Lancaster County (Monday)

tourist

Monday morning I cleaned up my guest room and boxed up the pocket knives for mailing to Chris and Ken just in time to attend morning prayer meeting at the Northeast Regional Office. After that, Carol took me around Lancaster county to do some of the tourist things. We visited Intercourse, Paradise, and Bird-in-Hand. I'm not kidding.

If you knew Carol, you'd know we had to go to a quilt shop or two. Many beautiful quilts of several kinds. Very impressive indeed. Each quilt pattern has a name and Carol knew them all.







We ended our morning of gawking by going to a wonderful Amish diner for lunch--yummy home cookin'. After that, it was time for me to head back to the airport. By some miracle, I didn't get lost until I discovered that I had read the instructions for returning the rental car incorrectly. So I drove around Philly for a while, but I did finally arrive plenty early, only to discover my flight was delayed two hours. Another time it was nice to have a cell phone.

My family was at the airport to pick me up, happy to see that I hadn't been killed by an ax murderer.

To Lancaster (Sunday)

ice cream

I didn't sleep at all well on Saturday night, nursing a headache as well as general conditions that were not conducive to sleep. About mid morning I found Colin and Ken and took their engraved pocket knives so I could mail them to them so they wouldn't get confiscated at the airport. Stacy gave me hers as well. Kenny gave me his nice PA map, which was some help to me in finding my way west. By some miracle I made it to Willow Street and to Carol's house without getting lost, and I didn't need to use the cell phone until I was already in her building and didn't know which door was hers.

Carol made me a very nice Sunday lunch, and then we went to the creamery for a Snickers ice cream cone in a homemade waffle cone. Yummy! After that we visited some of her friends including Sharon who showed me the quilt Carol had made for her. Isn't it beautiful?


quilt

After that we watched the Amish buggies go by on their Sunday drives.


juxtaposition

I had a restful evening, all by myself in a large building that housed the Wycliffe regional office and four guest rooms.

ZFT Wedding Day (Saturday)

Stacy at Wawa
Stacy woke up early, so I did too. I know I'm not her mother, but the mothering in me can't just be turned off--I could always sleep through a thunderstorm, but one of my kids made a peep and I was wide awake. We went to Wawa for some breakfast food--funny name for a convenience store, but they had real food like fruit and bagels ready to serve. Stacy thought she would be nice to her bf and his roommate, so she bought them some OJ and donuts. She took them to room 126 and gently knocked to see if they were awake. This she repeated every 30 minutes.

In the meantime, the groom came by our room and we had a really nice time to chat with him for about half an hour. It was fun to learn what his plans were. I also asked him to draw me a map of how to get to the church so I wouldn't get lost. And I gave him a map to our house since they plan to come visit soon.

About 11am Stacy discovered that her bf was in room 136, not 126. Whoops. She was finally able to deliver her gift and then we went down and had a chat with them while her bf got his tux on (he being one of the groomsmen). After a few photos of the two of them, he left for the wedding photo shoot and the rest of us got ourselves ready to go to the wedding as well.

Off we went, rain threatening. Around and around we drove, and around and around some more. This was one time when I was glad to have Rachel's cell phone. The groom's map had a few things on it we saw along the way, but we didn't make it to the church until 5 minutes before it was to start. We did, however, see some nice countryside.

Then the wedding venue had to be moved from outside to inside as it started raining. I felt sorry for one of the rain-soaked butterfly flowergirls who ran through the foyer in just her diaper. But her mom seemed more concerned than she was. I guess they used a hairdryer to dry her dress because it was dry when the wedding started about 45 minutes later.

The wedding did eventually get started. Six attendants: purple, pink, yellow, purple, pink, yellow, followed by purple, pink, yellow butterfly flowergirls. Very pretty. All went well except for an attack by an angry butterfly who was tired of being cooped up in a box.

The reception was also lovely, with a picnic theme. Cute ant stickers too. I got to eat whoopie pie and other good things. We took a fun photo of all the ZFT people--there were 9 of us altogether.


zftwedding

After that, there was cleanup of the reception area, another party at the bride's house, and by the time we drove to the hotel I was getting pretty tired. However, these youngsters were just getting started, and the fellowshipping continued until daybreak for some of them.

To Philadelphia (Friday July 15))

Neon

I'm going to give a little summary of the four days of my trip to Pennsylvania. I'll just dish it out a bit at a time.

My flight to PHL was the first one of the morning, so David had to get up to take me to DFW. I used frequent flyer miles, so I didn't get a choice on which flight. I got a Dodge Neon rental car-drives nice, but I am too short to see out of the back very well. My first time to get lost was finding the hotel. After a scenic tour on the Pennsylvania turnpike ($.75 there, and $.75 back) I found the place. It was one of those places you can see but can't figure out how to get there.

