Wetterlings Wanderings

Hiking in Southern Utah

2011-09-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

On August 14, 2011 after church the four of us got into the car and headed south from Oregon towards Utah. Ron and Vicki (our pastors and friends) joined Aaron and me on this expedition to see the nature that God so beautifully created in Utah.

Our first stop was Zion Canyon National Park. Our motel was in Springdale, UT and we drove in and out of the park several times in our 2 days there. Having a Senior Pass makes a difference. Just give them the card with your ID and you are in. We took the shuttles provided and saw everything. We did a lot of hiking. I was so pleased that I could hike much more easily after having lost so much weight and all the exercise I've done in the past year and a half.

Next was Bryce Canyon--just a couple hours down the road. Here we stayed at Bryce Canyon City. A very small city all virtually owned by one family. Huge motel, shopping, restaurants and a rodeo--all owned by the family. At Bryce you can do more driving in your private vehicle, but there is a shuttle bus you can take in also. The Forest Service was doing proscribed burns so it was very smoky. But it was beautiful anyway and we did a lot of hiking. Aaron and Ron attempted to climb to the top of Angels Landing but didn't make it completely to the top. A very steep trail, sheer drop-offs, and lots of other climbers led them to only go about 2/3 of the way. Vicki and I did our own hiking on safer and lower trails.

Then it was off to Arches National Park. Again going in and out and in and out. Lots of walking to see various arches, to catch the sunset and sunrise. Watching the tourists from other countries enjoy the beautiful sights in the USA was enjoyable.

This Tuesday, Sept. 13, Aaron and I leave for another trip. Another trip....another blog.

Staying at home

2011-06-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

In January we planned a trip to Sweden. We would have left on June 6 and been in Denmark, Norway and Sweden until nearly the end of June. Part of it would have been a tour and part of it we'd have left the tour group to visit the Swedish relatives. Not enough people signed up for the tour and that particular one was cancelled the middle of April. We received our $2000 deposit back and that money is now safely ensconced in the credit union. We'll use it to take a trip part of the way across the beautiful USA in September.

I think both of us are ready for a trip, but we just have to wait for awhile.

Facing My Facts

2011-06-28T11:07:00.001-07:00

Food! It's what I think about nearly all of my waking hours. What to have for breakfast; what not to have for breakfast. Lunch....dinner....snacks. Has it been long enough since breakfast to have my morning snack? Has it been long enough since lunch, dinner? Am I really hungry? Am I bored? How much should I exercise? Cut back? Do more? Eat less? Eat more? Eat my exercise calories burned? Don't eat my exercise calories burned? Just about the only time I'm not thinking about this is when I'm asleep.

People compliment me often. It is a good thing I am not a nudist, because if I were NO ONE would say anything nice. The wrinkly skin on my arms. The saggy belly. The way my thighs spread out when I'm sitting down. The ugly fat pouches on either knee, but especially the left. My knee fat pads slap together when i walk.

And this is how it is since I've lost over 60 pounds. I've been in the same place for the most part for over a year and a half. I exercise 6 days a week. I faithfully log my food eaten in the diary unless when traveling makes it impossible.

I'm told to "hang in there." That eventually it will come off. My husband tells me that. My TOPS friends tell me that. My Calorie King friends tell me that. I'm beginning to not believe it. I cannot get under and stay below 200.

I've given up Chinese food, most Mexican food, restaurant soup. I seldom have french fries anymore. Pizza? 3-4 times a year. A milkshake. What's that?

My closest friend told me I talk about my weight too much so I try not to do that anymore. Sometimes it's hard to not have someone to vent to. But other people need to vent also. So I'm trying to keep my mouth shut in the public setting.

I'm 63. Will I ever learn the perfect way to do this?

Am I alone in feeling this way? No. I know I'm not alone.

Life and Death

2010-02-01T08:41:00.000-08:00

On January 2, 2010 my mother, Delight Goodwin, aged 90, passed away peacefully. My dad was able to sit by her bed for several hours that morning but she never responded to any of his talking or his touch. They had been married for 67 years and although it was very difficult for him to say goodbye to her, he was very thankful that she did not suffer.

The memorial service was held on January 7 and all 5 of her grandchildren were able to be here for the service. My nephew in the USMC received permission to be here for the week and we are so grateful that he could come. My son and his wife flew in from Texas, a granddaughter and grandson from California and our daughter from just 60 miles away. It was a sad time, but also a happy time as memories were shared. Lots of laughs, some tears, good memories.

My mother was the oldest of her siblings and she outlived them all. Her youngest brother by 11 years passed away from cancer in the summer of 2009.

Our journeys continue. My mother journeyed to heaven, my father journeyed to live with us and Aaron and I continue in our journey of adjustment.

New Year's Day, 2010

2010-01-01T10:09:00.000-08:00

I used to wear size 22 pants, now I'm in size 16 and loving it.

One thing I don't like about New Year's Day is FOOTBALL. I can only handle so much of the game and so my friend Vicki and I are planning on driving 30 miles across the Columbia River to Kennewick, WA to do some shopping IF the roads are not all icy.

This past year has been good and bad. The good was spending 4 months in Botswana and Namibia, celebrating 39 years of marriage, and having wonderful children and grandchildren.

The bad has included the deterioration of my mother to the point where she and my dad can no longer live together after almost 68 years of marriage. They were in assisted living for 2.5 months and then my mom had to be moved to a facility in which she could receive the care she needs--being lifted for everything. My dad, who is still very active and has recently had open heart surgery, moved in with us on Dec. 30 and will be with us until ???? That is an open-ended date. It could possibly be for the rest of his life. He is easy to have around although it does change some of our privacy issues, but we'll work it all out.

My challenge to myself for this year is to get to my goal weight. Today I am 204.4 and my goal is 170. I would like to be that by August 13 when we go on our 2nd Alaskan cruise. When I do reach 170 I may change my goal to 165. I think if I were to go much lower at the age of almost 62 I would look very haggard.

USMC--Birthday of a Giant

2009-11-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to the Marine Corps!

