First Day at Work

Today I finally got a phone call to sub in the Carson City School District.  It was for Special Ed and was only for the afternoon.  I was so disappointed in what I found.  There were 12 children ranging in age from 6 (kindergarten) to 9 (2nd grade) with a huge range of disabilities all in the same tiny classroom.  Six of these children were non-verbal, though only one tried to communicate with screams.  Most were silent, using hand signals or quiet murmurs.  Their mental abilities were wide-ranging, too.  I felt like I was in a classroom of the 1960s. These students never interacted with the larger school population.  Even for their recess time they had the playground entirely to themselves.  My professors from Carlow would be mortified that this is still standard procedure for a school today. 

In PA all students spend at least some time in the regular classroom.  Those who need it have a one-on-one paraprofessional.  Most are pulled out for the areas they need extra help with such as physical or speech therapy. Not only was this a healthy environment for those who needed additional help, but it was also a learning experience for the "regular" kids.  The students in my 3rd grade classroom helped and encouraged their autistic classmate.  What a great life lesson for all of them.

I read in the paper this morning that Carson City Schools is one of the finalist districts competing for the "Race to the Top" federal monies.  I'm hoping that if they are awarded that money, they will be required to change the way they "educate" all their students.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving dawned cool and sunny.  Mom and I spent the morning baking pies - apple, pumpkin, and her favorite, mincemeat.  The turkey went into the oven at noon, and then relaxed for a while before starting the potatoes, sweet potatoes, lentil loaf (Amy is a vegetarian) and vegetables.  My sister Amy and her husband JB were driving over from Grass Valley, CA to join us for dinner and introduce us to their two new daughters.

Star

Star is a Pit mix and is about eighteen monts old.  She has a sweet and gentle spirit, and has no idea how big she is.  I was on the floor petting Little Bit, and Star came running through, banging against my nose.  I thought for a while there I was going to have a black eye!

Little Bit

Little bit is a Chihuahua and is only about a year old.  She is a goody little thing, and loves to play. They have always been together, and Amy and JB adopted them from a shelter where Amy volunteers. They are so bonded that they enjoy playing together, and get a little nervous when the other is not close by.  If you look closely at the afghan behind Little Bit, you can see that she lift her mark.  They are both still puppies!

We had a nice dinner, and even "the girls" got a turkey treat.  They all  spent the night and on Friday, we relaxed, played games, JB fixed our kitchen faucet (woo hoo!) and we ate wonderful Turkey Barley Soup.  Thanks, Elaine for the recipe!  They all left later in the afternoon taking with them left overs of turkey, potatoes, dressing, lentil loaf and pie. (There was plenty for us, too!)

Today, Saturday, Mom and I spent part of the day cleaning, and then headed out into the beautiful



60 degree sunshine.  We cleaned up the yard, raking and bagging the last of the leaves.  That should take care of it until spring when we will do a more thorough job of cleaning out garden beds and deciding what to plant.

I did talk to both boys on Skype.  Aaron went out with friends and had sushi for his Thanksgiving dinner.  Connor went out with friends, too, but they know a chef who created a Thanksgiving meal just for them so they enjoyed the turkey with all the trimmings.  This is the first Thanksgiving for me with both of them out of the country.  Kind of different.

Hope yours was a good one and you enjoyed family and friends in a relaxing and joyful atmosphere.

A Real Substitute?

Today I dropped off another ream of filled out paperwork to the Administrative Office of Carson City School District, got fingerprinted - again (evidently no one can share that information with each other so I've done it 7 times now!), and am really now on the sub list for the elementary schools!

Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical.  I did go online and found I was actually entered into the system.  That's encouraging.  I'm eligible to be called tomorrow.  As long as this process has been, I'll believe it when I get that call.

So thanks for your ongoing prayers for me.  Hopefully, I'll be back in the classroom soon.

A Little Slow

I know I'm a little slow in getting updates out to let you know how I'm doing - what I'm doing.  I keep waiting for something definite to update you on.  But God in His infinite wisdom, is allowing me to practice patience and rest, caring for my mom, cooking, and helping with housework.  I'm still not working.  There is quite a process to becoming a substitute teacher, so I'm still working on getting through all those hoops.

I have tried to do some volunteer work.  I first volunteered for the Literacy Council and never received a phone call.  I called several times, to no avail.  Although they advertised that volunteers were needed, I can't seem to make headway.

Then I signed up to be a math tutor at the local charter school.  I went for my orientation and talked to the principal about where he could use me.  He instructed me to go get fingerprinted (everyone needs their own - no one shares the info - I think I've done that 6 times!).I was to call when I had them so I could make an appointment to come in for a photo ID and set a schedule.  When I called, I left him a message and he emailed me back and said just come in any time - at my convenience.  So I did, and he was out of town for a week!  So I haven't started on that yet either!  He should be back this week though, so I have hope!

