I have a lot of beautiful things. I mention this because I've been thinking a lot lately about the need to possess that which we find beautiful. Over the last 20 years or so, I've collected many things from all over the world. When it was time to move yet again, I really tried to be ruthless as I went through my belongings, yet still we managed to ship 12,000 pounds of household goods.
As I've been unpacking this week, each box is like a mini-Christmas. I love unwrapping each item, challenging myself to recognize something through the paper before I see it with my eyes. But as I find a new home for each piece of crystal or painting or print or photograph or pottery, it occurs to me how little I actually use. I have 4 curio cabinets now that are available for display purposes, plus a cabinet where I can store things until it is their turn. Each vase or bowl or decanter or glass is special to me - I can usually tell you where I found it or who gave it to me or what trip we were on and with whom. But I never use these things and so, as pretty as they are, and as much sentimental value as they have, I do have to wonder what their ultimate purpose is. (Now, my friend D will never understand this post because she is one of the few people who I know that truly does use all of her beautiful things - even wine and crackers at her home is served beautifully.)
But back to my original thought. Over the years I have "just had to have" so many things and I wonder what it is about me (and I'm not alone) that doesn't allow me to just enjoy the beauty of something and move on.
I used to have severe car envy - I would see someone drive by in a beautiful Mercedes and actively covet - but I solved that by realizing that that person had to look at my big red minivan while I actually got to enjoy their beautiful car because I wasn't sitting inside of it. I fell in love with the new Toyota Matrix, the car we ultimately bought. Just something about their lines appealed to me. One day, after I had had it for about a month, another Matrix drove by and I remember looking at it thinking "oh, that's a nice looking car, I would like to have that" before I realized "oh yeah, I'm sitting in one right now."
I have beautiful jewelry - much of which sits in the box because once I possessed it, I often forgot all about it.
The only things that are beautiful that I don't ache to have as my own are things that so obviously impossible - Big Sur, the Grand Canyon, the beautiful water of the Gulf of Mexico.
So - this is my new resolve - to start appreciating the beautiful things that I see without buying them - without needing to take them home with me. And...to start using the things that I already have. (Jeff - if you're reading - I don't want to hear this echoed back at me next time I come home with a shopping bag!)
I realize that as I read back over this that I have failed to communicate what I was intending - but as you are such a forgiving audience I trust that you will understand anyway!
Saturday, September 18
Monday, September 13
Blogging is like Scrapbooking
Blogging is like Scrapbooking because the farther you get behind, the harder it is to know where to start. My friend Dianne once told me, with regard to scrapbooking, just start with where you are right now. So I think I will just give you an idea of where we are right now and let another day worry about bringing you up-to-date!
Today I face, purely estimating, about 45 more boxes to unpack. We received our household goods on Friday and later today I will post a picture of what it looked like before we began unpacking at all! We're at the point now where we have found a significant portion of what we need so that lessens the motivation to keep going. But I'm determined to have every box emptied and the house pretty much like we want it by the time our friends come down to visit and bring home their son - which could be any day now!
On top of merely unpacking, poor Jeff has an even longer and more challenging list:
Today I face, purely estimating, about 45 more boxes to unpack. We received our household goods on Friday and later today I will post a picture of what it looked like before we began unpacking at all! We're at the point now where we have found a significant portion of what we need so that lessens the motivation to keep going. But I'm determined to have every box emptied and the house pretty much like we want it by the time our friends come down to visit and bring home their son - which could be any day now!
On top of merely unpacking, poor Jeff has an even longer and more challenging list:
- get the wireless router working so we're not all four huddled around one little desk using the internet WITHOUT losing the capabilities of our IP phone. (This IP phone is a marvel - we have a Cincinnati phone number so our family can call us for free and we can call anywhere in the U.S. for $20/month - and for anyone else calling us it's just a normal long distance call as if to Cincinnati. Amazing.)
- Figure out why the satellite is only working in our bedroom and climb on the roof in order to follow the wiring and if necessary run new wires to the "TV" room we've chosen - for some reason Jeff doesn't want our bedroom to be our TV room as well. Once that's done he needs to re-wire the TV/tuner/DVD player/VCR and set up the surround sound stuff.
- Get my piano put back together - the pedals are off and need to be rebolted on so I can play something other than ragtime.
- Get the pump set up to reinflate Carl's SelectComfort air bed. He's currently sleeping in our guest room.
- Hang anything involving a screw/drill because I don't know how to use the drill and/or to use these special ones made for concrete.
