting together a puzzle (this year), and napping....

Speaking of which.....

What are your traditions?

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T08:13:00.001-06:00

"It's About the Cross..."

Need we say more?

Eid al-Adha

2007-12-20T19:29:00.000-06:00

This Muslim holiday begins today and lasts for three or four days. It is the second Eid of the year on the Islamic calendar; the first one marks the end of Ramadan. This one commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice Ishmael -- according to the Koran, Ishmael was spared, and a sheep was sacrificed in his place.

"Wait a minute," you say -- "Wasn't it Isaac that was to be sacrified?" Yes, according to the book of Genesis it was Isaac, but according to the Koran, it was Ishmael.

So this is the celebration. According to the Chicago Tribune, "Muslims traditionally put on their best clothes in the morning and meet in large, open spaces to pray to Allah. After listening to a sermon, they disperse to visit family and friends, partake in festive dishes and sweets, and give children eidee (Eid money) and other gifts.

Tim says he is rather glad he is home in the US of A instead of in Fes for the celebration. His friends, Najib and Abdullah, brought a sheep over to live in Tim's back yard for a couple of days until they could slaughter it appropriately, as is the custom. Tim helped them carry this Very Large Sheep through his house and into his back yard where it quietly lived off the grass for the last couple of days of his life. (His? Sheep with horns = male?)

The sheep must be slaughtered ceremoniously, and then left to drain all the blood so that it will be hallal (or ceremoniously clean). Tonight, the first night of Eid, they will eat the liver, spleen and heart. It's organ night.

Tomorrow night is the sheep's head and the brains.

Now you know why Tim is glad he is at home and not visiting Najib who had already invited him to be part of the celebration. Fortunately, according to Tim, he already had his plane tickets home.

And we had pork chops for dinner.

Not hallal.

Definitely not hallal.

Last Bits from Morocco

2007-12-20T16:34:00.000-06:00

Time to wrap it up -- see if there are any more pictures we want to share or that you would enjoy from this most exotic of trips. If, of course, you can apply "exotic" to squatty potties and hand held showers. Though it is compared to what Tim is going to in 10 days.

Ouch! Is that all he has left? Deep breath.

This is one of the gates into the King's palace in Fes. Moroccans are not allowed in this plaza, though "foreigners" can be there as long as they don't take any pictures of people -- just things. The King has several palaces in different cities though he generally resides in Rabat. Evidently he had just been to Fes and we missed him by a couple of days.

One last picture of the old wall around the newer old city. There is the medina -- the old city dating back to 900 AD, and then Fes J'Did which is a newer walled city. I don't know exactly when it was built, but it is obviously a lot more modern with wider streets and bigger souks than the old city.

And a final picture of us at our Moroccan dinner after we had our three hour course in Darijia. The true picture would have been to see us digging in with our hands and just tearing the meat off that delicious chicken.

l-magrib zwin, l-hamdu lillah!

Beslama for now.

Just a Slight Catastrophe

2007-12-17T20:09:00.000-06:00

Tim laundered his passport.

Dried it too.

My hunch is that passports were not designed to be run through a typical American washer and dryer (with Bounce, no less).

Fortunately, his visa enabling him to get to the next country where he is going to work is intact.

More or less. Fortunately, more.

His passport (0riginally) only had about 2 blank pages left.

It now has -- oh -- four or five blank pages left.

Plus there is an added page where the last sheet separated from the blue backing.

I suppose that could be considered a plus.

Tim -- did your mother not teach you to check pockets before you do the wash???

What kind of mother do you have?

Oh -- I'm that mother....

Tim is HOME!!

2007-12-15T20:49:00.000-06:00

We picked him up at O'Hare tonight -- a snowy, blowy night....His flight came in an hour and a half late from Paris...and then of course, was the interminable wait for him to navigate getting his luggage (it's still in Paris) and customs -- at least this time he wasn't detained by Homeland Security...

Ah -- but he is home. And he's loving every bit of the C'mas lights and music -- there is none of that in Morocco.

His friend Michael got home from Guatemala tonight too. Michael has been serving in the Peace Corps since last April and his folks brought him home for C'mas too.

His mom called me today -- two excited mothers -- our sons are home for Christmas!!