There's a group called "Food for Thought" that collects food and distributes it in backpacks to poor children as they leave school for the weekend.  It's to help the entire family and is a great mission.  I saw the brochure at my church and gave them a call.They were getting together the next day to make Christmas ornaments to sell as a fund raiser, and invited me to come help.  And I did!  Yea! Something to do!

And then last week I saw an ad in the paper for auditions for parts in a community theater production, so I decided to audition.  I met some nice people there, and though I didn't get a speaking part, I will be part of the cast, and will enjoy the weekly rehearsals.

So that's kind of where I am at the moment: doing a couple of things on my own, but having a lot of time to spend with my mom and trying new recipes (she's on a "no sugar, no wheat, little meat" diet) and getting to know Carson City.  She and I play a lot of Scrabble - both online and with a board.  We both love to read, and we've worked many puzzles.

God is good!  I'm still trusting Him for each day as well as the direction for my future.  I know He'll let me know what that is as soon as I'm supposed to!  Thanks for your continued prayers.  I think of you all so often, and pray for you daily.  God bless.

We've got snow!

    
      After an inch or so yesterday, we awoke to find about three inches covering our driveway.  Although the nearby mountains have gotten a little snow before today, this is the first we've had.  I smiled to myself as I listened to people saying how much we got because of the lake effect from Lake Tahoe!  Those of you from Pittsburgh know what I'm alluding to!
    

     Carson City is in a kind of valley surrounded by the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  We do get snow but not nearly as much as Tahoe which sits about 2000 feet higher than we do.  The ski resorts, according to this morning's paper, got from 14 to 18 inches, and they're all open this weekend - glad to have the weekend to open the season.
 

      By the end of the week, we'll be back in the 50s which is more normal for this time of year, but it's nice to see the white.  And from what I hear even when we do get snow it doesn't stick around long.  I'll let you know!

 

Certification update

     It had been so long since I submitted the paperwork for my Nevada certification that I thought I'd call to see what was going on.  I went in and talked to the very nice woman at the Department of Education who told me that the state was only now processing the applications that were received by them in June.  (I submitted mine on July 11.)  And her best guess is that it will be another three or four weeks.  Sigh.

     So I asked about getting on the sub list thinking I could get started with that since the school year was just beginning.  But no.  Here, I need to be Nevada certified even if I just want to sub.  Sigh, sigh.

     What to do now . . . The Sunday newspaper has a column of volunteer opportunities, so I took a look.  I found two that I'm going to check out.  One is with the Carson City Literacy Counsel  teaching someone to read- probably an adult.  And the other one is working as a math tutor at the local charter school.  So I've filled out the volunteer application, and am waiting to hear.  Who know where this will lead?

From Tacoma to Olympia to Carson City

It's been a while since I posted anything here, so I thought I'd better bring you all up to date.

"Band Kids"  Gloria is the first on the left.

My high school reunion was wonderful.  It was so nice to see all those old people (how did we get sooo old!!?).  I was not a part of the most popular group in high school.  I was one of the band kids, so of course there was a lot of game playing and snubbing going on then between groups.  One of the nice things about being this age is that the tendency to do that is gone.  Everyone was genuinely interested in how our lives were going.  Most are grandparents now, and I was one of the few that had kids but no in-laws yet.  I heard a lot of "Just wait. . ."

I stayed with my high school best friend, Gloria and her husband Pete.  Wonderful people, and it was nice to be there and really get to know Pete a bit.  I didn't know him before they married, so this was a chance to become friends.  Thanks Gloria and Pete for the wonderful hospitality! I got to see sisters Linda and Deby, too, and had a barbeque where I again saw niece and nephew, Julie and Jason with their beautiful daughter Kinley.  That was a terrific evening, and it was good to be with family.

From there, I went to Olympia to spend time with my sister Christie and her husband Darrell.  She took a couple of days off so we could play, and it was nice to spend time with her.  One night we made pasta and served ravioli for dinner. Yum yum!  That was a treat, and much laughter accompanied the making of the thin sheets of pasta.

During all this time, I was continuing to send out resumes, applications, make phone calls, hoping for interviews in Washington or Oregon, but nothing was happening.  I knew that Oregon won't hire someone who doesn't have their Oregon credentials - just like Nevada - but Washington's web site says you can be hired and then have a year to get your credentials switched over.  So I was hopeful.  There's a little elementary school in Christie's neighborhood and when we saw two openings, we really prayed about that one.  But not even a call for an interview.