- Put together our hammock stand that we bought and never opened - with a minimum of cussing. Jeff hates anything that says "some assembly required" with a passion that often turns verbal. We also need to figure out how to wash our hammock which is filthy from being outside year-round and was packed out that way - what were we thinking?
- Seems like there's something else - but I just can't think what. He already got our waterbed put together yesterday which was pure heaven - we haven't slept on it in SIX months and last night we both layed down and just went AHHHHHHH for quite a while. We've mostly been sleeping on double beds here and there - in and out of hotels - so our king size bed was WONDERFUL.
So now that I've written it will be easier to come back and write more. I know there are a million things floating around my head, fighting to come out, but maybe it would be better if they just stay put!!
Adios and Buenas Dias!
Wednesday, August 25
HodgePodge
This posting will just be a hodgepodge of what's going on. I'm sitting in an internet cafe on 1a Avenida at the corner of 12 Calle in Zona 14 - about 6 blocks from the embassy. It's still going to be like 3 weeks before we get internet at home so I will have to content myself with occasionally getting to an internet cafe to get my fix. Jeff dropped me off (using a borrowed vehicle) at church this morning where I attended a bible study and now I'm on foot.
So we're living in our house now and every day it feels more like home. Not through any accumulation of belongings, but purely through familiarization. It really is a lovely house and has a wonderful view of the 2 volcanos. The other night Pacaya Volcano was actually glowing at the top. Jeff has ordered binoculars and an adapter that he intends to install on top of his tripod in order to better view the volcanos! All the doors are different sizes in this house. They are all old church doors set into wood frames to accommodate the doorways. The frames can be removed when your furniture is brought in and out. Shelby's bedroom door is TINY. Really. I'm beginning to get used to the elaborate locking & unlocking that accompanies any ingress or egress into our home. 4 keys to let the kids out to the bus each morning and welcome them home in the afternoon! Yesterday I decided to let Carl come in by the garage and opened the garage door and accidentally bumped the closer when he was standing right under it - at least we know he can jump if necessity calls!
I still haven't talked with Sue Wolpert, which has me very disappointed. She lost her position at the hospital the week we arrived and is very depressed. Very. I hope that she is able to see some hope for the future for herself and for her work here in Guatemala. Roberto, on the other hand, I have talked to numerous times. He came for dinner one night with a borrowed car from his grandfather. Carl challenged him to chess and found that Roberto is VERY good at chess - the first time, when he won, Carl insisted that he had "trick-mated" him. Never heard of that myself! He also played a couple of games with Jeff and Jeff really enjoyed meeting him. Afterwards he invited the kids to go to the mall with him - I was very nervous due to my frequent exposure to horror stories - but Roberto assured me that he knows Guatemala very well and would be appropriately careful. They had a good time. Roberto, as I may have mentioned, is experiencing a recurrence of his cancer ' it is in his kidneys, back and testicles apparently. He is meeting with his doctors today to determine the treatment plan. He says that the chemotherapy makes his muscles ache and makes him very tired. He's such a great kid, though. I mentioned that Carl is interested in getting a beagle puppy and Roberto got right on it and found a lady who has puppies for sale, etc. I don't know if Carl will get one right away, but Roberto will be invaluable as a guide and translator once he is ready.
Nancho, the man who helps us around the house, is wonderful. He works so very, very hard for only like 15 dollars a day. He arrives at 7 am and leaves at 3pm on mondays and thursdays. During that time not only is he working but he answers all my halting questions in English. He is about 60 years old and his wife is deceased and he has 8 kids ' 4 boys and 4 girls. He takes care of all the frequent visitors to our front door who are selling something or wanting to come in or whatever the case may be.
I have attended the Union Church here in Guatemala one time last Sunday. Today I went to their morning ladies' bible study where they are beginning a study of Hebrews. I think I will like the study and the women all seem very nice although I must admit that I longed to be back in Dianne's living room in my rocking chair. I wonder who is sitting in it now...Will?!?!?!?
Yesterday I had my first case of what Jeff has nicknamed "Mayan Malady." He asked a co-worker what it's called in Guatemala - you have Delhi Belly in India, Montezuma's Revenge in Mexico - she apparently looked at him blankly and said "here we just call it 'the shits.'" Whatever - they're no fun. At one point yesterday I told Carl where my will was, just in case!