After checking in I phoned the groom, Chris. (Thanks, Rachel, for letting me use your cell phone.) In a bit Chris and Matt came to my room and introduced themselves. They couldn't stay long as they were on the way to get the tuxes, so I watched a really stupid movie for an hour. I turned it off, decided I was hungry, and got in my car and drove around the hotel parking lot to see if there was a back entrance. As I drove around, I met up with Kenny, who had just arrived (he too had trouble finding the hotel). So we went out to eat together at Bennigans. I had Kilkenny Salad.

The next while I was a bit bored until Ken (not to be confused with Kenny) called and invited me to go meet the rest of the forum guys, which I enjoyed doing. I also met the groom's mom and stepdad and a set of grandparents. Stacy showed up after 10 pm, and then we two drove back to Bennigan's for some gooey chocolate dessert and a nice chat.

**********

In other news, the New York Times published an article about the Ethnologue today. Gary did a lot of work on helping the journalist, but his actual name got cut on the last edit.

I had a nice chat with Rachel today about her trip to LA. Thank you to those who prayed for her. She got home a day before I did. They had a good and safe time, and I think she learned a lot. She was the youngest one on the trip and her teammates thought she was a bit naive about life. They kept making fun of her every time she said, "I didn't know that." But I pointed out that at least she is learning new things, think of it that way. One nice thing they said to her when observing her work at the Boys' and Girls' clubs: "Rachel, you've chosen the right field. When you work with those kids, you just glow. They love you and respond so well to you." That was a good word of affirmation for her.

And speaking of Rachel and prayers, she has an interview on Monday for an aide job at one of the elementary schools in our home school district. Pray that God will give her peace during the interview process and lead her to the job he has for her.

I'm Back!

It is way late, so this will be short. (I'm also too wound up to sleep.) I just returned from a trip to Pennsylvania. I attended a wedding of two people who met online on a forum I'm a part of. It was a lot of fun--no ax murderers, but I did leave the hotel with three pocket knives.

After the wedding I went to Lancaster to visit a friend--driving through Paradise on my way to Intercourse and then on to Bird-in-hand (no, I'm not kidding you about these town names!). I had a long day getting back with a flight delay of two hours, but I'm here safe and sound. I'll be posting photos and telling about my trip over the next few days.

I'm Off

In the head? Quite possibly.

If I don't come back, all those stories about people you meet on the internet must be true.

I'm looking forward to attending a wedding of a young couple who met online, and then a quick visit with my friend Carol. I plan to be back Monday night, Lord willing.

Condo

David just told me that the offer he made on the condo in Houston was accepted. After he pays all the closing costs, etc. he's going to be eating rice and beans and drinking Folgers instead of Starbucks. And since we ended up co-signing for him, I think the least he can do is actually move ALL his stuff out of my house and into his, don't you think?

Buttons

We've heard very briefly from Rachel. The group made it safely to LA last night. This morning they served breakfast at a homeless shelter. Then they were given $5 and told to "go help somebody." I'm anxious to hear more details about that.

David has talked his rich and soft parents into co-signing his mortgage loan so he can get a bigger place at a lower interest rate. So I had to spend part of today pulling together financial papers which we will fax in tomorrow. David's analysis of our kindness: "Yeah, mom, you get half of the liability and none of the asset."

I also went button shopping today at a unique store in our town. When you walk inside, you feel like you've stepped into a 1950s time-warp. They probably had 100,000 buttons to choose from, sorted into little containers by color. I needed two buttons, but couldn't make up my mind, so I bought four pairs while I was at it.

My faithful swimming partner is out of town, so I have to see if one of these boys will go to the pool with me.

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.

Armadillo

I wasn't clever enough to get my own photo, but we did see an armadillo come out of the woods behind our house tonight. Oddly enough, the cat was near the edge of the woods and the cat and the armadillo stood and looked at each other for a while, then the armadillo headed for our compost pile to scrounge for grubs. We had 20 people at our house for a potluck, so the kids thought it was fun to catch a glimpse of a live armadillo, since usually they are dead on the side of the road. This particular animal has been digging nightly in the compost pile which is fine; however, sometimes he proceeds to the front yard, now dimpled with divots.

Oaf Children

Oaf children

Rachel being strangled by a couple of protocol droids in Washington DC.

Wedding Invitations

Invites

My kind friend Martha came over this morning to help me start addressing wedding invitations. Sounds simple enough, huh? No way! It is very complicated. Plus there is the problem of finding mailing addresses for a generation who keep in touch by phone or email. Have you seen the websites that have all the wedding info on them? Cool idea. Here is Andrew and Laura's site.