By the time I was ready to go back to Carson City, I was feeling pretty discouraged.  Christie and I prayed together, and will continue to do so.  I know that God has a plan for me, and as I drove back on the Thursday before Labor Day, I prayed my thanks for all He's done.  I am here to care for my Mom.  I have a place to live, I'm healthy, have great weather, and am ready for what comes next.

So continue to pray for me that I will be prepared and equipped for my next assignment.  God is so good.

Berry season!

I spent yesterday and last night at my sister, Deby's.  She lives on the outskirts of Tacoma in a beautiful, quiet area that looks like country.  The house across the street is for sale, and includes a barn, pasture area and lots of acreage that is full of berries.  The last time the owner was there she got permission for us to go over and pick them. 

So yesterday afternoon, in the shadow of  Mt. Rainier, we filled our buckets with blackberries and blueberries.  There were a couple of raspberries, but most of those were already gone.  We brought them back and made the most wonderful berry cobbler.  Yum yum!  It would be easy to gain weight up here!

Little of this and that

     I spent Thursday night with my friends Patti and Hank in Redmond so I would be fairly close to the location of my interview Friday morning.  The school is called the Open Window School, and is in Bellevue, near and a bit south of Seattle.  It is a private school for gifted students, and has two classes of 18-20 for each grade K through 8th.  It was a nice modern campus up on the top of Cougar Mountain.  I'd never been there before, and was tremendously impressed with the view.  And in this area of tremendous views, that's saying something!

     As I made the drive west from Carson City, I was awed over and over by the beauty of the mountains.  I can not find words to describe the magnificence of this mountainous area, beginning in northern California and continuing on up through Oregon - Mt. Shasta, Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, and into Washington - Mt. Rainier.  Magnificent, awesome, beautiful, unbelievable - no words are enough.  I didn't realize how much I had missed this scenery.  It feels like home: restful, peaceful, comfortable.

     The interview went okay.  It wasn't what I was hoping for.  The position was called Instructional Assistant, and is pretty much like a teacher's aid, paying slightly more than McDonalds.  So I keep searching.

      It's been a while since I started this, and it's now Tuesday.  I'm at my friend Gloria's and will go with her to our class reunion on Saturday.  We've made plans to get our old "gang" together before the actual event, so it will be nice to have some time to spend with just us. 

     This week I've been sending out resumes into Oregon.  I plan to call all the places I apply before I leave here and see if I can come interview on my way back to Nevada.  So as the process continues, I will keep you informed as to how it's going.

     Thanks for keeping me in your prayers.  It means more to me than I can say.

And continues . . .

     It's been over a month since I've been at my Mom's house in Carson City (and that long since I've posted, too!).  During that time, I have spent every day continuing the hunt for a job.  I filled out the paperwork in order to transfer my PA certification to NV - I'm still waiting for that to be finalized.  I have bookmarked numerous job sites that I check every day, and I can't even remember how many resumes I have sent out.

     As my Mom and I got into the daily routine of sharing a home, I discovered that she isn't really ready to move yet.  She loves her doctor that is treating her back issues and she has a great support system with the friends she has at the Senior Center as well as a neighbor.  So I spent a considerable amount of time looking for teaching positions in Carson City only to discover that until that NV certification comes through I can't be hired.

     My sister Amy and I have talked about this at length (she is now living just two hours from my Mom) and have come to the conclusion that I need to find a job, and just trust that the rest will work out when the time is right.  So I once again broadened my search to include Oregon and Washington.
   
     Oregon is the same as Nevada in that I can't be hired until I have Oregon credentials, but Washington gives you a year to complete all the paperwork once you're hired.  So while I wait on the bureaucracy of Nevada and Oregon, I have concentrated on Washington.

      Yesterday I started the drive to Washington - for two reasons.  First, I'm hoping to have an interview at a school in Bellevue (near Seattle) on Friday.  And second, I have a high school reunion the following weekend!  More on both of those tomorrow as I want to get back on the road.

     So for now, from Grant's Pass, Oregon, stay tuned as my journey continues. . .

Many Thanks

I have arrived at my Mom's in Carson City, and am adjusting to the dryness.  My body isn't used to  the lack of moisture, but I'm sure I will adjust.

I want to take the time to say a couple of thank yous.  To Lyn Marsh for giving me some new CDs to listen to.  They definitely helped me through some of the boring parts of the drive.  To Doug Hefner for suggesting I carry a roll of paper towels and a bottle of Windex!  Best suggestion ever!  To Elaine Hefner for checking in with me through Skype as I made my way across the country.  And especially to all of you who continue to pray for me and my journey.  I know God is guiding me, and I value your prayers more than you will ever know.