So - that's all for now - hard to concentrate with so many people around me and the internet cafe is open to the street so I have the noise of the passersby and cars as well. I'm going to go hit TGI Friday's which I see across the street for lunch. I wonder how you say potato skins in Spanish, or if they even have them! I must confess that I have not had a bad meal since we got here. The food is delicious, particularly the steak!
Adios!
So we're living in our house now and every day it feels more like home. Not through any accumulation of belongings, but purely through familiarization. It really is a lovely house and has a wonderful view of the 2 volcanos. The other night Pacaya Volcano was actually glowing at the top. Jeff has ordered binoculars and an adapter that he intends to install on top of his tripod in order to better view the volcanos! All the doors are different sizes in this house. They are all old church doors set into wood frames to accommodate the doorways. The frames can be removed when your furniture is brought in and out. Shelby's bedroom door is TINY. Really. I'm beginning to get used to the elaborate locking & unlocking that accompanies any ingress or egress into our home. 4 keys to let the kids out to the bus each morning and welcome them home in the afternoon! Yesterday I decided to let Carl come in by the garage and opened the garage door and accidentally bumped the closer when he was standing right under it - at least we know he can jump if necessity calls!
I still haven't talked with Sue Wolpert, which has me very disappointed. She lost her position at the hospital the week we arrived and is very depressed. Very. I hope that she is able to see some hope for the future for herself and for her work here in Guatemala. Roberto, on the other hand, I have talked to numerous times. He came for dinner one night with a borrowed car from his grandfather. Carl challenged him to chess and found that Roberto is VERY good at chess - the first time, when he won, Carl insisted that he had "trick-mated" him. Never heard of that myself! He also played a couple of games with Jeff and Jeff really enjoyed meeting him. Afterwards he invited the kids to go to the mall with him - I was very nervous due to my frequent exposure to horror stories - but Roberto assured me that he knows Guatemala very well and would be appropriately careful. They had a good time. Roberto, as I may have mentioned, is experiencing a recurrence of his cancer ' it is in his kidneys, back and testicles apparently. He is meeting with his doctors today to determine the treatment plan. He says that the chemotherapy makes his muscles ache and makes him very tired. He's such a great kid, though. I mentioned that Carl is interested in getting a beagle puppy and Roberto got right on it and found a lady who has puppies for sale, etc. I don't know if Carl will get one right away, but Roberto will be invaluable as a guide and translator once he is ready.
Nancho, the man who helps us around the house, is wonderful. He works so very, very hard for only like 15 dollars a day. He arrives at 7 am and leaves at 3pm on mondays and thursdays. During that time not only is he working but he answers all my halting questions in English. He is about 60 years old and his wife is deceased and he has 8 kids ' 4 boys and 4 girls. He takes care of all the frequent visitors to our front door who are selling something or wanting to come in or whatever the case may be.
I have attended the Union Church here in Guatemala one time last Sunday. Today I went to their morning ladies' bible study where they are beginning a study of Hebrews. I think I will like the study and the women all seem very nice although I must admit that I longed to be back in Dianne's living room in my rocking chair. I wonder who is sitting in it now...Will?!?!?!?
Yesterday I had my first case of what Jeff has nicknamed "Mayan Malady." He asked a co-worker what it's called in Guatemala - you have Delhi Belly in India, Montezuma's Revenge in Mexico - she apparently looked at him blankly and said "here we just call it 'the shits.'" Whatever - they're no fun. At one point yesterday I told Carl where my will was, just in case!
So - that's all for now - hard to concentrate with so many people around me and the internet cafe is open to the street so I have the noise of the passersby and cars as well. I'm going to go hit TGI Friday's which I see across the street for lunch. I wonder how you say potato skins in Spanish, or if they even have them! I must confess that I have not had a bad meal since we got here. The food is delicious, particularly the steak!
Adios!
Friday, August 13
Moving on...
Today we are leaving the Clarion with its close proximity to the embassy, restaurants, mall, in room internet service, etc. etc. and moving into our new home. I think I will really love living in this new home, but the first few weeks will be tough - no internet, no car. My two passions - surfing and driving!
I had intended to blog about the evening last night at the embassy - but for now you will have to content yourself with reading jeff's blog about it.
Adios and Hasta Luego (sp? ;-) )
I had intended to blog about the evening last night at the embassy - but for now you will have to content yourself with reading jeff's blog about it.