(Formerly) Forest View

I think land developers must hire script writers to come up with the names they give their housing subdivisions. For instance, Mountain Creek--are there any mountains anywhere in North Texas? Creek? Well, I suppose there is a creek somewhere, except for in the summer when they all dry up. Similarly, Mountain Terrace. Then, there is Hunters Glen. First of all, the punctuation is wrong. Secondly, the only hunting going on around here is for which house, among all these identical looking houses, is mine? And the newest dusty construction project going on near my house has the audacity to call itself Forest View. What's up with that? There would have been at least a teeny forest to view if they hadn't just bulldozed it down. And the saddest of all--they are threatening to do the same to the forest in my back yard.

The Fifth Wheel

Her words, not mine.

Rachel is off to Washington DC for the long weekend, a graduation gift from her brothers. She was all excited about going until this afternoon she realized that not only was she going to be hanging out with her brothers, but also with their girlfriends. They are all gathering in DC for the wedding of one of Andrew's friends who happens to also live in the same house as David. I reminded Rachel that weddings were a good place to meet cute guys. That cheered her up a little.

Besides the wedding, they plan to also go to the new Star Wars movie and maybe a museum or two.

Andrew phoned us from DC this afternoon, having just arrived from Africa. How he manages to travel here from Africa and back twice in less than a month is beyond me. But he said it was worth it it terms of his job. He was happy to report that yesterday he spent $90,000.00--on two trucks and 12 months of office rent, paid in advance.

Can I Borrow Your Baby?

Baby

Rachel loves children. I guess it is good she has chosen elementary education as a career. She asked me the other day what I would think if, in the case that she never married, she adopted a child.

Speaking of adopted children, pray with me for a family in our church who is in the process of adopting an older child who has many emotional and behavioral issues. Ask God to work in the child's life and to give every member of the adoptive family wisdom, grace, and patience.

Grandma and her Granddaughters

Grandma and her granddaughters

My mom has been here visiting us since Rachel's graduation. We were happy to have my sister's daughter, April, also come visit us while grandma is here. April is on her way to be a counselor at
Camp Buckner, which is located somewhere near Austin. After tomorrow I should know better where it is located since all us girls are going to drive April down there tomorrow morning. It has been fun to have April visit. I'm sorry her twin brother, Alan, couldn't come along also--but he did visit us here a couple summers ago.

Home Cookin' and Episode III

Tonight, after eating the chili left over from Ma Hoyt's visit, I heard these words: "So nice not to be eating cafeteria food any more."

And speaking of college students, I just saw the neighbor boy, Jesse, who has just graduated from Texas A&M, carrying a load of games, blankets and chairs to his car.

"Where are you going?" I asked.
"Star Wars," he replied. "I'm going to go get in line with Caleb and Tim."
"Do you have tickets?"
"Oh, yes, we have tickets. We just are getting in line to get good seats."

Poor David, missing out on all this fun. How many years ago was it that Jesse's mom and I took these same boys--then too young to drive--and stood in line for Episode I?

Personal Space

My daughter has moved home. Do I need to rename this blog?

Rachel's Graduation

Rachel's graduation

Yay! She did it! We are so proud of Rachel for graduating from Southern Nazarene University yesterday.

We drove up to her school on Friday, arriving before 3pm, after sitting in traffic for a couple spells. Amazing but true, she had every last little thing pack up and cleaned up, so loading the cars went very smoothly and quickly. I say cars, plural, because her friend, Kenny, kindly drove up with us in his car to help bring her stuff home. Also attending: Grandma Dennis from south Texas and Auntie Carol from Pennsylvania. Rachel was happy for these visitors especially since her own brothers were unable to attend.

After packing the car we went to the hotel, changed our clothes, and then headed back to SNU for a dinner given in honor of the graduates. The dinner speaker gave a humorous talk, but it was a good talk since I actually remembered his three points:

1. Get a job.
2. Be happy--appreciate the humor in life.
3. Remember Jesus loves you.

After that it was back to the hotel to watch the Dallas Mavericks on cable TV--they lost. According to reports, the boys got a lot more sleep in their room than the girls did in theirs.

The next morning we ate breakfast at the hotel, then drove off to do some sightseeing at the Myriad Gardens, a lovely park and elaborate greenhouse with 2000 tropical plant species. Then back to the hotel, change our clothes again, and off to graduation.

The graduation was kind of long, but the did a quick job of actually reading off the names. When Rachel's name was read they pronounced the "Fitona" part right, but they messed up on the "Simons." For a short moment, we though she was going to run back and tell them to correct the pronunciation, but she decided instead to keep on walking across the stage. After the indoor ceremony we went over to the fountain for a ivy cutting ceremony, then some photos with professors and friends, then we were headed back home, arriving at nearly 10pm.