I am getting my information together to begin sending out resumes, and will keep you up to date as the search progresses.  Thanks again to all of you for your friendship and prayers.

The Grand Canyon

It was dark when I headed out to the Grand Canyon.  I gave myself two hours to drive the 80 miles I still had to go to reach the canyon, and I wasn't sure what kind of road I'd be traveling.  I wanted to be sure to get there before the sun rose.  As I reached the park the sky was just starting to lighten.  I drove to the gate and found a sign that said "Guard gate closed.  Enjoy the park!"  I was so early I didn't even have to pay to get in.

I pulled in to the parking lot of the first outlook I came to, hoping I would have a good view of the sunrise.  I was completely alone.  Bird twittered all around me.  It was almost cold with a breeze blowing occasionally.  It was so quiet I could hear the wind as it whooshed down the canyon.  The sky continued to lighten and by the time the sun peeked over the horizon I was chilled through.  But it was so beautiful I couldn't stop taking pictures.

By the time the sun was up there were eleven other people talking and disturbing my space, so I left and drove around to the next outlook point.  Every time I stopped I took more pictures and enjoyed the scenery even more.  I don't know what I had thought, but I didn't realize that the canyon wasn't just an empty canyon.  There are rock formations of all shapes and sizes throughout the bottom and up the sides of it.  I guess that makes me sound a little stupid, but I never really thought about it before.  I stopped at three or four different outlook points, and every one of them had a different variation of the beauty of the canyon.  It was magnificent.  At one place I was sitting alone warming up in the sun, and decided in the quiet that I would read the devotional I had skipped that morning when I left so early.  Here is my message from Jesus for June 27th:

Rest with me a while.  You have journeyed up a steep, rugged path in recent days.  The way ahead is shrouded in uncertainty. Look neither behind you nor before you.  Instead, focus your attention on me, your constant companion.  Trust that I will equip you fully for whatever awaits you on your journey.  (That's from Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young)  Isn't that just perfect for where I am in my life?  It is exactly what I needed to hear.  I left the Grand Canyon rested, encouraged and ready to move ahead on my journey.  I am so thankful that He knows me and knows exactly what I need to hear.  I'm thankful He has a plan for me, and will show me each step as I reach it.  I look forward to discovering what comes next!

Flagstaff

The drive from Albuquerque to Flagstaff, AZ, wasn't too long.  I arrived in Flagstaff around 2 pm - though since I had now gone through another time change, the hotel said it was 1:00 (I'm now officially three hours behind all you Pittsburghers).

About 30 miles before Flagstaff, I started seeing signs for the Meteor Crater National Monument.  So I thought I'd check it out.  It was a few miles off the main road, but well worth the detour.  It is amazing to me that a piece of metal the size of a volkswagen created such a huge dent in the earth.  The effect it had on the plant and animal life must have been astounding.  I'm glad I stopped to take a look. 


They let me check into the hotel in Flagstaff early, and I debated about whether I should head out right away and go see the Grand Canyon.  But as I drove into town, it seemed to be so unique that I decided to explore a bit.  Some of the towns I pass through have Walmart, Office Max, Target, etc, the same as every other town.  But this one has retained it's individuality.  I wandered down one of the main streets and browsed through shops that had Indian artifacts, jewelry, candles, local foods and wines.  It was such fun to see something different.  I probably spent a couple of hours wandering, then had dinner at the Wildflower Bread Company, and decided to turn in early in order to see the Grand Canyon at sunrise.

Oklahoma City

Years ago we lived in Oklahoma City.  In fact Connor was born there; Aaron was only 2.  It had been about 15 years since we had even visited, so when I arrived at my friend Trish's house on Friday, I didn't recognize much.  It has grown and changed so much that there weren't many landmarks from which I could get my bearings.  So the entire weekend I had no bearings!

Trish took the time to drive me around and show me the new stuff, and the little old stuff that remained.  We drove by our old homes in Midwest City, and both looked good and well cared for.  Another friend, Cheryl, came over and had a sleep over with us on Saturday night, and we spent hours reminiscing and reminding each other of old friends - and "where are they now?"  It was so nice to relax and spend time catching up with old friends.

  

 Monday morning I headed out again, heading west toward Amarillo.  It was a beautiful drive.  The rolling hills were several shades of green - the sage brush, the roadside grass, and the shrubs dotting the fields.  It was pretty easy to tell which way the wind normally blows.  All the trees,whether they were grouped together in a gully, gathered protectively around a homestead, or standing alone in the field, all leaned the same way.  Made me chuckle.  As I crossed from Texas into New Mexico, the scenery became dull and brown.  Flat fields of dry scrub, an occasional brown bush, no trees, and a long, long straight road that seemed to go on forever. 

