Off to LA

Off to LA

Tonight Rachel and the singles group are having a sleepover at the church. That's because they are leaving at 4am tomorrow to drive to Los Angeles. They will be in downtown LA working in soup kitchens, food distribution places, and in Boys' and Girls' clubs M-F next week. Then they drive home next weekend. There are 4 boys and 4 girls going--but really I should be calling them men and women, shouldn't I?--they range in age from 24-33. They will be traveling in a 15-passenger van.

Please pray for their safety and effective ministry.

Sushi Rolls

David got home at 3am. Thank you, Lord, for his safe trip. Right away he wanted to make dinner to show what he's been eating while living in DC.


First, put rice on the seaweed.


Add thinly sliced vegetables and fake crabmeat.


Use the gadget to roll it up.


Cut it into pieces.


Mommy, look what I made!


Closeup.

Driving Straight Through

David is on the road, driving from DC to Dallas. He left at 5:30 this morning and we've checked in with him several times by cell phone. Not one to waste his time, he talked on his phone to a mortgage agent and a real estate agent, and at one point had me filling in the questions for an online loan application while he fed me the answers over his phone. He doesn't have much time before he needs to have a place to live in Houston.

It is now past 10pm and I've just talked to him again. He seems to think he's had enough Starbucks to keep himself awake and drive straight through. I don't approve, but hey, I'm just the mom. He asked me if there was a bed for him to sleep in--I guess I'd better go put some clean sheets on the vacant bed. I'll take the phone to bed with me and expect a call at 4:30am to let him in.

Lord, keep him safe.

In other news, this morning Rachel turned in the last bits of an application for a real teaching job. Lord, lead her to the right job.

Everybody's Growing Up

Baby David called from DC today to ask my opinion of how he should treat a real estate agent from whom he is trying to buy a condo in Houston. He also told about his farewell party from NIH--he's getting an expensive, engraved stethoscope as a goodbye gift.

Andrew called yesterday and told about the house he and soon-to-be-wife Laura might buy in the DR, strictly as an investment. He was happy how his AIDS project was coming along, and finally got two pickups out of hock so he is now driving.

Rachel decided she was (just barely) brave enough to finish applying for a real teaching job. The location would be ideal, but her chances of actually getting it are probably pretty slim. She will turn in the last pieces of the application on Tuesday.

Lord, they are all a blessing to me. Continue working in their lives, and draw them close to yourself. May their roots and foundation go deep in your love.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Ton's Mongolian BBQ

Today is my birthday. My sweet daughter greeted me with a "Happy Birthday" and a hug first thing this morning. That was nice, since Gary is out of town and it is just her and me home.

Yum!

We joined friends at my favorite restaurant for lunch. All went well until Rachel bit into something way spicier than she was expecting and turned purple.


Cards and gifts

I got lots of cute cards, a couple of nice gifts, and when we got back from Ton's, there were phone messages from my mom and from Gary. So I called my mom back and while I was talking to her on Rachel's cell phone, Andrew called from Ethiopia on the house phone. Had a nice chat with him, got caught up on his life and some of the wedding plans. (I'm sure David will remember to contact me too, but he's probably too busy running his electron microscope to call until later in the day...;-)

I am blessed, and I thank God for his graciousness to me.

Cinderella

Today Rachel and I made a visit to a famous location of missionary lore--the Boutique Formal Room. As you gain access to this hidden and well-guarded chamber, you step into an expanse of tulle and taffeta, satin and sequins, and layers of lace and beads adorning a raft of Cinderella dresses. All organized by color. Another whole wall awaits those girls whose Prince Charming has recently awoken them with a kiss (wait!--am I mixing fairy tales here?) and a promise to love them forever as they travel the globe together--even if he can't afford a diamond ring. And she, being the practical type, is happy enough to wear a used gown and turn it back in to await the next lady lucky enough to head for the field not an old maid.