Older than the nation it defends. Feared by militaries around the world. The Few, The Proud.

As I tapped out that last line I remembered that not all happy with their decision to join the Marines. Let me tell you my side of the story.

In 1966 the local draft board in Newport News, VA sent me a cutesy little letter informing me that I, a registered sophomore in college, was now classified as a 1-A and not a 2-S. I was eligible for the draft. That put a quick damper on my immediate future as a college student. A day or two later I received a short handwritten letter from my mom in which she had enclosed a clipping from the local newspaper. The clipping stated that several hundred (memory says 'thousands') Virginia young men would be called up in the very near future and many were in college. The war in Vietnam was escalating.

I had already registered for the fall term but quickly put the skids to my educational future by informing the registrar that I was withdrawing from school. The college president got wind of it and called me into the office for a quick chat. I think he was more concerned about the basketball team (I was a starting guard at the small college in Pennsylvania... never would've made the team at a bigger school) than my education. I politely informed him that my decision was final, shook his hand, and left to pack away my things.

The following morning mom and dad arrived at the school shortly after breakfast, having left home 6 hours earlier, to give me a ride home. One year earlier they had dropped me off at college and were now retrieving me. Six hours later I was back into my former bedroom. A college dropout.

The draft board and the recruiting services were all sequestered in the basement of the marbled post office in downtown Newport News just a few yards from the arch that many a soldier and sailor saw when either departing or returning from WW2.

I went into the draft board office and met the gray haired witch of conscription, Esther Davis. Isn't it amazing that I can remember such a person? We were told that she loved her job. After presenting my draft card I asked, "How soon will I be called up?" With nary a smile she said, "Soon."

It did not take me but milliseconds to depart her office and walk across the hall to the Navy recruiter and ask the petty officer, "Where do I sign up?" My older brother had been in the Navy Reserve and I wanted to go Navy as well. I figured with one year of college behind me I could wrangle a good job and be off to boot camp. "Sorry, but we're booked up for six months. Can't get you in."

The Air Force recruiter said the same thing. I had grown up with Army brats so I didn't want to go Army. Back to the Navy recruiter who suggested the Marines. No way, I knew enough of their history that I didn't want anything to do with them. I went to the Naval Reserve Center to sign up. "Bring in a buddy and we'll sign you up." I gave him a frank, "No," because I wouldn't drag a friend into the military at my expense.

I went back to the PO and visited the Marine Recruiter who said few words and never promised me a rose garden. He asked a few questions and offered me something that appealed to my interest. Aviation, mechanic.. We filled out the paperwork and the next morning I was off to Richmond to the Selective Service Center to take my physical. Never saw so many lines of semi-naked young men holding paperwork with large letters stamped at the top, "DRAFTED." When the processing personnel saw "ENLISTED" at the top of my paperwork I was ushered to the front of each line. By the end of the shift I was on the Greyhound back to Newport News.

To make it short, in six days I was out of college and on my way to boot camp at Parris Island, SC. In a few short words let me describe MCRD, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, eight weeks of hell.. During that time they turned me into a Marine that was proud of his selection, his unit, and his country. My weight jumped from 170 to 195 and I was in top shape.

After four more weeks of combat training at Camp Geiger it was off to Cherry Point for aviation school. Following NAMTRADET I was assigned to H & MS-24 where I spent the next 18 months in OJT. On Sept 9, 1968 I volunteered for Vietnam. In August of 1969 over 650 Marines were withdrawn from Chu Lai to Iwakuni, Japan. From Japan to El Toro, California where I was discharged.

During my four years in the Marines I learned that not all people are happy with their decision but we made the most of it, did our job, did it well. Marines are a weird bunch of people. If they're not fighting the enemy they're looking for a fight with the other military branches (poor Navy personnel), and if they weren't available, we'd fight amongst ourselves. Not me necessarily, I thought of myself as more of a lover than a fighter and I only had two scuffles during my enlistment and won them both. One of my Virginia buddies, Don Tipton, and I would literally wrestle for an hour or more or until one of us nearly passed out from exhaustion.

Many young men have had the thought that they'd never make it in the Marines but let me assure, the Marines will turn a young man into a Marine. You cannot go from one branch of the military into the Marines without going through boot camp whereas you can transfer from the Marines (at the end of your enlistment) into other branches of the service.

So, today, 234 years after its birth, the Marines are celebrating another birthday.

While in Botswana this past year I was in a restaurant at Riverwalk when I spotted two young men walking away. I quickly got up and followed them outside and called, "Gentlemen!" Neither one turned around or acknowledged me. "Semper Fi," I called and immediately they stopped and turned around. I introduced myself, "Aaron Wetterling, former Sergeant, former Marine." We shook hands.

"Are we that noticeable?"

I replied, " It takes one to know one."

Happy Birthday, Marines. Semper Fi.

Aaron Wetterling

former sergeant, former Marine

Some funny writing from my husband

2009-11-07T19:39:00.000-08:00

Toast and Jam

Here I sit, at my computer, whiling away, thinking of friends faraway in Balalaland. They never seem to write despite the fact they now live in the computer age.

My wife peers over and shoulder and asks, "Why are you writing a letter like that?"

"I'm not going to email it... just putting my thoughts to paper... you know, therapy. Get it off my chest, so to speak."

"Don't you dare send it... it'll hurt their feelings and they may never stop by to see us again."

"Yeah, I know, but at our age all I have left to do is remember the good old days, basketball, dinner out, them coming over to our house, us going over to their house, the kids squealing and crying all the while playing together, us drinking coffee and shootin' the breeze. Life was good."

"We were much younger then. Life has changed. Times have changed, people just don't seem to communicate any more. In the old days people just showed up for a visit and stayed until the chickens went to roost. Then it was the telephone... two longs and a short and everyone picked up the line... you could hear the neighbors' phones click as they listened in on the party line..."

"My aunt and uncle had a phone like that... even I listened in one time."

"Then we got a private line and it cost a dollar more a month for the service but it was worth it, I'm sure."

"You had a phone? We had to use the neighbor's."