I finally made it to Albuquerque, where I had planned to spend the night.  Normally, I just drive along looking for a Motel 6 or some other inexpensive hotel along the highway and pull in for the night.  But that was not possible here!  Traffic was so fast, and of course everyone else knew where they were going, and which of the four lanes of traffic they wanted to be in.  I swept along with everyone else until I felt as though I was heading out the other side of the city.  I decided to take the next exit no matter what.  Once I was off the highway, I found a Best Western -   little more pricey that I was used to, but it was welcome after a long hot day.

The Butterfly

For years butterflies have been special to me.  I painted them on the end of Aaron's first crib and embroidered them on the bumper pads.  I've made them - so many different kinds - out of stained glass.  Several years ago, when a friend's father died I wrote a poem about how they represent new life, and gave it to her with a glass butterfly.  That kind of created a tradition for me.  If some one was getting married, having a baby, lost someone through death, going through a divorce, I would send them the copy of the poem and a butterfly.  I truly believe that because of the changes butterflies go through they are a wonderful example of the changes we go through in our own lives.  When we see the beauty of the mature butterfly, it is a reminder for me of the beauty in my own life - even if I'm in a dark place at the moment.  If I can hang in there, God will make something beautiful of my life.

As I began my drive at 7:22 AM, I hadn't gone a mile down the road before I noticed something white on my dashboard.  It was across on the passenger side, and took me a while to identify it because I was only seeing its reflection in the window.  It was a little white butterfly.  At first I thought, "Oh, poor thing."  But then I realized it was a gift from God. . . His blessing as I began my road trip.  A gentle reminder that He is with me as I am beginning a new life, and my future and my destination are designed by Him.

I arrived at my brother's in Traverse City about 4 PM and had a nice visit.  He barbequed chicken and hamburgers and we ate out on his back deck watching as the trees sway in the wind.  It was beautiful, and quiet, and so restful.  As we took our dishes back into the house, the rain began.  As the minutes went by, the rain continued to fall harder and harder, and the wind blew fiercer and fiercer.  We couldn't even see across the street!  And as I looked, suddenly branches - big ones -  started coming off the two trees in the front yard.  They fell in slow motion before crashing down about 6 feet from my car!  It was amazing to watch!

And then it was over.  We walked down the street and found another tree had fallen on someone's roof.  We were the only two with that kind of damage, but there will definitely be some clean up to do.  The power stayed out for a couple of hours, and we went to bed in the dark.  When it came back on, though, all the lights woke us up long enough to get up and turn them back off.  Quite the exciting end to my first day on the road!

Resting Up

The last week has been a long one - finishing with the sorting, packing and getting rid of.  So much to go through even though I had only been in the house four years.  Amazing how much we accumulate as time goes by!

My closing was set for Friday at 12:30, so Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday I spent every day working - packing box after box.  And I really had gotten rid of so much.  I only kept a few kitchen things, but then there was my studio.  How do I choose what to keep and what to sell or give away?  Tough choices.  I think I eventually ended up with nearly 30 banana boxes!  And that was after I said I was getting rid of everything!

I am so thankful for Elaine and Doug Hefner who not only gave me a place to stay while all this was going on, but gave freely of their time and assistance.  Ed gave me his whole day Thursday.  We started at 10 AM, making two trips in his pick-up to the storage unit, one to Goodwill, and two to his house.  I owe him a debt I'm sure I will never be able to repay!  He was a trouper!  (Though we both felt how much we have aged since we last did a major move!)

After Ed went home, I finally returned to my own house at 10 PM and found Elaine there, still cleaning, having arrived around 7 PM!  What a friend!  We got the entire first floor cleaned and ready for the walk through the next day, but just couldn't keep going in order to get the basement done.  We left around 11:15 PM, and headed back to her house.

Friday, after only a few hours of sleep, I returned and spent the morning cleaning the basement, which is where I had had my studio.  It was hard to see it empty.  I went next door to say good-bye to the neighbors, and headed to Panera for a good cup of coffee as I waited for my realtor, Marlene Sausman.  She picked me up about 11:45 and we headed down to Pittsburgh for the closing.  That was the easy part.

The whole week was very stressful.  I had a hard time sleeping because the many thoughts in my head were going round and round thinking of all I had to do, what hadn't been done, how many hours did I have left to get everything done. . . .  etc. etc.  Friday night after we had closed, I had the first good night's sleep I'd had in a long time.

Now after resting for the weekend, I'm heading out tomorrow morning to go visit my brother in Traverse City, Michigan.