Yes, there are wedding gowns, veils with headpieces, bridesmaid dresses, mother of the bride/groom dresses, flowergirl dresses, tuxedos, silk flower bouquets, beaded purses, shoes of every glamorous color you can imagine, strange undergarments to hold things in (or not) under the dresses, and don't forget those pens that have that two-foot feather sticking out of them to sign the guest book. All for free. The only requirements for shopping at this exclusive bridal boutique are a lifetime membership in WBT and a degree in donor relations (just kidding about that last part). Oh, and it also helps if you aren't especially picky.

Anyway, back to my point. Rachel and I found some shoes that might work for the wedding we will be participating in in early August.

At Peace

We discovered today that one can take a digital photo of an official transcript without the words COPY showing up as it does when you make a photocopy. These are things we are learning as Rachel continues to apply for paraprofessional teacher aid jobs. She still hasn't received her Oklahoma certification in the mail, but they have cashed the check she sent it with it. She has applied in Jerusalem and Judea, is starting applications for Samaria, but so far hasn't gotten to the uttermost parts of the world. Hard to do that without your own car; that remains a prayer request.

But speaking of transportation, Rachel has recently taken some concrete steps to getting involved in the singles group at church, and it turns out that one of the women lives less than half a mile away. So that should help her get rides when needed. Another side benefit of joining this group--she has found out that she is one of the youngest ones in the group, so maybe she'll quit whining about being on only one her age not yet married!

Actually, I shouldn't be so rough on her. She has been very emotionally even-keeled all summer. She hasn't been stressed out, and she has been basically a happy person. That has meant that I too haven't been stressed or upset. The Lord has been answering prayers in that regard, and I give him thanks. I had been worried about potential conflict now that my nest isn't so empty, but God has helped us to get along well and be at peace, for which I thank Him.

Rabbit

rabbit
More wild creatures trying to get into my house! Actually, it has been over a month since we've had any rain, so these animals may be coming to get a drink of the cat's water on the deck.

In other news, Rachel has decided to go on a missions trip with the singles group at our church. They've been planning this trip for a year, while Rachel was away at college, and have been doing fund-raising this whole year. At the last minute they had two people drop out, so Rachel decided the Lord was presenting her with this opportunity. The trip is July 9-17, to Los Angeles, working with the homeless with an organization called Center for Student Missions. They will be working in soup kitchens and with homeless children at Boys' and Girls' Clubs. Pray for her if the Lord brings her to mind.

Gary is off on his third trip in three weeks soon. He gets to visit David in DC and go to a Nationals' game. He'll be doing some work at the Library of Congress, helping them with language names. Then to Boston for a conference on endangered languages.

David is wrapping up his job at the National Cancer Institute. He will start his drive home on July 5. It will be nice to see him again, but he won't be home long as he will be off to Houston to secure housing for his move there to start medical school on July 25.

And Andrew's latest news is that he has managed to secure VAT tax exemption for his USAID project. He was happy about that.

Racoon

racoon
Quiet night around here, except for this visitor.

New Photos

I'm taking part of the morning off work, since I have to go to DFW at 11 and pick up Gary. I used the time this morning to finish uploading some photos of Rachel's graduation to my website.

Speaking of websites, Rachel may be trying to make her own website too. She got a digital camera for a graduation gift, so she needs a website to show off her photos. I know barely anything about how to do it, so it shouldn't take long for me to teach her that much, huh? We've found a place on the internet with interactive html examples, so even beginners like us can get a start. (And lucky for us, we've got a resident expert to give us some help when we need it--if he isn't off on a trip somewhere.)

Rachel is continuing her job search, but nothing much is happening with that at the moment. The kind of job she wants for the first year, elementary instructional aid, is hard to come by. And transportation is an issue. So pray for her regarding those two items if the Lord brings her to mind.