And the best part is that Torrey & Chris will be here on Friday so we will have ALMOST our whole family together. If only Jill, Derrick & Deven could be here too -- but Jill said "I'm not ever coming north again when it is cold...."

OK for you -- no more "home for Christmas" or "sleigh bells ring" or "chestnuts roasting o'er an open fire...."

But tonight -- I'm one happy mom!

Chicken with Olives

2007-12-13T15:41:00.000-06:00

With abject apologies, you are not going to get the really yummy "Poulet au Citron" recipe I have. That's because it came from the Chicago Tribune Magazine before we went to Morocco and doesn't count. That recipe calls for saffron and preserved lemons, neither of which are easily obtainable at your local Jewel or Dominicks (I checked).

Of course, I HAVE the preserved lemons (preserved, bottled and sold in Marrakech) and the saffron (teeny little threads in teeny little baggies) sold and packaged (I presume) in the wonderful and funky grocery store in Fes J'Did.

The reason I love this dish is because (a) for the most part, I can cook chicken. Or something that tastes like chicken. Or we can get Brown's Chicken on a Sunday night while we are watching 60 Minutes or Amazing Race (which Torrey & Chris absolutely HAVE to enter) -- but I digress.... (b) it has OLIVES. Now mind you, the best green olives (with stones) in the entire world come from Sevilla, Spain. Tim would get little packages of them and have them as his study snack. Quite unfortunately, he introduced us to said olives. Oh My Word. Well, they don't deliver to the US of A. I checked. Anyway, despite that, it has olives and if you can get the right ones -- don't bother with the canned Libby prepitted ones. They have to have the STONES (pits, for you Americans) in them. (c) I'm sure there was a (c). I just have to think about it for awhile.

Anyway, here is the dish:

And, for you Cordon Bleu -- or "apply-heat-to-food" cooks, here is the recipe from our "North Africa Recipes" booklet:

40 g butter
about 2 kg chicken, cut into serving peces
1 onion, finely chopped
1 glove garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp flour
1/2 liter water (OK, I'm a nurse. I know that is 500 cc -- or about 2 cups)
250g stoned green olives, soaked for 1 hour in cold water. Let me assure you these are NOT olives that are drunk, OK? These are olives that still have the "stone" or "pit" in it. The best thing to have on hand is my very favorite in the whole world souvenir I bought in Sevilla which is a little dish for the olives which has a teeny cup attached for the stones.
2 tbsps finely chopped fresh mint or parsley (That would be tablespoons for those that are deficient in this area)
juice 1 lemon

Melt butter in a large saucepan and add chicken pieces. (Remember you cut up the chicken, or you bought thighs & legs for those of us who are crazy about dark meat, regardless of the recommendations of assorted dieticians in the US of A.)
Oh yes. Sprinkle onion, garlic and seasonings over the chicken. Cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

NOTE: If you were authentic, you would be using a tajine (or tadjeen). But having never in my entire life seen a tajine at Williams Sonoma, we'll give it a pass. Try whatever pan you have that holds as much chicken as you think is necessary. Keep in mind that if you are going to cook this chicken according to my picture, it will be an ENTIRE chicken. Never mind the 'free range' business. I don't think the Moroccans have heard of that.

Mix flour to a smooth paste with some of the water and add to the pan with the remaining water. Sitr well and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Hey -- even I might be able to do this)

Stir in olives (my favorite part), mint or parsley

...and lemon juice. OK, from me: If you have the preserved lemons from Marrakech, add them here. Of course, I have no idea how much. Just add -- um -- some. Where were we? OK, cover and simmer a further 15-20 minutes or until chicken is tender. (Good idea). To serve (I hope you have gotten to this point):

Arrange chicken pieces in a large dish and pour the sauce over the top. Add more water if necessary.

I'm not sure what that means.

I'm hoping that someone that does more than "applies heat to food" knows.

Tim and I (he doesn't know this yet) are going to try this when he gets home.

Day after tomorrow, not that I'm counting. Uh, that is gets home. Not ready to cook yet. We are going to Red Lobster, home of the frozen, preserved and otherwise ready-to-eat lobster-which-tastes-like-crab-which-tastes-like-chicken.

Oh -- I forgot. Just eat with your hands -- right hand only, please. Dip your bread into the sauce -- oh my goodness.

Wonderful.