Stay tuned as my journey continues.  I'll post again soon.

My house is sold!

       After only seven days on the market, I had an offer.  And what followed has been a flurry of activity.  Perfect timing - my neighborhood had a big "garage sale" planned for last weekend.  So with the help of a friend, we readied everything (almost) in the house for sale.  That meant emptying dressers, desks, chests, etc. in case someone wanted to buy one of them.  What a job!  I'm indebted to Debbie Myers for her willingness to come and help.

       And how did the garage sale go?  It was scheduled to be from 8am to 2 pm, but I had people here from 7am and still more as late as 4:30.  Thankfully I had  friends, some of whom I asked, and some who just showed up to help.  I don't know how I would have managed without them! (Many thanks to Kim, Sheran, Melinda, Elaine, Doug, Brian, Tracy, Debbie, Denise, and Keith!!!  I am indebted to you forever!)

       I sold everything except one computer desk, and one chifferobe!  I hadn't planned to sell my bed since it was new, and I will keep my upright freezer, but all my other furniture has now gone to new homes.  My church is having their annual Flea Market in a couple of weeks, so many of the smaller things I still have will go there.

       At the moment I am sorting things into piles: storage; get rid of; take with me; and things to have shipped to me later.  Quite a job!  But I'm no longer under the pressure of the garage sale looming.  I can take the next three weeks and get things organized.  I will close on the sale on June 15th.  And shortly thereafter, I will hit the road, and begin my journey west.

      Stay tuned!  Who knows what will happen next . . . . .

Graduation!

 May 12, 2012 was graduation day as we celebrated the completion of our Masters in Education degrees from Carlow University. The weather was perfect, and it was good to share it with friends.  Pictured with me are my two buddies Laura Danastasio and Carol Deloglos.  We had numerous classes together, and have become friends as we shared our studies and our lives.  Congrats to them, too!

Moving along

I'm continuing the preparations for my move.  My realtor (Marlene Sausman) has been out to look at my house, and we will list it for sale on May 1st.  (Three bedroom, one and a half bath, nice kitchen, huge downstairs gameroom . . .if anyone's interested!)

I will present my Graduate Thesis tonight at Carlow, and once those two things are complete, I will be ready to head west.  Keep me in your prayers!

End of this trip

We got up Tuesday morning at 4:00 a.m. (which is 10 p.m. Monday on the East coast!) to catch a taxi at 4:20 to take us to the train station.  Following the taxi ride, two trains, two flights and a ride from the airport, I walked back into my house at 10:45 p.m. Tuesday!  More than 24 hours to get home!  But it was a great trip, and I'm really glad I was able to go.

Now that I am home and have my desk top computer, I went back and added some picture to my previous posts if you want to check them out again (as far back as Day 6).

So when I post again, it will be about the original reason for this blog: my journey, following God's lead, to my new job, new home, and new experiences.  Stay tuned, as My Journey Continues. . . .

Day 13 - Geneva

Connor headed out early this morning, so I kind of lounged around for a while then headed out to the grocery store to see about ingredients for my soup tonight.  I had Connor’s mac card to get some Euros so figured I’d be able to get what I needed.

When I got to the store, I headed straight to the mac machine.  I put the card in, and there were words of so many choices that I was immediately stumped.  I wished I had Amy’s little English/French dictionary.  I did figure out how to get the card back, but that was it.  So I just wandered around the store looking to see if I could find everything I needed.  Produce and meat were no problem.  Found the canned tomatoes.  But I could not find corn meal (to make bread with the soup) or baking powder.  Connor said he would have time to go over there this afternoon if needed, so I’ll just wait for him to get back.

After being here this long, in both France and Switzerland, I can understand why Ikea started here.  All the rooms are small, and bedrooms are not built with closets.  Everyone has those closet-like fabric units instead.  I’ve seen many different styles, shapes and sizes.  They seem to be made just for this area.  Bathtubs are different here, too.  They are narrower than ours, but longer.  I can lay against the sloped back and stretch out my legs straight, and still have room beyond my toes.

The bathroom is also divided into two rooms.  The toilet is by itself in its own tiny room.  The bathtub, sink and a little washing machine are in a separate room.  There don’t seem to be any clothes driers, so everyone has a little clothes rack on which to hang wet clothes.  (In Argenton, it took 4 days for my jeans to dry when the weather was cool and damp!)

Connor got home and we shopped for what we needed, and soup night was a hit.  He had told so many people that I was doing the cooking, that we had 35 people show up! We made a large pot of regular soup, and a smaller pot that was vegetarian.  And we had enough!  Everyone loved it.  And I loved meeting so many of Connor’s friends.  Great people!