Adios and Hasta Luego (sp? ;-) )
Wednesday, August 11
White Gloves & Party Manners
When I was a little girl, one of my most cherished gifts was a small book for girls on the subject of manners. It was titled White Gloves & Party Manners. I loved reading through it and envisioning myself in each situation (in case I ever needed to curtsy and address the Ambassador of Portugal, I was going to be ready).
As an adult, protocol and formal events make me very nervous - so many hidden pitfalls, and don't even mention what to wear! Much easier to avoid anything that smacks of formality than to try to navigate those murky waters.
Now here we are in Guatemala, and while I expect that our involvement in such things will be minimal, this very first week we're faced with two such "unknown" events.
The first I braved today. Invited to a "luncheon" I tried to make the best of what my suitcase had to offer - dressing it up considerably with various pieces of jewelry (including a beautiful dragonfly pin from Cindy Smith which garnered compliments - again!). This luncheon was to be held at the home of the USAID Director, hosted by his wife. I had no idea what to expect or who to expect. Poor Jeff - the entire way there I bitched and moaned and told him how much he owes me, etc. etc. etc. The home was huge and incredibly gorgeous - with 4 or 5 Guatemalan National Policemen guarding it. I got out of the car and just took a deep breath and managed to make eye contact, introduce myself, etc. etc. As far as I know, no faux paus were committed. Who can tell. Of course everyone is introduced by who their husband is - don't even get me started there. But I guess that's my new life and my new identity.
The lunch itself was served very formally with servants, etc. I paid very close attention to everything that was done at the table and by the hostess in case HORRORS I were ever to be called on to host such a thing. I don't think that will happen so I can breathe easy there, but I observed nonetheless.
I must admit that everyone, from the Ambassador's wife on down (oh no - I did say down didn't I - I've already placed myself and everyone else into the "hierarchy" of wives. Ick.) was very nice and easy to talk to and I ended up....wait for it...having a good time.
Tomorrow night we're invited to an evening of orchestral music hosted by the Ambassador and his wife - Jeff will be wearing a suit and tie! - hmm....not sure enough jewelry in the world can dress up what I've got in MY suitcase. Wish me luck!
As an adult, protocol and formal events make me very nervous - so many hidden pitfalls, and don't even mention what to wear! Much easier to avoid anything that smacks of formality than to try to navigate those murky waters.
Now here we are in Guatemala, and while I expect that our involvement in such things will be minimal, this very first week we're faced with two such "unknown" events.
The first I braved today. Invited to a "luncheon" I tried to make the best of what my suitcase had to offer - dressing it up considerably with various pieces of jewelry (including a beautiful dragonfly pin from Cindy Smith which garnered compliments - again!). This luncheon was to be held at the home of the USAID Director, hosted by his wife. I had no idea what to expect or who to expect. Poor Jeff - the entire way there I bitched and moaned and told him how much he owes me, etc. etc. etc. The home was huge and incredibly gorgeous - with 4 or 5 Guatemalan National Policemen guarding it. I got out of the car and just took a deep breath and managed to make eye contact, introduce myself, etc. etc. As far as I know, no faux paus were committed. Who can tell. Of course everyone is introduced by who their husband is - don't even get me started there. But I guess that's my new life and my new identity.
The lunch itself was served very formally with servants, etc. I paid very close attention to everything that was done at the table and by the hostess in case HORRORS I were ever to be called on to host such a thing. I don't think that will happen so I can breathe easy there, but I observed nonetheless.
I must admit that everyone, from the Ambassador's wife on down (oh no - I did say down didn't I - I've already placed myself and everyone else into the "hierarchy" of wives. Ick.) was very nice and easy to talk to and I ended up....wait for it...having a good time.
Tomorrow night we're invited to an evening of orchestral music hosted by the Ambassador and his wife - Jeff will be wearing a suit and tie! - hmm....not sure enough jewelry in the world can dress up what I've got in MY suitcase. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, August 10
Roberto
I am so sad over Roberto right now. Roberto is a cancer patient. Sue Wolpert had worked with him here in Guatemala and he had been sent up to NIH for cancer treatment. He had his treatment over a year ago and has returned a couple of times for follow up. He is 18 years old. We had the honor of meeting him and spending time with him - Ryan took him to six flags once and Carl and I took him out to dinner (with Beth) to Baja Fresh another time.
He has been planning on working for us as a tutor/companion for Carl & Shelby as his schedule permits and we have been excited on both ends as we really enjoy his company and he seems so excited to show us his country.