Grandma will be here several more days and my niece, April, is coming tomorrow for a few days, so that will be a nice time for Rachel to transition back to life here.

Back from DC

Me and David on the Mall

I'm back safely from Washington. I had a nice visit with David. Here are some more observations:

• Both Dallas and DC have too many SUVs.
• DC has many luxury cars as Dallas has pickups.
  
• Dallas has better roads.
• DC has better bagels.
• DC people are better dressed, but seem more stressed.
• There are more fat people in Dallas.
• Texas needs more trees.
• America likes baseball; there are baseball diamonds all across the country.
• There is a smart church near the airport with their URL on the roof.
• It was fun to say to David, "I've been using computers since before you were born" when he tried to tell me how to do something. I had to say that after he made fun of me for knowing (and even using) most of the early PCs on display at the American History Museum.
  

Rhododendrons in DC

Rhododendrons in DC

I'm posting from our nation's capital, from David's new tiny laptop computer which is stealing unsecured internet from some neighbor. I'll pass my time with this post while I'm waiting for him to return from having breakfast with the father of a certain Miss Someone.

Here are some observations from my trip so far:

• There are 9 small pretzels in a 1/2 oz bag.
• My favorite tee shirt sighting: "My next husband will be normal."
• Clouds look different when viewed from the top.
• When you fly into DCA, be sure you make a bathroom visit early in the flight, or else don't drink anything. They have a rule on this particular flight that you may not, for any reason, get out of your seat for the last 30 minutes of the flight.
• In spite of fashion, jeans and athletic shoes are still the preferred dress for tourists.
• Miss Someone is a nice girl.
• Electron microscopes are cool.
• So is liquid nitrogen.
• Likewise the Air and Space Museum.
  
• I must be the last person in the universe without a cell phone.

She Said Yes!

Andrew and Laura

This evening we got a phone call from Andrew. He was calling from the Dominican Republic and it sounded like there was a fiesta going on in the background. He had gone to Santo Domingo a day earlier than his girlfriend expected to make his de facto engagement official.

As far as I understand the story it went like this: Andrew schemed with Laura's best friend, Nicole, to come to DR a day early. Nicole had helped Andrew to reserve a restaurant on the beach (sand floor 10 feet from the ocean) where he littered the floor with rose petals and parked himself on one knee to await Laura's arrival. Nicole then cooked up some plan and managed to get Laura to the restaurant. Nicole said she needed to go to the ladies' room and told Laura to go on in and find a table. At which time she found Andrew down on his knee with a diamond in his hand.

So now he has met Laura's mom, who only speaks Spanish. Lucky for him, he speaks passable Spanish. He has also met her sister and aunts and some of her old friends. He says they all like him, but as Laura says, "He's very likeable." :-)

Andrew apologized ahead of time for not being able to phone me on Mother's Day, but he said, "I'm getting you a new daughter for Mother's Day instead."

The wedding is August 5 in Santo Domingo. I've already bought our tickets. This engagement was dramatic, but it wasn't unexpected. Pray with us that God will be leading Andrew and Laura into a strong marriage that honors the Lord.

Where's Ardith?

Hoyt family

Last night we had a visit from a family I met on line. Apparenly no ax-murderers in this bunch, just a lot of nice kids! They got to try fajitas for the first time, and seemed to enjoy them--except I did notice someone eating them with a fork!

Arguing

I've been thinking about arguing for a couple days, trying to analyze what is involved in arguing, trying to figure out why and how people argue. (The anecdotes presented here are about actual people I know, but the actual people I'm thinking of may be of a different gender than the pronoun I'm using indicates. I don't want to be too obvious.)

1. I know someone who likes to argue. I mean, he argues because it is fun for him. He is very intelligent, and finds arguing to be mentally stimulating. He has admitted to strongly arguing one side of an issue, like he really believed it, then immediately turn around and just as strongly argue the opposite side. His interpersonal skills are not the best in the world, and sometimes his arguing for fun does hurt other people's feelings. But he doesn't really feel so bad about that, since his motives were not to hurt them, just to explore all sides of an issue.

2. I know someone else who doesn't really like to argue, but does it as a way to force interaction with an introverted spouse. This couple actually doesn't have any big issues to debate, but she tends to become engrossed in work and/or other projects and unintentionally ignores him, in spite of the undying love between them. So he picks a fight--and since she doesn't like conflict, she will immediately pay attention and start talking. Arguing does make them talk, but it would be nice if there were a better way.