"With the advantages of the phone people quit visiting, or so it seemed."

"'If you decide to come over please call first,' yeah, right. Poor excuse."

"Probably glued to the tube most of the time."

"Then if you call, and you do get invited, it has to be during a time when their favorite show is not on. Then they don't turn off the TV during the visit. You practically have to shout over the noise. In the old days you could tell the noisy kids to go outside and play but you can't do that to the TV."

"Ah, the good old days. Remember them well."

"Things changed when we moved... left a lot of good friends and good times behind."

"But the memories followed right along and one day they too will fade."

"Shouldn't be the case, not with the internet. Just tap out a few words, hit 'send' and within seconds they have a message."

"The trouble with email is the nonsense people 'forward' to you thinking you'll enjoy their thoughtfulness. If you're so thoughtful spend a few minutes and tap out a real message and tell us what is going on in your life. Sheesh."

"That sort of went by the wayside with 'My Space' and 'Face Book....even Twitter' People don't mind talking about their personal lives right out in public. Just like people who have cell phones. Give their pertinent information out loud for all the world to hear and then shoot you a dirty look if you appear to be listening. Crazy."

"When I was younger people would whisper into the phone for the sake of privacy.... or they'd use a phone booth and shut the door. Now people walk down the street, or in circles, telling the world as well as the person on the other end all that is going on in their life."

"More like a status symbol...'I have a cell phone... see how big and purty it is? It has more buttons than your keyboard!'"

"How about this: 'My cell phone has more giga-bytes than your satellite TV dish! I can watch an entire movie and ignore you at the same time.'"

"Do people really want to be friends or just appear friendly?"

"Good question."

"When I was a kid you could get up a ball game by word of mouth faster than person with a cell phone. Or you could get a group of kids together and go for a bike ride, all for the sake of doing something on a summer evening."

"We used to ride our bikes all the way to Umatilla for an ice cream cone."

"Now we ride stationary bikes so we don't go anywhere that we might be seen."

"Yeah, with an iPOD in one ear and a Blue Tooth in the other. Don't want to miss a call while we're being entertained and reducing our derriere. Then on the way home we stop by the DQ window and order a small cone and as we pull away we see someone we know and are glad that they are inside and we're driving away and don't have to visit."

"Then we flip them the gesture of the thumb in the ear and pinkie to the lips and mouth the words, 'Call me.'"

"I guess we just want to appear friendly."

"Uh oh!"

"What did you do?"

"I sent it."

Our adventure is almost over

2009-09-21T05:11:00.000-07:00

After 4 months in Africa, we are now only 3000 miles from home, having spent the night near Dulles International Airport.

At 1 p.m. Eastern time we'll catch a United flight winging our way towards Seattle. Then a brief layover until evening when we'll fly about 45 minutes to Pasco, Washington. It will be good to see our pastor and wife and catch up on everything that happened this summer. Then home to our very own bed and I hope we sleep all night long.

Tomorrow my dear mother turns 90 years old and we are having a simple birthday party for her. Shortly after we are settled we'll be working on getting my parents into an assisted living facility. My father is having more and more difficulty in caring for my mother, as she cannot walk at all.

We are looking forward to seeing our grandkids in Milton-Freewater and then going to Texas in November to see our son and family.

It's been an incredible summer, but it is now time to go home. You CAN go home again.

Saying Goodbye

2009-09-10T23:23:00.000-07:00

The time has come to begin the Goodbyes to Botswana and to the wonderful people with whom we have become friends.

When we arrived in May at least this time we knew what to do and so we could hit the ground running. The first year we came in 2006, when Janet took us to the grocery store to stock up our little flat, I couldn't even hardly think of what to buy as I was feeling a little overwhelmed. Now....living here is a breeze.

For many that we say Goodbye to we are fairly certain we will never see them again this side of Heaven. There is Noah and Kabelo--a dear engaged couple with whom we have become close. They'll be getting married next April.

Tinaye has been such a marvelous help to Aaron and he and Aaron have become great friends. Aaron has introduced the new world of "Coffee Break" to him and Tinaye loves to have a cup of hot chocolate at one of the coffee places.

Chuck and Janet have been friends for around 30 years and we have so enjoyed helping them out here in Botswana. Mark and Victoria in Namibia we only met in 2007 but we are close to them and it was wonderful to be able to take a side trip to Namibia for 12 days.

On Sept. 16 we begin the long, long trip home. And as difficult as it is to leave, arriving home and seeing the kids, the grandkids, and my elderly parents will be wonderful

My prayer for those we leave behind is: "God be with you til we meet again."

Driving Me Crazy

2009-09-05T05:42:00.000-07:00

Evidently it is fairly common here in Botswana for people to not have a driver's license or carry car insurance. At least it is common for the 2 people who have plowed into us since August 25. (Today is Sept. 5)

The first accident occurred right in front of policemen so there was no quarrel with whose fault it was. BUT, the police did not even ask to see the other guy's license, registration or proof of insurance. I guess it is a good thing, because he had NONE of the 3. I know this happens in the USA but I think that licensed, insured and registered drivers far outnumber those who are not.

Today we were in the parking lot of the nearby mall, getting ready to enter onto a side road to head towards home. A young lady driving a Mazda 3, newer model, was distracted (her word) and failed to see the stop sign. Fortunately Aaron saw her barreling towards us at a rate of speed that was WAY too high for a parking lot. If he had not slammed on the brakes, she would have hit our pickup in the passenger door and I probably would have been hurt.

When speaking with her and obtaining her name, phone number, etc., we discovered she had no license, and no insurance. How could we be so lucky to have two people hit us in two different vehicles who are both uninsured, etc.

I am thankful that in both cases no one was hurt.