There were still some people there at midnight, but I figured that was late enough for me.  Early morning tomorrow we begin our trip home.

Day 12 - Geneva and Versoix

Sunday.  Two of the guys in the apartment work at the church that is a block away.  It is the church Connor attends, so we went there today.  The Swiss set their clocks forward last night, so we decided to go to the late service. 

I’m always an early riser, so I got up thinking I would make a coffee cake for the guys.  Couple of drawbacks: they didn’t have any baking powder; they have no measuring cups; and I couldn’t figure out the translation between Celsius and Fahrenheit on the oven.  But I figured I’d wing it, and it turned out okay.  The best part was the cinnamon smell as they were waking up.  Because of the absence of baking powder it was more biscuit-y than cake-y, but the flavor was good.  They all appreciated it, and said it reminded them of home.  Nice way to start the day.

Church was amazing!  It’s a small church, with maybe 150 or so people. Geneva is such an international city that the congregation is made up of numerous nationalities.  The literature from the church says there are over 120 native languages represented in the membership.  The worship team was made up of 8 people, and Connor said every one of them came from a different home country.  It felt like it was a little microcosm of God’s people.  Every shape and size, every color, so many languages.  What beauty to hear them all praising and worshiping the same God.  It was truly an inspiring service.  A couple stood up at the beginning of the service and gave a testimony about God’s work in their lives, as He brought them from lives of drugs, prostitution and violence to faith, love, and sharing in home Bible study.  We serve a mighty God!!

After lunch we headed to Versoix, about half an hour away.  They were holding their annual Chocolate Festival -  how’s that for perfect timing!  There were 18-20 chocolate vendors who were demonstrating decorating techniques, giving out samples to try, and selling the most amazing chocolate in Switzerland!  Connor and I agreed the best was one that had little pieces of candied orange mixed in with the chocolate.  Mmmm!  One place had a chocolate fountain, and their samples were strawberries in a cup, with chocolate drizzled over it.  Everything was so good! We tried some that had dried hot peppers mixed in, some with hazelnuts, some with fruit, some with marshmallows.  What a fun afternoon!  It was a warm and sunny day again, so it was great to be outside enjoying the weather and the chocolate!

One of the guys from the apartment had told us about the event, and said to be sure to try the white chocolate with bits of raspberries.  So we kept an eye out for that because raspberries are my favorite.  We finally found it, and as we were waiting our turn, the lady right in front of us bought the last of it!  So I didn’t even get to try it.  Oh, well.  I did see it, and maybe Connor can send me some.

So tonight we’re relaxing at home.  Connor has class tomorrow, and an appointment early, so I’ll be on my own for the morning.  I will probably walk down to the grocery store and buy ingredients for soup.  They all do soup night on Monday, and I volunteered to cook tomorrow.  I’m making my Stuffed Pepper Soup, so I’ll go see if I can find what I need to make it.  Since all the packaging is in French, it will be a challenge.  But a good experience.

Day 11 - Geneva

Connor played tour guide today, and we must have walked 20 miles around the city.  It’s beautiful here, the city sitting right on Lake Geneva.  There is a market called Ferney Marche  where we went first.  Clothing, purses (I got one) jewelry, leather goods, meat, produce, tapestries, yarn, so many things in small booths, and everything produced locally.  It probably encompassed four blocks or so.

We bought an all-day bus pass and headed to Paquis to find a place for a kebab for lunch.  One of the favorites of the guys, a kebab is shaved meat (lamb or chicken) lettuce, tomato, cabbage, onion and sauces stuffed into a pita-like pocket. It was very good, but ‘way too much food! I couldn’t finish mine, though Connor did.

We walked down to the lake, and wandered along the shore admiring the sail boats and watching the people.  It was again a beautiful day, and there were so many families out.  Watching little kids is delightful!  There were swings for them – ropes hanging off huge trees, climbing nets.  Many had their own little scooters or bikes, and some were playing in the sand.  Great place to people-watch.

In the center of the lake is the jet d’eau (which means jet of water).  Many years ago, when they were building the sewer and water system under the streets of Geneva, a pipe was laid that let out steam from the system and shot water straight into the air.  When they upgraded the system they eliminated the steam vent, but the people complained so much that they built the jet d’eau in the lake that shoots 250 meters into the air.  We could see it from all over the city, and it was quite a site.

We took a bus to the other side of the lake: Old Town, where the buildings were much older than the side we were on.  We walked around for hours just taking it all in.  We went into one church that was amazingly beautiful, and just sat and enjoyed the silence.  I took lots of pictures there: the stained glass windows, carvings, painted ceilings. It was amazing.