3. I know someone who argues out of self defense. This person is an emotional person, and if his feelings are in the least way ruffled, he becomes argumentative. His arguments may or may not have a basis in logical fact, because indeed, they proceed from feelings, not facts. It seems like if he is happy and secure, he doesn't argue. If he becomes afraid or insecure for some reason, he starts to argue as a way to protect himself.

A Free Poem

Drought

He metes out his time,
thinking if he gave it freely,
it would soon run out.
So she accepts the measured droplets,
while longing for a flood.

May Day

In recognition of May Day I have updated the wildflowers photo page on my stale website to include photos of 6 more species of wildflowers that I have recently identified. I'm always amazed at the variety God came up with when he created our world.

Foxglove Penstemon

Foxglove Penstemon

I've walked the trails several times lately, and this is the one and only one of these I've seen.

In other news, I was chatting with my friend the other day about how our kids went off to Christian colleges but didn't get engaged while there. We want our money back! We had a laugh as we came to the conclusion that she shouldn't have sent her son to LeTourneau, but I should have sent my daughter there! (Just kidding, in case any of the characters in this story are reading this ;-)

We had a nice chat with Andrew today. He arrived safely in Charlotte last night and was able to get a full night of sleep. It was nice to be able to talk leisurely for a change, since phone calls to Ethiopia are pretty expensive.

Andrew in Amsterdam

Andrew just sent an email from Amsterdam. Wow, they just don't make overseas travel like they used to. From Amsterdam he sent me a spreadsheet I needed that got clobbered when my computer died. Amazing. He had a long layover there, but he said it was too cold and rainy to go out and look around. He will have other chances.

Remember all that work Rachel went through to get her fingerprints made? Turns out the police in Bethany didn't do a very good job with her little fingers and smudged all the prints. So now she has to go to the main police station in Oklahoma City and do it again. Not something she has time for in her last hectic weeks of school, but she did find someone willing to take her there next week.

Computer Update

I spent a lot of today getting my new computer organized: installing MS Office, configuring my web browsers, installing a fancy mouse, installing the photo software, finding all my old bookmarks, installing my backup of My Documents. It all went pretty well except for one problem: I had about 15 current Juno messages (from this past week) that got clobbered when I installed the old mailbox. And I may have lost a handful of recent additions to my Juno mailbox. But, it could have been worse.

I like the screen on this laptop, so I'm not even going to use the outboard monitor, but I am using an outboard keyboard and mouse. The printer is working, as is my digital camera downloads; I haven't tried the scanner yet.

In other news: David tells me he will soon be interviewed by the father of a certain Miss Someone; Rachel has not had an easy week with solo student teaching, but she is coping pretty well; Andrew is in an airplane on his way from Addis Ababa to Charlotte, NC.

Pray for them with me, if God brings them to mind.

Third Computer this Week

At 7pm I got a phone call from the nice man at the computer services department. He had stayed late to get my newest old computer running. Wasn't that nice of him? So I went over right then and picked it up. He did a great job getting it working properly, and now I'm spending the hours to install the software I want. Next job is to get it working on our home network and then download my backup from Gary's computer. It will no doubt take me a few days to get configured like I want, but it is nice to have a "new" machine. It is a Toshiba laptop with a large clear screen, and it seems to be faster than my last two machines.

Computers and Prayer

No, I don't really mean I'm praying for my computer, though maybe if I had, it wouldn't have died. I just have two things to talk about today--my computers and prayer.

A few days ago my computer died. It was Rachel's old computer, 5 years old, so I guess it was about time to die. The bad news--I hadn't backed it up the day before. The good news--I had backed it up a week ago.

So then I moved to a Compaq laptop, which I'm using as I type this blog. This computer was also given to me, and is so old it doesn't have a USB connector. But it doesn't reboot itself, so at least it works. The strange thing about this computer is that it has some kind of nanny software on it, and there is a list of words it won't let me type. Well, I can type them, it just won't display them. This feature works equally well whether I'm using IE or Firefox, and I can't discover what program is running to cause it.

So now I'm trying to get hand-me-down computer #3 working. This one is a Toshiba laptop with a nice big screen. Still not a very new machine, but at least it has a couple USB connectors on it. We tried to install the OS and just had so many problems that we decided to ask for help. So today I just took it over the the nice guys at the Center computer services, and they seemed to think in about 24 hours they could have it working for me. It was pleasant to have them smile at me and say, "Sure, I can do that for you." So, maybe in a day or two I'll see if I have a "new" computer. Then I'll see if I can install my backups.