Two Months in Botswana

2009-07-16T04:22:00.000-07:00

We have been in country for two months and a lot has been accomplished. Aaron is very busy building, fixing, maintaining, and being the go-to guy. He thrives on it, even though it makes him very tired at night. So far I have 269 of the books entered in to the computer so that job is going along very well. I just finished listening to Michael J. Fox's latest book, and now I have a new one to start--Bill O'Reilly's "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity." I bought it from Barnes and Noble, downloaded it to the computer, then to iTunes and then to my iPod. Easy--well, pretty easy. Yesterday we had an appt. at the Embassy to get new pages put in to our passports. We might not need them before the passport expires in 2011, but just in case. Because the consular is going home later this month and in August, we had to make an appt. and the day available to us was the 15th, and the time given was 10. No choice in that area. We got there a little early, went through the check-in procedures and security, and were escorted to the office in the embassy. Aaron, of course, spoke to the Marines on duty (I sure wish my nephew could get that easy duty.) When we went inside there was a lady sitting there who appeared to be upset. CNN was on and the volume was down. I asked the lady if she was okay and she said she just didn't like hearing the news. We got to talking and found out that she and her husband have lived in Botswana since '92. He was a commercial airlines pilot but is now a pilot for Missionary Aviation Fellowship. This couple adopted a child from Botswana who when she was 10 days old was in an accident with her parents and another person. They were in a pickup when the accident occurred and the baby was thrown out and landed on her head. She lay on the road until sometime the next day before being discovered. The people who adopted her were told that she'd be blind, never be able to walk or to talk. But she is now 8. She can see (although she'd be considered legally blind) and she can walk and talk a bluestreak. The family spent 5 years in America getting her the medical help she needed. The mom was there to pick up her new passport since they are making a trip to the States to see family. We were at the Embassy for about 1.5 hours so it was nice to have this lady to talk to. After we got our passports back, we came back home for awhile before heading out to a hotel for lunch. Some mission executives from Springfield, MO were here very briefly and lunch was part of the plans. We went to the Grand Palm Hotel where they serve a buffet that would knock your eyes out. I threw caution to the wind and ate anything I wanted, and I seemed to want a lot. While I was out getting a dessert for Aaron and me, they execs were question Aaron about our future plans. Now all along we'd planned that this would be our last trip over here. We pay for this ourselves and maybe out kids want us to leave them a little something when we go to heaven! Actually, I think they are pleased that we are serving God in this manner and don't mind the money we spend. These guys told Aaron that we could be used in a lot of places. So who knows where we'll end up next. Every day is an adventure when Jesus is in control.

WWHWWWH

2009-06-05T08:08:00.001-07:00

June 5 ended the first week of Fundamentals of Music. To demonstrate one of the Musical Skills--Creating, I broke the class into 4 groups and assigned them the scripture Psalms 145:8 to create a song. To the left you see a group outside practicing. The other photos reflect the performances. Oh what fun it was!

Today we worked on the major scales, thus the WWHWWH you see in the title line. A major scale is Whole step, Whole step, Half step, etc. I had a keyboard on my projection so could write on the white board to demonstrate a scale. I think we made very good progress.

Nothing to Sneeze At

2009-05-21T04:11:00.000-07:00

As we entered the country of Botswana, as residents of the United States of America, we were asked to fill out a form concerning the Swine Flu--now known as N1K1 or something. Fortunately we have not been touched with that illness so could safely answer No to all of the queries. I wonder if we would have been allowed in to the country if we'd had any of the symptoms.

I have been rearranging library books to get all of a certain Dewey Decimal number together. Books of a similar number were on 2 sides of a book case, making finding a book more difficult. A student who also has a BA degree but is now training to be a pastor, is the paid library assistant so he pitched in and helped me and I really appreciated his help.

So far I have not started the work of adding the 600 new books. Besides the work of entering each book into the computer, printing out bar codes and spine labels and applying them, there will also be much more moving of books to accommodate the new ones. Aaron is going to build a new book case. By the time I have finished I will have handled thousands of books--moving them, moving them, moving them.

Faster than a speeding bullet

2009-05-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

It was nice to travel directly from Washington, D.C. to Johannesburg, but this year that didn't happen. There were several passengers who disembarked in Senegal and new passengers came on. Although our flight was a little bumpy, the worst part is the sheer boredom of being locked inside a bullet shaped apparatus, hurtling through the night skies at over 600 miles an hour.

I watched "Australia" and a couple of other movies and thanks to a nice little pill (very legal) I was able to sleep for about 6 of the hours after taking off from Senegal.

It is rather cool here in Tlokweng, not cold....just cool. It is winter but the daytimes are generally warm and sunny.

Jet lag is a definite problem right now. Aaron is lying on the bed snoring away and I'm desperately trying to stay awake. Sleep may win unless I can keep moving.

It Begins

2009-05-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

Today we fly to Seattle from Pasco, WA where we will spend the night AND have dinner at The Cheesecake Factory with a cousin we've never met. Tomorrow morning we depart from Sea-Tac for Dulles International, and then in the evening on to Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Countdown Begins

2009-05-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

One week from today our journey towards Botswana will begin. It will begin with a short flight to Seattle where we will spend the night and a cousin whom we have never met will take us to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I hope they have something besides cheesecake, although I'm sure a small piece will find its way into my stomach.

I am diligently working on my Keynote (Powerpoint) presentation for the music class I'll be teaching. I'm about 2/3 of the way done but the going is a little slow right now. If I'm not finished up before we leave I can finish in Botswana.

The suitcases are on the guest room bed and a few things have been moved to that area. We are taking tape, bar code labels, and spine labels with us for the almost 600 books I'll be cataloging. No, our trips to Africa are not just fun and games. We go to work for Jesus Christ, for the missionaries, and for the Assemblies of God.

People have asked me if "the church" pays our way. The answer is "No." We pay our own way. We do have friends and relatives and our church who give us donations. Any money donated will be used to further the work there. Our daughter gave us money to buy shoes for children and so we will help our minister friend's family and bless the children with new school shoes. The other monies given to us will be given to the missionary to help fund the new kitchen in the Bible School.

My Granddaughter--the next Top Chef

2009-04-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a recipe that Karen (age 10) came up with on her own. Her mother was somewhat dubious over a couple of the ingredients but she said it tasted very good. Yesterday Karen gave me the recipe and I have purchased the necessary items to make it this week.