In other news, the air conditioning guy was back again yesterday for over seven hours, installing the heat pump-to-propane furnace switch and a variable speed blower. We also made him redo one of the vents they put in which didn't open and close easily. And Rachel went to the dentist for a filling so we had to go out for a milkshake for lunch. And I'm trying to get a newsletter out, nearly done with that. And I'm still working on finding the perfect cheesecake recipe. My latest idea to bake it in a water bath didn't work because the springform pan was too big to fit into the roasting pan. OK, enough chatter. I need to do some stuff even though I didn't go to the office.

Credit Card Security Problems - Again!

I got a nice email from my bank this morning saying, "Sorry for the inconvenience, but we're closing down your credit card ending with the numbers 1234 due to a security problem at one of the companies who processes credit card transactions." AARGGHH! This is, I believe, the third time I've had to change this card. I have already complained about a similar situation in this blog entry. I am glad the bank is on top of it, and doing their best to avoid bogus charges, but it is a pain to have to go back to reset the information for all the recurring charges that are made to this card (like all the utility bills, etc.

It is always interesting to me to note how there are often unforeseen negative consequences to each step of "progress" that technology makes. Our lives get "better" and worse at the same time.

Ax Murderers?

I'm seriously considering traveling next month to Philadelphia so that I can attend a wedding of some people I've never met in real life. When I said that to some of my real-life friends, they replied, "Why would you want to spend the money and effort to go visit them? You don't even know them. And what if they are ax-murderers?"

Well, truth be told, I think I have gotten to know them--to some degree, at least. After talking to people for many months, and listening to them talk to each other, and praying for them, I do think I know them. And I think it will be fun to get to know them IRL (that's "In Real Life" for those who don't know).

Swimming

Swim

Rachel and I have started our summer swim program. We have a nice pool located just a few yards away from our office building. They have lap swim at noon, so we've done that a few times, but actually kind of like going in the late afternoon or early evening when the sun isn't so glaring hot.

Speaking of hot, we've got the new air conditioner installed, as well as the new furnace, and new ductwork. Those poor workmen up in the attic when it was over 100 degrees! At one point, it was 101 degrees in our kitchen, so I hate to think what it was in the attic. Now I'm trying to figure out how to work the programmable thermostat.

Gary went to Ft. Lauderdale for one day and back the next this past week and leaves on Sunday for several days in Calgary. Then a trip to DC and Boston after that. He is feeling swamped with stuff these days what with travel, breaking in a new boss, and supervising some summer interns.

Rachel continues with her scanning in our office in the mornings, then tries to work a bit on finding a real job in the afternoons. She feels like she is not quite ready for a full-fledged teaching job for her first year, so is trying to find an instructional aide position instead. But there aren't many to be had, and transportation is an issue we haven't yet solved either. Your prayers for her job hunt would be appreciated.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

R's new hat

A couple days ago Rachel used some of her graduation money to buy herself a new hat. This is not just any hat, this is a fitted, Texas Rangers' hat. And for as much as it cost, I hope she doesn't soon lose it.

She got to try it out at a Rangers' game last night. The weather was nice, the company was nice, and the tickets were only $2 each with $1 parking. And the Rangers won. I caught the fireworks from their second homerun:



fireworks

Good News, Bad News

Out with the old

The good news: This month we just paid the last of eight years of college payments.
The bad news: Next month we will start paying for a new furnace and air conditioner system.

Advice for the Newlyweds

Today I attended a bridal shower for my good friend's daughter. In many ways I think of her as my daughter too, since our families have been close friends for many years. We played a couple shower games (I even won one of them) and we ate cake and watched her open her nice gifts. Then we went around the room and everyone there who was married gave her advice:

• Be flexible.
• When you've found what you're looking for, quit looking.
• Pray.
• Tell your husband thank you every day for some little or big thing he does for you and for your marriage. He needs to feel appreciated.
• You can't change him.
• Go to bed at the same time.
• If you both have a computer, put them in the same room.
• Remember to laugh.
• Know your husband well enough to know what he likes.
• You will have negative feelings, but hang in there. It will get better.
• The first year is the worst.
• It gets better as the years go by.
• Let it go. Ask, "Will this [insert annoying thing] matter in five years?"
• When you spat, don't both spat at the same time.
• Fight fairly. Deal with one issue at a time. Keep the issue the issue.
• Be kind while fighting.
• Never say God is on your side in order to win an argument.
• Say, "I feel angry," rather than, "You make me angry."
• After an argument, bow down so low that he will get the pie in his face. (This one puzzled us until the woman explained that it meant let him take full responsibility for an action you don't agree with; don't protect him from his own folly.) (Hmm, I'm still thinking about this one.)
  