Now to the prayer topic. Today the whole center was supposed to spend 9am-noon in prayer. I had one assignment I had to turn in by noon, so I hurried and got that finished, then went to the meeting room where the prayer meeting was being held. It seemed hot and stuffy in there, and the weather outside is beautiful today (after yesterday's tornado warning and hail storm). So I decided I would do my praying by myself as I walked. There are some cool hiking trails behind our center, and the weather was nice, and the birds were singing, and the flowers were flowering,... I just couldn't bear to be cooped up.

And I did pray, or at least I tried to, but God kept interrupting me. First there were the flowers--how many of them did he put on that trail? Such a variety, and so much fun to try to identify. Then there were the bird conversations that I couldn't help but overhear. Honestly, birds do talk back and forth, repeatedly, to each other, first on the left, then on the right. Then there were the bugs who were mating, but I won't go into that. How did God expect me to concentrate on praying when there were so many beautiful things in His creation to take in?

Definition of Marriage

Today I ran into a friend while I was at the fruit-and-vegetable store. Somehow we started talking about out kids (how often does that happen?). She told me she had two adult children living at home, and then said something funny: "We've been putting away $100 a month to pay for our daughter's wedding, and she's not even dating anyone. If she doesn't get married soon, I'm going to buy a new car."

That made me laugh, but it also dovetailed with other not-so-funny thoughts going through my head in recent hours about how society views marriage. It seems to me our society continues in various ways to bear fruit of the sexual revolution brought on by the pill, not the least of which is the dumbing down of marriage. If marriage no longer automatically means children (as it has since civilization began), then society can be free to redefine marriage in any number of new ways.

The discussions I've been part of are making me realize how truly postChristian society has become. It makes me appreciate the wisdom God had in producing a written document to last though time, not rewritten each time an event in history or science or technology produces social change.

Texas Star

Texas star 

Every spring I enjoy hunting wildflowers. Texas is ugly, I've said it many times. But there are so many beautiful wildflowers every spring, that it almost makes up for it. There are some hiking trails behind our workplace, so I took an hour's walk there the other day. I found several new flowers.

In other news, I took Gary shoe shopping today. He got two identical pairs of shoes, one brown and the other black, exactly like the two pairs he's throwing away. He's an easy man to live with.

I talked to Rachel this afternoon. She has made it through her first of two weeks of solo teaching and each day went well. She has had no time to do anything else, and has tons to do this weekend: preparing for teaching next week; homework for her one night class; work on her portfolio, etc. She was going to relax for a couple hours by attending a school musical which I expect she will enjoy. Thanks be to God for helping her to do so well this past week.

Down the Garden Path

flowery path 

In the winter of 1998, Gary ordered wildflower seeds over the internet and planted them in the strip of dirt between the sidewalk and the street in front of our house. The first spring they bloomed in an almost embarrassing flurry of showing off; cars would slow down as they passed by and people out for a Sunday stroll would stop and ask if they could take their family pictures in front of them. I think we counted 20 different species of wildflowers that came up that spring.

In the years intervening, we've gotten to observe the process of ecological succession as the dominant flowers (daisies and Mexican Hats) have crowded out others (poppies and toadflax). My husband was so taken with this process that he actually kept a spreadsheet for several years recording which species bloomed each year. (That makes him sound obsessive, doesn't it? Well, he is a scientist at heart :-) ) I have had to remind him (I also wanted to be a scientist when I grew up, but, alas...) that he is not an unbiased observer of this flower garden since he can often be found watering, and pulling out overly aggressive bunches, and even weeding it. Like you could actually weed a wildflower patch...they're all weeds!

On another topic, Rachel's solo student teaching continues to go well, though she is getting exhausted. She had two evaluations today, one by the supervising teacher and one by her professor. She didn't get a perfect evaluation, but her prof said she had improved a lot since the last evaluation. She brought home 6 stacks of papers to grade tonight, and she needs to do planning for next week, etc, etc. I hope she gets some sleep so she doesn't get sick. Keep praying for her.

Discretionary Spending

Sometimes we missionaries feel like we don't have enough money. But then other times, we are pleasantly surprised with more money than we "need," arriving unexpectedly from unexpected places. That happened to us three times recently. For example, today a check came labeled "discretionary." Isn't that a nice word? So I spent some of it discretionarily--including a ticket to go see my baby in Washington DC for a quick weekend trip in early May.

We also give thanks to God for providing for the last of Rachel's two college payments.

Speaking of Rachel, she did pretty well on her first day of solo teaching, but sounded near panic when she went on to describe all the other stuff she has to get done. I assured her I and others would keep praying for her.

Graduation Photos

Bluebonnets 

Rachel came home from college this past weekend. We expect this will be her last visit home until she graduates in just under four weeks. (Wow, I'm so excited that she is going to make it!) Anyway, we decided to try to take some photos to put with the graduation announcements. We tried the traditional photo in the bluebonnets. (This time of year you can see cars illegally parked along the freeway so people can take photos of their kids in the flowers. The police don't seem to mind.) But when we tried it, we didn't have much luck--wind blowing hair in her face, too much sun causing shadows, and squinting. Oh well, nice idea.