We got on the bus again and rode to the end of the jetty.  We walked out to where the jetd’eau was spouting, and up close it was even more awesome.  We walked along beside the lake until we reached the International Bridge.  We walked across and back through the streets again, looking for somewhere to have a fondue for dinner.  I had been wanting one since we had arrived, and Amy and Amber and I had never found one.  Connor and I couldn’t find one either, so we decided we’d make our own.   We headed back toward the train station to catch a bus home, and waited, and waited, and waited.  The bus never came.  We started walking again, but we had walked around so much that we were a bit tired, so we sat for a while, hoping the bus would come, but when a taxi pulled up on the corner, we decided to grab it and give up on the bus.  New York City’s got nothing on Geneva taxi drivers!  But we made it home, made a grocery store run, and whipped up our own version of cheese fondue.  Neither of us had made one before, and none of the guys were much help, but it turned out really well.  We ate it with bread chunks and it didn’t take long for it to be gone completely.  Everyone liked it.

Exhausted, I fell into bed around 10:30.  Can’t wait for tomorrow!  Stay tuned. . .

Day 10 - Travelling to Geneva

This morning, we made our last walk together up to the boulangerie before Amy and Amber drove me to the train station in Anger.  My train left at 1:30, and after switching trains in Solay Part Dieu, finally arrived in Geneva around 9:00 p.m.  Connor was waiting for me at the station, and we walked to the bus stop five minutes away.  We took the bus to within 2 blocks of his apartment.  Well, it’s not really his apartment.  He is moving into a place that won’t be ready until April first, so he is staying temporarily with some guys he had stayed with when he first arrived in Geneva back in August. Another guy is staying there temporarily, too, so there are lots of guys there.  It

It’s only a 2-bedroom apartment, so one of them gave up his room for me.  But for this weekend, there are six guys and me staying there!  They love to cook, so this is going to be an adventure.

Day 9 - Final day in Argenton

Thursday was my last day in Argenton, so even though the day dawned drizzly and cool, we decided to head out and see something more of the area.  We had found a map that had a driving route for seeing some of the local wineries.  We were in an area (kind of a county) called Anjou, where a lot of wine was produced.  So we headed out looking for the first one on our tour.  By the time we reached it, the weather had cleared and the sun was shining.  It was still a bit cool, so we were glad to have brought our light jackets.  The tour took us on many back roads, and much of the time we thought we were lost.  But we continued to follow signs and eventually found the place we were looking for.  In many places there would be a sign that said “Toutes Directions” and it took us a while – and the help of our little translation book to discover it meant “all routes.”  So if we headed that direction, there would be a round-about with arrows pointing to all the nearby towns.  It made things easier once we figured it out!  Sometimes, though, we saw that sign, turned, and were in these tiny back alley type streets, twisting and turning, three story walls on either side of us, and wondering if we were on the right road.  Then suddenly we would pop out and there would be the round-about!

The first winery we drove to was Le Puy Notre Dame, where we discovered that it is too early in the year for it to be open to the public!  But we saw some beautiful country, and acres and acres of vineyards.  We wandered through a church there, and I took some beautiful stained glass pictures.  From there we drove to Montreuil-Bellay where there was a castle called Chateau de Montreiul-Bellay but it was closed, again, too early for the season.  But we got some beautiful pictures.  It is built on the River Thouet, and with the day now being so clear, many of the pictures we took showed the castle reflected in the water.  It was beautiful.

From there we went on to Le Coudray Macouard where there was supposed to be an artist colony as well as a vineyard to explore.  But, alas, nothing was open.  We wandered around a while looking for somewhere to have lunch with no luck, so we headed for Saumur, which is a larger city.  We figured we’d surely find a lunch spot there.  We did; Amy and I both ordered salads, but Amber wanted to try something authentic French, so just picked something on the menu.  From the reaction of the waiters, it was clear that it was not something Americans usually ordered.  But she ate it anyway.  It was a crepe filled with a potato, cheese, meat mixture, and while she said it was a little bland and had a funny aftertaste, it wasn’t terrible.  (Later that evening when we returned home she discovered it was pig intestines!)

Chateau de Saumur was in Saumur, so we explored that, and enjoyed watching the goats – some of them tiny babies – wandering the hillsides around the castle.  It was amazing to think about the people who had built that place so many thousands of years ago.  There was evidence of where the moat had been, and many walls remained standing after all this time.  Kind of makes me feel like we live in a baby country!  There was no America when these places were built!  And wouldn’t be for thousands more years!

By this time, the sun was getting low in the sky, so we headed home.  Tomorrow will be my traveling day.