I received news over the weekend that he is currently at NIH and his cancer has returned - it is now in his kidneys and in his back. He is very scared and I am scared for him. Tara Coates has been talking with him and trying to organize some help. At 18 he is too old to stay in the quarters provided on the grounds of NIH. If you feel that you could provide some assistance - I don't know what exactly Roberto needs - you would not be sorry. Roberto speaks good English and is just a wonderful kid. Tara's email is tcoates@baltimoresun.com
He has been planning on working for us as a tutor/companion for Carl & Shelby as his schedule permits and we have been excited on both ends as we really enjoy his company and he seems so excited to show us his country.
I received news over the weekend that he is currently at NIH and his cancer has returned - it is now in his kidneys and in his back. He is very scared and I am scared for him. Tara Coates has been talking with him and trying to organize some help. At 18 he is too old to stay in the quarters provided on the grounds of NIH. If you feel that you could provide some assistance - I don't know what exactly Roberto needs - you would not be sorry. Roberto speaks good English and is just a wonderful kid. Tara's email is tcoates@baltimoresun.com
Attitude or Altitude?
I've been in Guatemala now for 5 nights and finally am I ready to sit down and bring you all up to speed. Attitude or Altitude? Well...at 5000 feet I have been feeling very, very tired and rather sluggish and my head has felt very foggy. I kind of knew to expect a reaction to the change in altitude, but still felt that there was something wrong with me - letdown? new people overload?
Yesterday - after my SECOND nap - I woke up feeling rather back to normal. (is that good or bad?)
I will attempt a recap below - I'll try to keep the editorial comment to a minimum :-) :
Our flights to Guatemala were uneventful and we were greeted upon our arrival by some folks from Jeff's new office and some "expediters." Expediters are a wonderful thing - they met our plane and gathered our luggage and whisked us out a side door to a waiting van (avoiding the crush of people at customs). Very nice. We went straight to our hotel and we have 2 connecting suites on the 16th floor with INCREDIBLE views of the city and the volcanos. Jeff and I have spent a lot of time just standing at these wonderful windows.
Friday was spent at the kids' new school all day - they had their interviews and Spanish testing in the morning (uh...Beginner!) and because we had to be back at 1pm for the new parent orientation, we just stayed all day. The kids played basketball in the gym and we had lunch in the cafeteria. During the orientation they were able to be shown all around by an older student and I think they felt fairly comfortable with the school by the time we left. Unfortunately, they were not able to start school until Tuesday (today) and not on Monday - but that should work out okay, anyway.
Friday evening we were invited to a family's house for dinner and met 3 or 4 other families. I wish I had kept a small pad of paper to write names down - that would have been smart!
Saturday morning our social sponsor took us to Price Smart and we got our membership. If you had just been dropped inside there you would think you were at Sam's Club in Laurel - including the mandatory trampoline high up on the wall :-)
In the afternoon we were taken to see our house - it is really lovely. It's not as big as I thought it would be - but part of that could be because it's on so many levels - I don't even know how many - you go up & down and up & down all over the place. The yard is very small but it has a beautiful view of the volcanos. The house has all kinds of cool touches - the doors alone are very interesting. For a couple of the bedrooms there is a door within the door - like a big wood frame set into the doorframe with a very small, skinny door set into that. You could hurt yourself in the middle of the night! I think we will be moving in on Thursday. It will be nice to start to set up our home after so many nights without a home! You can see pictures of the house at www.labanz.com . After the house, we went with another family to the mall - ate lunch at the foodcourt, and then the kids were invited to their home to play for the rest of the day.
Sunday, Carl was invited to go paintballing all morning and really enjoyed that. In the afternoon we were invited to an ice cream social at the home of our social sponsor. There were, again, a lot of people and the kids certainly had many people to meet.
Yesterday? I slept and slept and slept. Sooooo tired. But, as I said earlier, I woke up feeling wonderful.
So far - we've met lots of people, all of whom are very nice. I haven't been able to speak or meet with Sue Wolpert yet, and I'm really looking forward to that.
I'm working hard on my espanol already - so I'll let you know how that goes! At least I can say "Donde esta el bano?" - that's important!!
Yesterday - after my SECOND nap - I woke up feeling rather back to normal. (is that good or bad?)
I will attempt a recap below - I'll try to keep the editorial comment to a minimum :-) :
Our flights to Guatemala were uneventful and we were greeted upon our arrival by some folks from Jeff's new office and some "expediters." Expediters are a wonderful thing - they met our plane and gathered our luggage and whisked us out a side door to a waiting van (avoiding the crush of people at customs). Very nice. We went straight to our hotel and we have 2 connecting suites on the 16th floor with INCREDIBLE views of the city and the volcanos. Jeff and I have spent a lot of time just standing at these wonderful windows.