So next we went over to the park and found a shaded area in the scrub trees. That seemed to work a little better. Now I've got to somehow get one of the photos into her announcements.

Please pray for Rachel if you think of her these next two weeks when she will be doing solo student teaching.


trees 

Empty

frig 

My hungry and long-suffering husband suggested I go to the grocery store today.

"Fee e fii."

In case you don't speak To'abaita, the title says, "Fees hurt." I remember that sentence from the Solomon Islands language we learned so many years ago, because it was the one and only time I made a joke in a foreign language and somebody actually got it. The To'abaita word fii means 'pain'. (That morpheme is actually part of another word, fiito'ona, which means "faith," a word we anglicized to use as a middle name for our daughter who was born there.) Anyway, back to my story--the people in the Solomon Islands have problems similar to mine--finding enough money to pay the fees for their kids to go to school. So it was a pun to say "Fees are painful" since the word for pain sounded like "fee."

So why on earth am I talking about this today? Well, we are just about to finish eight years of paying college bills. The last kid (Fitona) will soon graduate, and we only have two more payments to make to her college. I've been worrying/praying about how we could make these last two payments, and the Lord has recently answered that prayer by a couple unexpected generous donations to us. We thank him for that.

Then today I got a handwritten letter from someone in the Solomon Islands asking me for money for someone else's kid to continue their college education. This is a family we have known for over 20 years, and in the past have helped to pay the fees so their children could attend secondary school.

So did God give me extra money to pay my kid's college bill, or their kid's college bill? Probably both.

"Mom, I'm So Twitterpated."

The phone rang. It was son number two. Giggling.

"David, are you OK? What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing's wroooooong. (giggle)"
"Where are you?"
"I'm walking home from walking her home."
"Her? Who's her?"
"She just lives around the corner from me. You'd like her, mom, I know you would. We just had a DTR."
"Wait. When did you meet her? You can't be having a DTR already."
"Well, the first time was about 10 days ago."
"10 days?!! And this DTR--what did you say and what did she say?"
"Well, (giggle) there was a lot of ums, well, you knows, and sighing."
"David! You sound like you're in 9th grade again."
"I know. Isn't it great?"
"What's her name?"
"Laurie."
"You can't marry her. Andrew's girlfriend is Laura. We can't have too many of the same name."
"No, not Laurie--Lori."
"Oh, well, in that case..."
"Mom, guess what we did on our first date?"
"What?"
"We talked about how we liked our moms. (giggle)"
"Oh, well, in that case..."

Time for the Times

Today I left work early so I could come home a blitz-clean my house and bathroom and then make homemade pizza. Our lunch guest was a freelance journalist here to interview people, including the Executive Editor, for an article he is writing for the NYTimes about the Ethnologue. We're hoping he writes a complimentary article, which I'm sure he would have done even without the pizza.

Unknown Prayers

A few days ago my boss sent out a little memo where he talked about how hard it is to pray the "right" way. He pointed out, and I completely agree, that it is too easy to be shallow, distracted, and just plain selfish when we pray. But he reminded us that God has a solution to that problem: The Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:26-27 says:

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

True enough, we are often incapable or unwilling to pray the right way; but, thanks be to God, we've got Someone to do it for us--the Holy Spirit who really does know the right way to pray. He never has doubts like we do about what really is the will of God, so he always prays correctly, even if we are floundering.

I am taking strength in these verses. There is a situation in my life that I just plain don't know how to pray for. Sometimes I feel one way about the situation and other times I feel quite differently. So relying on my feelings doesn't seem to be a very good guide for prayer. I am encouraged that the Holy Spirit is praying with me, no--He's actually praying for me--both on my behalf and in my place. I don't always know what He is praying, but I know it is in God's will, so I can rest in that.

Frozen shoulder

Here it is getting nice and warm, and the doctor told Gary today he has a frozen shoulder. He finally went to the clinic today for an injury done 6 months ago. He decided it was time to do something about it since he is no longer able to lift his left arm above chest level. He knows he hurt the arm way back in September when he was trimming trees, but kept hoping it would just get better on its on. The doctor prescribed either applying heat and slowly moving it more and more each day, or go to a physical therapist for $75/hour. The visit to the dr. was also a time to tell the dr. about David's plans for med school. David shadowed this dr. last summer for a while to see if he could handle the blood and guts part of medicine.

Everything's Bigger in Texas

Fuzzy 

Even the friendly caterpillars are bigger here.