HAM AND VEGGIE STEW

INGREDIENTS:

5-6 pinches of Curry-Powder

3 Full sized carrots

3 Whole Potatoes

2-3 Cups of Ham (leftovers or preheated, or turkey)

1-2 Pinches of Rosemary

3 cubes of Chicken Broth

My daughter says to add about 6 cups of water or it'll be very thick.

Skin the carrots and potatoes completely. Chop into bite sized pieces. Put into boiling water until the carrots are soft enough a baby can chew it, but not too mush. Make the meat into pieces like the veggies, then add. Let it stew for a bit. Add the cubes of chicken broth and pinch in the curry. Stir, then add the rosemary. Let it stew some more, and when done, and serve immediately, but it needs to chill or your mouth will burn! I hope you enjoy this recipe, because I did!

Made up by a ten year old all by herself, her mother didn't help her at all!

It's All Lining Up

2009-03-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

Our electronic ticket information arrived yesterday for our flight from Seattle to Johannesburg, overnighting there, then on to our final destination: Gabarone, Botswana. Then last night I went on-line and got our tickets on Horizon (Alaska Airlines) from Pasco, WA to Seattle where we will spend the night of May 14.

I checked on united.com to see how much it would cost to fly to Seattle. Would you believe it was $1100 for the 2 of us. For a trip that is 171 miles by air!! I was truly shocked. On Horizon it was $478 for the 2 of us. Now that is a big difference. I think it is partly because Horizon is a smaller airline that flies these shorter distance shuttles several times a day.

I did splurge a little on our motel--The Raddison. It is very close to the airport and has sleep-number beds. I've never slept on one of those so this might just be a treat. We have to be at the airport the next morning by 5:30 so a closer motel is a bonus. Plus, last year we stayed at one that was decidedly not to our taste.

Spring in My Step

2009-03-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

Okay...So I'm a little down this morning. I'm working so hard on this weight loss thing and I cannot get things moving down. I've exercised much more than I ever have since I was a young thing, I'm eating the right away and my scale is stuck, stuck, stuck. I can't even seem to lose .2 of a pound. Now I ask you.....is that too much to ask for? Just .2 of a pound. Today I'm not even going to exercise although I will wear my pedometer when I go shopping with my friend and keep track of my steps and calories burned.

I can't seem to get my act together and get some house work done. The ironing is stacking up. Laundry needs to be folded. The carpet desperately needs to be vacuumed. I really want to see my granddaughters in Texas.

I need to work on getting that spring in my step. I need to get up from this computer and just get moving. Where is my motivation? I feel like it is there and yet I'm having trouble finding it. I know I cannot give up. I cannot give up. I cannot give up.

We leave for Africa in 7 weeks and 2 days. I had such high hopes for weighing 230 or less by then and now that is looking further and further away although in all actuality it is only 8.2 pounds away. ONLY 8.2 pounds. Get your rear out of the chair, Margaret, and start moving.

Pants Problem--the zipper goes WHERE?

2009-03-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

Sunday after church and lunch we came home and I got comfortable. That means I got out of my church clothes and into my bathrobe ready to begin the serious work of my parents' taxes. I'm in the middle of entering words and figures when I hear a timid knock at the door. None of our friends come to the front door as a general rule so I opened the door just a tiny bit, saw who it was and said, "Just a minute."

I shut the door and went to the bedroom where I pulled a pair of pants out of the closet and put them on. They had been given to me some time back and they didn't fit. The next time I tried them on they fit but were tight in the legs. This time they went on easily and I zipped them up, got a blouse and went out to let my guest in. We talked about what he'd come over for (I'm accompanying him at a talent show this Saturday evening) and I casually reached to put my hands into my pockets but the pockets weren't where they were supposed to be. As I continued talking I reached around my backside and there were the pockets facing the wrong direction.

After my guest left I took off the pants and realized that the zipper went in the back not in the front. I also discovered that fastening them by myself is virtually impossible so have decided that I'll never be able to wear them unless Aaron is with me to fasten them. Inconvenient, huh!

My Father

2009-03-01T15:21:00.000-08:00

Today my dad is 88. He is an amazing man, full of vitality and life. My dad has never been overweight in his life and still works at maintaining around 150 pounds.

My dad takes care of my mom who is pretty much an invalid. She needs help getting dressed, using the restroom, getting into and out of her wheelchair and the car. Dad does it all. He cooks, cleans, does the laundry, pays the bills and gets up with my mom several times a night. Like I said, my dad is amazing.

At the end of this month they will celebrate 67 years of marriage. 67 years of being faithful to one another. 67 years of loving one another. 67 years of what marriage is all about.

My dad is my example. He is my hero. I love my dad.

A Sad Day

2009-02-19T09:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday (Feb. 18) I presented our Botswana and Namibia pictures to a group of girls at our former church.

When I arrived home my husband said that I needed to call my sister in California. She had very sad news to share with me. Her 50 year old, very in shape brother-in-law had died while working out at a gym. Just collapsed and he was dead. He leaves a wife, son who is 19 and a 15 year old daughter. He was in excellent health as far as everyone knew. So this has come as a complete shock to the entire family.

There will be tests done to see what caused his death.

This is a very good example of why husbands AND wives need to know what is going on financially in the household. Every morning when you kiss your spouse good-bye you don't know if it might be the last time you see them.

My condolences to the family. I pray that God will be their comfort.

Not Much

2009-02-07T13:43:00.000-08:00

Life is going on and on here in Hermiston. Nothing unusual happening. Still working at UHS Library, and may be for awhile longer. Good thing I like it.

You know, I'm kinda tired of so much being blamed on us Conservative Christians. It's like we are a bunch of people who want to kill sick people if we aren't for Universal Healthcare. Or people think we hate homosexuals......we DON'T!!

A Christian is a person who has accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Having done this does NOT make us perfect and we should never be self-righteous. The Bible says that our righteousness is as filthy rags. Our righteousness only comes through Jesus Christ.