Friday was spent at the kids' new school all day - they had their interviews and Spanish testing in the morning (uh...Beginner!) and because we had to be back at 1pm for the new parent orientation, we just stayed all day. The kids played basketball in the gym and we had lunch in the cafeteria. During the orientation they were able to be shown all around by an older student and I think they felt fairly comfortable with the school by the time we left. Unfortunately, they were not able to start school until Tuesday (today) and not on Monday - but that should work out okay, anyway.
Friday evening we were invited to a family's house for dinner and met 3 or 4 other families. I wish I had kept a small pad of paper to write names down - that would have been smart!
Saturday morning our social sponsor took us to Price Smart and we got our membership. If you had just been dropped inside there you would think you were at Sam's Club in Laurel - including the mandatory trampoline high up on the wall :-)
In the afternoon we were taken to see our house - it is really lovely. It's not as big as I thought it would be - but part of that could be because it's on so many levels - I don't even know how many - you go up & down and up & down all over the place. The yard is very small but it has a beautiful view of the volcanos. The house has all kinds of cool touches - the doors alone are very interesting. For a couple of the bedrooms there is a door within the door - like a big wood frame set into the doorframe with a very small, skinny door set into that. You could hurt yourself in the middle of the night! I think we will be moving in on Thursday. It will be nice to start to set up our home after so many nights without a home! You can see pictures of the house at www.labanz.com . After the house, we went with another family to the mall - ate lunch at the foodcourt, and then the kids were invited to their home to play for the rest of the day.
Sunday, Carl was invited to go paintballing all morning and really enjoyed that. In the afternoon we were invited to an ice cream social at the home of our social sponsor. There were, again, a lot of people and the kids certainly had many people to meet.
Yesterday? I slept and slept and slept. Sooooo tired. But, as I said earlier, I woke up feeling wonderful.
So far - we've met lots of people, all of whom are very nice. I haven't been able to speak or meet with Sue Wolpert yet, and I'm really looking forward to that.
I'm working hard on my espanol already - so I'll let you know how that goes! At least I can say "Donde esta el bano?" - that's important!!
Wednesday, August 4
Venting & Gratitude
I'm a venter. I venture to say that I'm a world-class venter. I wish God had just installed a little steam valve on the top of my head; since He didn't, it all comes out my mouth.
Since this is the time of year when I tend to vent a lot about my mother-in-law (being BEACH season and all) it seems appropriate for me to take this opportunity to acknowledge the many things I sincerely like about her (hence the gratitude part of this post's title).
So - the top 10 best things about my mother-in-law, in no particular order:
1) She raised 3 wonderful kids - really - in this day & age it's no small feat to have reared 3 smart, kind, & intelligent productive members of society. And from what I can see, those 3 kids are continuing to raise just wonderful kids (well, yes, 3 of those 2nd generation kids would be mine, I know). I just spent a week with my nieces and nephews and I can truly say that they are really cool people, every one of them.
2) She's a wonderful cook - not only is she a wonderful cook, but she really cares that you enjoy the meal she's prepared - a perfectionist. When we used to come home from Australia, after not being home to the states for 2 years at a time, I was always very flattered by her menu for the week - she had obviously spent a lot of time on it and continued to spend a lot of time preparing delicious meals. I didn't always appreciate this at the time because I had missed various American foods for so long that I often gorged on certain other foods and ended up not being hungry for her meals which always disappointed her. I'm a lot older now and have much more appreciation for a home cooked meal than I once did.
3) She's a meticulous Christmas shopper - she elicits lists, shops very carefully over a period of weeks, and wraps beautifully. One of my favorite gifts ever from her was when she just gave me a big pile of books from the Half Price Bookstore - I knew it was hard for her to do because she was afraid she would choose the wrong ones, etc. - but I loved that she did it anyway! More recently, I had asked for a 20 inch gold chain suitable for hanging my various pendants on, and that's exactly what she found - perfect.
4) She's always up for games - seldom does a night go by that she's not willing to play games with whoever is up for it.
5) This goes with #4 - she makes me laugh hysterically when we play together - me, Jeff, her and my father-in-law. She doesn't mean to be funny, but she's so intense and competitive and it ends up making me laugh so hard sometimes. She would say she's the least competitive person she knows, but since she's the most competitive person I know I would say we must run in different circles.