And speaking of Texas, the Rangers stated their season tonight. I should go to bed, but I want to know if they're going to win.

Today at Church

I was happy

• to hear a 10-year old ask for prayer for a Jehovah's Witness friend.
• to see all the fathers holding their children.
• to hear of a newly adopted child excited because she gets to have cake at her 9th birthday later this week.
• to hear an older man give thanks for his wife of 44 years as they celebrated their anniversary today.
• to sing, though some of it wasn't my favorite music.

I was sad to hear more details of the murders of a missionary couple in South America. They were close friends of some folks at church. The FBI is investigating.

We didn't get to stay for the sermon; off to the airport again.

Another Family Update

Gary isn't scheduled to fly back from San Francisco until tonight but he said he might try to get on an earlier flight. I should mow the lawn--but isn't that supposed to be his job?

I got a good email from Andrew this morning. He has been working with a person from USAID in their AIDS/HIV section to make some progress on his project. He said he has been looking for new office space and a house to live in (he's been in a hotel kind of arrangement for all these months). He said last night the Leipizig Youth Sypmhony was in Addis and played for the 100 year anniversary of Ethiopia and German diplomatic relations. There was an Ethiopian piano player who played with them, Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2.

Reports from Rachel and her student teaching continue to be good. Of course, it will get harder when she has to actually be in charge for two weeks, so keep praying for her. She is starting to think about a job for next year. It is kind of complicated because she won't have any certification until June, and then she won't have a Texas certification until sometime after that, but the Texas teacher job fairs are in April and May and is really too busy and it is too hard for her to get here for them. Pray she will have clear guidance in thinking about a job.

David called a couple times this week and you won't believe what he is thinking about doing--buying a house! Apparently some of the realtors in Houston work with MD and MD/PhD students to sell them condos or small houses. Of course, he has no downpayment money and we have none to lend him (though the realtor told him often parents help with the down payment). So he is investigating what he might be able to do with no or tiny down payment. It may not be possible, but I told him to go for it if he can, since he would be paying a lot of rent over the next 7 years.

My mom now has tickets to Dallas in May. She is coming for two weeks over the time of Rachel's graduation. And cousin April plans to pass through Dallas then too--she's going to be a camp counselor at a camp near Austin for the summer. It will be nice to see her.

How Much is a Missionary Worth?

Today I filled out the annual paperwork that determines how much money we are "supposed" to get for our income. This a a complicated, 4-page form that includes information on how much we need to live on in the areas of housing, transporation, insurance, taxes (including 15% SS taxes), ministry expenses, and children as well as a few other things. We all know that children are expensive, and now that mine are (almost) all grown up, we no longer include them on this form. Once the math was done the form said that up through May 31 our family needs $72,000 per year to live on, but starting June 1st, we will need $35,000 to live on. Wow, those kids eat a lot!

Truth be told, this annual form serves as a way for us to estimate our expenses, but other than that, it has little bearing on reality.

Today I'm sad to hear this news of our colleagues. I didn't know them personally, but I expect they were worth a lot.

Update on the Kids

No new birds to report on today, so I'll give a chickadee report.

Andrew is doing well in Ethiopia. He was recently struggling with some roadblocks, and though they haven't been resolved entirely, he has found new freedom in finding ways to solve the problems, so that is encouraging him to carry on. He said they are looking at new office space, and he recently interviewed someone who will work for him. He is still selling baseball and U2 tickets on ebay like a crazy man, and I'm mailing them out for him, like an even crazier woman.

Rachel continues to like her 2nd grade class. It is so nice to see her really enjoying her student teaching. She is starting to prepare for the two weeks where she will be in charge of the entire class by herself. She also sent me email today saying she really liked the CD I bought for her for Easter, Casting Crowns . My favorite song on it is "The Voice of Truth."

I had a nice chat with David tonight. He took half a day off work and visited with some of the Taylor band who were in town on spring tour. He got to see a couple of the people he went to Ireland with. He also said he bought an espresso machine off of eBay, so now he doesn't have to pay $3 a cup at Starbucks.

Lord, they are all a joy and a blessing to me. I thank you for them.

Crow

Crow 

Crows are not beautiful and they don't come to my feeder very often, but one was there today.

Does anyone want to live next to me? Our neighbors have decided to move to Kansas and asked if we know anyone who wants to buy a house. It is an older house, but the neighbors are great :-)

Easter

Easter Dinner

Easter was a blessed day, starting with the Easter Song by the 2nd Chapter of Acts, followed by a good church service where the pastor baptized his own teenaged daughter, followed by a nice dinner with friends.

It was nice having Rachel home again. She flew both ways and was delayed both flights, but we chalk it up to her education in how life works.