When a person becomes a Christian your attitude should be changed because Jesus has change your heart. We shouldn't be lying or stealing or swearing. We should be treating people kindly, we should be paying our bills, we should be praying for our elected officials. We should be telling people about Jesus.....and that is what I'm doing right now. I'm telling you about Jesus.

More Snow in Hermiston

2009-01-25T22:07:00.000-08:00

Yep! We were hoping winter was over here--at least the part where we got snow. But no! We had more yesterday and today. Fortunately it didn't cause big problems on the roads. The temperature has not risen above freezing for more than 2 weeks. I'll be glad to see spring arriving.

I'm getting rid of cookbooks. I've managed over the years to accumulate quite a few, many of which I never used. I don't really like to cook all that much but I've always liked to buy cookbooks. Now that just doesn't make sense does it. Aaron had to empty out the piece of furniture that holds all the cookbooks and my china (which my dad got for my mom for their 25th anniversary in 1967) so that he could more easily move it while putting down the new peel and stick tile. So all the cookbooks are in the living room on the floor. I need to pick out say four of them to keep and dispose of the rest. Oh, I won't throw them away. I'll give them away or list them on paperback swap.

And the next time I see a cookbook I think I can't live without...I'll learn to live without it.

Our Grandson

2009-01-16T16:01:00.000-08:00

Our only grandson Curtis has turned 4. We are going to Milton-Freewater to spend the night, babysit while Larisa goes to practice at church, and then be there for the party tomorrow.

I had had a counter on my site for awhile and suddenly it went away and I had to put on a new one. So now it looks like only 2 people have read my blog.

The boxes were just delivered for us to send back the Dish Network equipment. If only they hadn't been having a "fight" with Fisher Inc. we'd have stayed with them. But not having CBS.....can't live without CBS. Well, okay, I COULD live, but there are programs on there we really like. Like NCIS, The Unit, Amazing Race, Survivor to name a few.

Time to put the rest of my over-nite stuff in a shopping bag. Grab the toothbrush and get on outta here. Have a good weekend.

Lonely in the USA

2009-01-11T22:08:00.000-08:00

There's a whole bunch of military personnel that are lonely in the USA. You can be on a ship with thousands of other people, you can be on a military base with thousands of other people, you can be on a college campus with thousands of other people, you can live in a city with thousands (perhaps millions) of other people and still be lonely. Sometimes I feel lonely and a whole lot of it is my fault because I don't reach out to other people. I can sit here in my little house feeling sorry for myself when if I'd make an effort I could talk to a friend, go out to coffee with a friend, etc.

When my husband was in the Marines he found a church right away where he regularly attended. He met another Marine at the church and they became fast friends. He got involved at the church, helping out in any way he could. He was 19 years old. He'd be going to Vietnam in a year or so. A whole bunch of young guys had to grow up really fast. Who ever said life was fair? Not me, that's for sure.

Like my mom always said--Don't forget to take a jacket.

Life is better with a jacket.

New Year's Day

2009-01-02T19:53:00.000-08:00

Ok, so New Year's Day is never one of my favorite days. Just wayyyyyy toooooo much football. And I've kinda lost interest in the parades.

So I did laundry, played on the computer, watched a Netflix on the computer.

Today Aaron and I went to the church where I got the music ready for Sunday plus between the pastor and I downloaded some new backdrops for our Easy Worship program. I also got some music together for a funeral I'm playing for tomorrow.

Then as we prepared to go to lunch...Pastor R discovered he'd left his lights on and the truck's battery was deader than a door nail. We tried the push 'em and pop the clutch method but it didn't work. What it did do was put a dent in our license plate which Aaron later fixed.

So while they waited for their daughter-in-law to bring the jumper cables, we headed for the restaurant where we placed the order they'd requested. Guess they trust us!

Good food, good friends, good fun.

Last night I went to see Bedtime Stories with 2 lady friends. Great movie, very funny, good for kids and adults.

Aaron and I saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button earlier in the week. Incredible! Very interesting concept.

Is it my turn yet?

2008-12-27T16:51:00.000-08:00

Due to Aaron having come down with a mild case of pneumonia, we postponed our holiday dinner with our daughter and family until Dec. 26. They brought all the food over from Milton-Freewater and cooked it at our house.

During the cooking period we began to open our gifts. We don't give lots of gifts to each other--just one or two. Curtis, almost 4, kept asking, "Is it my turn yet?"

Then we loaded everything in the vans and took it to my parent's house where we all ate together. Leg of lamb, mashed yams, green beans and rice pilaf. What a yummy dinner.

Today the temperature begin to rise and the snow began to melt. My dad's gutters were full of ice and needed to be removed. Aaron spent 4 hours helping to chip out the ice. The clean-up from a beautiful snowfall is not pretty. The streets are mushy and dirty. It's slippery. And if the temperature falls tonight, oh boy, it'll be a mess tomorrow morning.

Yes, Virginia, we will have a White Christmas even if Bing doesn't sing!

2008-12-19T07:45:00.001-08:00

All of this beautiful white stuff has resulted in schools being cancelled 3 days this week (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) so students are getting an extra long Christmas break. So far the roads haven't been difficult to drive on as long as you slow down and watch out for everyone around you.

Winter in Eastern Oregon, 2008. Here is the front of our house. After Aaron shoveled off the front porch earlier this week, it is now completely covered again. We can't use the front door.

Our beautiful back yard.

Picnic anyone?

The neighbors appreciate

Aaron clearing the side-

walks and driveways.

The snow-blower is a gas hog. One

neighbor gave him $5 and then also

gave him a gallon of gas.

Our neighbor's pine tree.

Be Prepared

2008-12-08T20:14:00.000-08:00

When I arrived home from work and exercising at Curves my husband had quite an interesting adventure to share. He and our Pastor, Ron, had gone to a place that does special wood cuts, etc. for Ron to buy a mantel for his parent's fireplace.