6) She lets me tease her about her freezer, about her cream cheese, and about any number of other items which I would say she keeps around LONG after they should have found their way to the bottom of the disposal. She even gives as good as she gets in this area, so that's something we're able to laugh about.
7) She always remembers Easter - we invariably get cards, chocolate, jelly beans (once she learned I like cherry jelly beans). AND she was so gracious Good Friday 2003 when the entire family was gathered at our home here in Maryland - everyone a practicing Catholic except our immediate family - and we served HAMBURGERS - I was so embarrassed and she was so gracious and ate them. Whew....
8) When Ryan was hurt in an automobile accident in early March - they just started driving - they figured if everything turned out okay and they weren't needed they would just continue on to a previously planned vacation. It was very nice to see them in such a difficult time while Jeff was trying to get back from overseas.
9) She's visited us, more than once, everywhere we've lived - at considerable expense I might add since we're not always that close!
10) Hmm...number 10, seems like I should make this good...She says nice things about the way I sing. No one else says nice things about the way I sing. That's a good one to end on!
Since this is the time of year when I tend to vent a lot about my mother-in-law (being BEACH season and all) it seems appropriate for me to take this opportunity to acknowledge the many things I sincerely like about her (hence the gratitude part of this post's title).
So - the top 10 best things about my mother-in-law, in no particular order:
1) She raised 3 wonderful kids - really - in this day & age it's no small feat to have reared 3 smart, kind, & intelligent productive members of society. And from what I can see, those 3 kids are continuing to raise just wonderful kids (well, yes, 3 of those 2nd generation kids would be mine, I know). I just spent a week with my nieces and nephews and I can truly say that they are really cool people, every one of them.
2) She's a wonderful cook - not only is she a wonderful cook, but she really cares that you enjoy the meal she's prepared - a perfectionist. When we used to come home from Australia, after not being home to the states for 2 years at a time, I was always very flattered by her menu for the week - she had obviously spent a lot of time on it and continued to spend a lot of time preparing delicious meals. I didn't always appreciate this at the time because I had missed various American foods for so long that I often gorged on certain other foods and ended up not being hungry for her meals which always disappointed her. I'm a lot older now and have much more appreciation for a home cooked meal than I once did.
3) She's a meticulous Christmas shopper - she elicits lists, shops very carefully over a period of weeks, and wraps beautifully. One of my favorite gifts ever from her was when she just gave me a big pile of books from the Half Price Bookstore - I knew it was hard for her to do because she was afraid she would choose the wrong ones, etc. - but I loved that she did it anyway! More recently, I had asked for a 20 inch gold chain suitable for hanging my various pendants on, and that's exactly what she found - perfect.
4) She's always up for games - seldom does a night go by that she's not willing to play games with whoever is up for it.
5) This goes with #4 - she makes me laugh hysterically when we play together - me, Jeff, her and my father-in-law. She doesn't mean to be funny, but she's so intense and competitive and it ends up making me laugh so hard sometimes. She would say she's the least competitive person she knows, but since she's the most competitive person I know I would say we must run in different circles.
6) She lets me tease her about her freezer, about her cream cheese, and about any number of other items which I would say she keeps around LONG after they should have found their way to the bottom of the disposal. She even gives as good as she gets in this area, so that's something we're able to laugh about.
7) She always remembers Easter - we invariably get cards, chocolate, jelly beans (once she learned I like cherry jelly beans). AND she was so gracious Good Friday 2003 when the entire family was gathered at our home here in Maryland - everyone a practicing Catholic except our immediate family - and we served HAMBURGERS - I was so embarrassed and she was so gracious and ate them. Whew....
8) When Ryan was hurt in an automobile accident in early March - they just started driving - they figured if everything turned out okay and they weren't needed they would just continue on to a previously planned vacation. It was very nice to see them in such a difficult time while Jeff was trying to get back from overseas.
9) She's visited us, more than once, everywhere we've lived - at considerable expense I might add since we're not always that close!
10) Hmm...number 10, seems like I should make this good...She says nice things about the way I sing. No one else says nice things about the way I sing. That's a good one to end on!
Tuesday, August 3
It all boils down to 2 nights left...
I feel like we've been moving to Guatemala for a year - maybe that's because we've actually been "moving to Guatemala" for 15 months. I'm so bored with the topic I could scream! I'm not doing this again. I'm not going to be in the process of moving that long again - horrible way to live life.