Hot Lipstick

Last evening we noticed that even though the air conditioner was running, it was getting warmer and warmer. Sure enough, the a/c has quit working. Lucky for us, we have a guest room at the other end of the house and it has a small wall air conditioner. So we slept in our own guest room last night.

When I moved the bed to put on the sheets, I found a lipstick on the floor under the bed. Hmm, who could this belong to--I don't wear lipstick. Ma Hoyt, is it yours?? I won't bother mailing it to you, it was nearly gone anyway. I just hope you didn't look too washed out at Ardith's graduation :-)

I called the air conditioning place this morning, but they couldn't come today. They promise to come tomorrow. I have a bad feeling about this...

In the meantime, my friend made me go wedding dress shopping today. No, not for a wedding dress, for a dress for the wedding. I'm looking for an official Mother of the Groom dress. Ugh. I hate shopping.

A Memory

Apparently some people think reading aloud to each other is oafy. (See previous post.) But I disagree. When my husband and I were young missionaries in the Solomon Islands, we often read out loud to each other for entertainment. Of course, at that time we had no electricity, and only one hurricane lamp, so there was only enough light for one person to read! Ah, the memories of sweating under that mosquito net, listening to The Princess and Curdy. That's lots better than listening to the buzz of mosquitoes trying to get into your cube of protection.

That reminds me once of checking on my sleeping babies. I remember being so personally mad at a given mosquito--how dare she suck the blood from, and deposit falciparum into, my precious child's arm as he lie there asleep with his arm pushed up against the mosquito net? The proboscis on that anopheles was long enough to push through the netting into my child. I don't know why, but somehow that vision is still a fresh memory, though that child is now about the same age I was at the time.

Sometimes I still read aloud to Gary, but now it is because sometimes it is faster for me to read soemthing to him than for him to use the technology he needs to read to himself (very strong glasses, closed circuit TV, big computer montior, special text-to-speech software, etc.).

Read Me a Bedtime Story!

Happy Birthday!

Rachel and I have decided you're never too old to read a story, or listen to a story. We're reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe out loud to each other, just one chapter a night. Today she talked her dad into buying her her own copy of the book (a nice colour edition) for her birthday.

When we got home from the bookstore, she found these lovely roses from her big brother, who had not forgotten that today is June 7. Then he also called her from Ethiopia to wish her a happy birthday. (He has just gotten a land line at his new house, so that also means he now has internet access from home.) I was way too busy today, so Rachel didn't get a cake, but we did go out for lunch.

A Word of Encouragement from the Lord

Today Rachel and I were having a serious, and somewhat discouraging, discussion about her job hunt. She is pretty sure she doesn't want to apply for a regular classroom teacher job for her first job. So she has been looking at various school districts' websites to see if there are any teacher's aid positions listed. Her idea is that after a year as teacher's aid, she might feel capable of handling her own class. Our conversation included talk about trusting God to provide the right job.

But the websites didn't list any jobs like that, so it was getting discouraging to talk about it. So I let it drop.

About one minute later the phone rang. It was our family friend, Emily, who is a teacher in Arlington, asking if Rachel was interested in applying for a teacher aid job. To shorten the story, Rachel now plans to go to the Arlington School district offices on Wednesday to see if there are any openings for a teacher's aid position in Arlington.

In the meantime, Rachel phoned the Texas Board of Teacher Education this afternoon and found herself 36th in the queue to have her call answered. She is trying to get info about securing her Texas credential.