On the way home they spotted a car along side the road with a woman looking through her trunk. They decided to see if she needed help and sure enough she did. She had a flat tire and her donut tire was unusable and she had no other spare. Aaron and Ron told her about calling Les Schwab. She had no money but both Aaron and the pastor said that they would pay for the tire. The guys went over to the nearest McDonalds for lunch and then came back to wait with the lady. After an hour the tire guys showed up (right on time) and fixed her tire. $136. Ron gave her his address with the hope that she'll be able to pay him back. But even if she doesn't he will have done a good deed. We'll split the cost of the tire with him.

So Aaron sent out an email to our lady friends telling them they should make sure to have a spare and a jack and any other needed tools in their vehicles. So if you only have a donut tire-think about getting a spare. Make sure you have a jack. You don't want to be stranded along a freeway or back road unprepared.

Life as I know it

2008-11-25T16:47:00.000-08:00

So hopefully I haven't been rude to anyone lately. I certainly try not to be.

After returning from Texas on Monday November 17, our son and his wife received a call that our daughter-in-law's grandmother was nearing death. So they made an emergency trip to Hermiston to see her. Of course, that gave both sets of grandparents another chance to see our kids and our granddaughters. On Saturday we had the privilege of having both of our children and all 5 grandchildren together. That doesn't happen very often and we are thankful for this opportunity.

Although I am enjoying my subbing duties at the High School Library I'll be glad to see the regular person recover from her injuries and be able to return to work. Hopefully it'll be sometime in January. Or February. She has to be released by doctors to be able to return to work.

I also had the opportunity to share my faith in God with students today. They brought up the subject, they asked the questions and I answered. How great is that!!

HOW RUDE!!

2008-11-12T13:37:00.000-08:00

At the Denver airport I went to get into line at Heidi's Deli to get some breakfast for Aaron and me. I thought I was at the end of the line, but NO I wasn't. I cut in before other people and wasn't even aware of it. I think it was a combination of not much sleep the night before and getting up at 4:00 a.m. I heard a lady say, "How rude!" and looked around to see who she meant. The flight attendant who was right behind me sat by Aaron and me at the tables and I asked him if she had meant me. He said she did and of course, I apologized to him. The lady had left to look for another eating spot or I would have apologized to her also. I have no idea what she looked like and I never saw her again. So I'll make a general apology to the people in line behind me....I'm sorry I cut in. I honestly thought I was at the end of the line. I have to say that this bothered me for hours. I don't intentionally like to be rude.

So if you were at Heidi's Deli at the Denver airport on Tuesday, November 11 around 7:00 a.m. and I got in line in front of you...I'm sorry.

Driving Miss Margaret

2008-11-01T05:53:00.000-07:00

On Monday October 27 we left our home at 5:12 a.m. and drove just over 600 miles to my sister's house in Fairfield, CA. Aaron drove the entire distance. He had said he was going to have me drive some, but he is like the Energizer Bunny--he just keeps going and going. I have the unfortunate habit of drifting off to sleep now and again and again and again. At least that way I'm not giving him any trouble!!

It was great to see our nephew Spencer and hear his stories of boot camp. What a great attitude he has about the entire experience--even the really rough parts. He had great admiration for his drill instructor. This coming Tuesday--Election Day--he starts the next part of his training in San Diego and then he'll be heading to Virginia to begin training for his MOS.

I always have a great time being with my sister Jeanne. She had to work but was able to take off early.

We are off again on November 8--flying to Lincoln, Nebraska and then on to Austin, TX to see our son and family. Can't wait to give those little granddaughters a hug and read to them and play games with them.

Jes walkin' along, mindin' my own bizness

2008-10-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

Yep, I'm doin' my best Sarah Palin. The more I hear of her the more I like her. She's a down-to-earth woman who is learning, learning, learning. I hope that America gives her and McCain a chance to show what they can do.

Now, on a different subject. Yesterday I took a walk here in Fairfield, CA and I'm so much slower than I used to be. My only knees protest at every step and the 12 minute mile I used to be able to walk has turned in to a 15 minute half-mile.

One thing I really like while walking along the sidewalk is how the city keeps all the bushes and trees trimmed off along the sidewalk. Everything is cut of evenly so that nothing protrudes out over the sidewalk to impede your walking. I wish that my city in Oregon would enforce the policy they have whereby the property owners are supposed to keep the sidewalk area cleared. Too often we have to step out into the street to avoid trees and bushes. So, thanks Fairfield City Crews for keeping things cleared off for the walkers.

Number 101

2008-10-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

This is my 101st post. I've blogged my way through Botswana, across the USA, and in Namibia. I've expressed my views on politcal and religious beliefs. I've shared about my battle with weight, my family and the lady who thought I wasn't going to stop at the stop sign. I've had mostly good comments although one person told me I was wrong to feel the way I feel about who should be the next President of the United States of America.

I am very concerned that our nation is quickly becoming Socialist--expecting the government to do everything for us from birth to death. God help us is my prayer.

Credit cards....stop using them unless you can pay it off EVERY month. It took me awhile to learn that lesson but I have found it is an excellent way to live--debt free.

House...don't buy a house that you can't afford to make the monthly payments. That is the cause of the foreclosure problem going on here in the USA.

Live within your means is a good motto to live by.

Four Letter Words or Five Letter Words or a Nine Letter Word

2008-10-21T06:43:00.000-07:00

I admit I don't understand the need to use crude language. There are so many other words to use. I've already had to take one friend off of Facebook because other people posted on his/her site with bad language. I hope I don't have to do that anymore.

Last night we saw the movie Fireproof and I totally recommend it. Only one professional actor, Kirk Cameron, is in the movie--everyone else is an amateur. It has much to say to every family. I think anyone who watches it could pick something out and say "that is just the way it is in my family." I know it affected me that way in several areas.

Margaret Wetterling has voted

2008-10-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

Oregon has gone to mail ballots only making the day of the clerk announcing, "Margaret Wetterling has voted" to be a thing of the past. I prepared my ballot yesterday evening and tomorrow I'll either mail it in or drive to the library and drop it in the ballot box there. No one will announce anything...in fact...no one may even notice. But I'll know that I have done my civic duty and voted for the presidential candidate of my choice (see below to see who that is) and for the various senators, congressmen, Oregon state measures and local city council representatives. My friend, Joe, is on the ballot. Yep, the same ballot as the candidates for President of the United States of America. We live in a great country!