By this fall, we will already be considering where to go next - in actuality? we've already had many discussions about it. I need to find a way to compartamentalize those discussions so I can LIVE my life instead of talking about the next one. I'm determined to change in that area - so next time you can expect to hear about where we're moving 2 months prior - that's it!!!
I go to my last small group meeting with NLEC tomorrow night. I hope it's 100% about God and nothing about me moving. That would be nice. I need that. I need a space in time that's used for an entirely different topic.
* * *
Went shopping with Shelby today for back to school clothes - it was not nearly as painful as I thought it would be. I don't enjoy shopping; I particularly don't enjoy shopping for clothes. She was reasonable - I was patient - and she was grateful. Gratitude feels wonderful - just completes that circle. My daughter is growing up so much - sometimes she says the most mature things and I'm left in awe. Not to mention the fact that she learned to play cribbage in like 5 minutes. She's a game genius - don't even try to challenge her!
By this fall, we will already be considering where to go next - in actuality? we've already had many discussions about it. I need to find a way to compartamentalize those discussions so I can LIVE my life instead of talking about the next one. I'm determined to change in that area - so next time you can expect to hear about where we're moving 2 months prior - that's it!!!
I go to my last small group meeting with NLEC tomorrow night. I hope it's 100% about God and nothing about me moving. That would be nice. I need that. I need a space in time that's used for an entirely different topic.
* * *
Went shopping with Shelby today for back to school clothes - it was not nearly as painful as I thought it would be. I don't enjoy shopping; I particularly don't enjoy shopping for clothes. She was reasonable - I was patient - and she was grateful. Gratitude feels wonderful - just completes that circle. My daughter is growing up so much - sometimes she says the most mature things and I'm left in awe. Not to mention the fact that she learned to play cribbage in like 5 minutes. She's a game genius - don't even try to challenge her!
Soon it'll be just us again
As everyone knows (ad nauseum by now) we are moving...again. And, we're about to enter one of my favorite stages in the moving process. The time when we have just arrived somewhere, we don't know anyone, and we don't have anything on our schedules.
Corralling teenagers is a thankless task - so I treasure those first few weeks where there's plenty of time to hang out together, play games together (I've packed the cards and the cribbage board!), and eat together (table for 5? hasn't happened since our cruise, and that only under mandate - table for 4? a little more often, but usually not even our immediate 4 - usually 1 of ours is gone and 1 of ours has brought a friend).
This is the time before our tv has been set up, our internet connected, our household goods delivered - where there is very little to distract us from spending time together.
How wonderful it must be for your sheer presence to cause such delight in someone else. When I was able to sit at the table on the cruise every night for dinner, all five of us together, I just felt so filled with joy.
Since I'm hoping my kids will actually read my blog, I can already feel the heavy-duty eye-rolling going on - that's okay, I can roll 'em with the best of them!
Corralling teenagers is a thankless task - so I treasure those first few weeks where there's plenty of time to hang out together, play games together (I've packed the cards and the cribbage board!), and eat together (table for 5? hasn't happened since our cruise, and that only under mandate - table for 4? a little more often, but usually not even our immediate 4 - usually 1 of ours is gone and 1 of ours has brought a friend).
This is the time before our tv has been set up, our internet connected, our household goods delivered - where there is very little to distract us from spending time together.
How wonderful it must be for your sheer presence to cause such delight in someone else. When I was able to sit at the table on the cruise every night for dinner, all five of us together, I just felt so filled with joy.
Since I'm hoping my kids will actually read my blog, I can already feel the heavy-duty eye-rolling going on - that's okay, I can roll 'em with the best of them!
Monday, August 2
Already Challenged
I thought I'd quickly set up this blog and get around to actually writing something later - but the very first thing that was required of me was to come up with a title for my blog. I've always struggled with titling things because it seems like a big responsibility - you want it to sound smart and witty - but not like you were trying to be smart or witty - and you want it to be appropriate - to fit - what you're going to be writing about - but I don't know what I'm going to be writing about. Probably a whole lot of nothing - which probably would have been a good title!
But...really...it's just going to be what I'm thinking about today. Some days will focus on the concrete - some days will be much more introspective or full of "ponderings." So...for now I will publish this and see what it looks like because picking the template was half the fun so far!
But...really...it's just going to be what I'm thinking about today. Some days will focus on the concrete - some days will be much more introspective or full of "ponderings." So...for now I will publish this and see what it looks like because picking the template was half the fun so far!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