Working Out

2008-10-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

It's all about the moving and moving and moving. This is a picture of me in Windhoek, Namibia at Curves. I exercise regularly at the Curves in Hermiston, Oregon. Is it doing me any good? I hope so. I may not be seeing huge losses pounds wise, but it is good for me in staying limber. Women of all ages exercise there. Sometimes I think about quitting but I know that it is a good thing for me to do. Gotta keep moving and moving and moving.

Anonymous

2008-10-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

I believe that I have the right to support for President whomever I wish. I believe that YOU have the right to support for President whomever YOU wish. I believe that I have the right to say so on my blog or in person. I believe that YOU have the right to say so on YOUR blog or in person.

I don't think I have the right to tell you that you are wrong. I don't believe that you have the right to tell me that I am wrong. We have the feelings we do for various reasons. My reasons are not wrong and your reasons are not wrong. This is the United States of America where both you and I are FREE to say what we want (within reason--no shouting "Fire" in a crowded theater unless there really is a fire.) And we are FREE to worship the way we please--the government does not have a state-sponsored church we have to attend. And we are FREE to vote from our heart. Whoever wins this election will be my President and I will have respect for him.

My husband's cousin, Liz, took a video of Sarah Palin at a rally and how she handled a heckler. Liz posted this to You Tube. It got picked up on the Drudge Report and bodabing bodaboom over 41,000 people have seen it. Unfortunately, other people claimed it was their video and actually made money off of it. Now tell me.....is that fair or honest????

Who will win?

2008-10-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it...I'm just a tad bit scared. I'm scared of what will happen if McCain is not elected. I'm scared that the time will come when we'll lose our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to bear arms, etc.

I know there has been a lot of stuff out there about Obama that ISN'T true, but there is also a lot of truth being told. McCain doesn't have a stellar past either and that has been brought up also. One thing I have admired about McCain is that he admitted his errors. He admitted he was not faithful to his wife when he returned from Vietnam. I have yet to hear Obama admit to any of his past mistakes. (Perhaps he has and I just haven't heard it.)

The Bible tells me "that he who is without sin should cast the first stone." I'm not without sin, I admit that. But when I asked Jesus into my heart to be my Savior and Lord I have someone to go to and ask forgiveness when I do sin.

If you read this and you're feeling a little scared, please vote for McCain. And for peace of mind and heart, ask Jesus to be your Savior.

A little brag about my kids

2008-10-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

Larisa, who is 35, and her husband Paul have 2 children of their own and have over the past few years taken in foster children. Just yesterday 2 siblings were brought to their home, a 5 month old and a 2 year old. I don't know how long they will be there. Thankfully, Paul has a great job which allows Larisa to be a stay-at-home mom.

Nolan, who is 32, and his wife Maryanne have 3 children. They are also fortunate that Nolan has a job which allows Maryanne to be a stay-at-home mom. To earn extra money Nolan mows lawns on the weekend. Maryanne is homeschooling their oldest daughter who is in kindergarten.

I am proud of my children and how they are parenting their children.

A New Marine is being birthed

2008-10-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

As I write, my nephew Spencer is in The Crucible. He is at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego in his last week of boot camp. The Crucible is 55 hours of intense training, where you absolutely must depend upon your fellow Marines. In these 55 hours each Marine is given food for 2.5 meals. In honor of what he is going through my sister, Spencer's mom, is only having 1 meal a day. I'm very proud of the choice Spencer made to join the military. He knew that college was not for him and so he chose this direction. He has really loved boot camp and this 18 year old kid will come out an 18 year old man. Semper Fi

My other nephew, Cleighton, is in the Navy and is serving on the USS Ronald Reagan--somewhere out in the ocean. While this may sound exciting, it isn't. It isn't like being on a cruise ship. But what they are doing is important. Cleighton has his watch times, like the other sailors, always being observant for what is out there.

God bless the USA.

Whinin' about the Wind

2008-10-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

Today I worked at my former work place as a substitute for 4 hours. I helped some third graders with writing sentences using subjects and predicates and how they must match. It seems to be a difficult concept to comprehend for children, especially when they don't read what they've written out loud. When I read the sentences to them they could hear what was wrong and what needed to be changed. I enjoyed that time period of learning. Why, oh why, oh why didn't I stay in college and become the teacher I was planning to be!!!

About the wind? The person I subbed for has playground duty with the first graders. It is not a difficult time--just walking around, talking to kids, making sure they don't hurt themselves or someone else. But today in Eastern Oregon it is terribly windy. Back in the "old days" when I first worked at the school and had playground duty every day, I wore contact lenses. I was always having to pop in to a nearby classroom and work to get the grit out of my eyes. Now I'm back to glasses and the wind was no problem.

The wind is probably my least favorite thing about living in Eastern Oregon.

Go McCain/Palin!!

Died in the Wool Conservative Republic

2008-10-02T19:54:00.001-07:00

Yeah, that's me. Originally I was a Republican because my parents were so I didn't know any difference. Now I pretty much know why I'm a Republican...because I'm a conservative. I did tell a fund raiser on the phone one day that if they called me again asking for money I was going to become an Independent.

Yeah, I'm going to vote for McCain/Palin. I was very pleased at how Gov. Palin handled the debate this evening. She may not have been perfect, but she is very new to the national scene.

Yeah, I'll be glad when the election is over because shortly after that we get to go to Texas to see our beautiful granddaughters.

My Hometown

2008-09-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

What I Like

1. The attractive walkway with flowers and fountains along the main highway through town.

2. The clocktower at the park by the fire station.

3. The house at the end of our street that has been all cleaned up by the new owners.

4. The house around the corner painted a beautiful dark olive green while we were gone this summer.

5. The new retaining wall by the apartments on Sunland.

6. The beautiful flowers at the house on the corner of 17th and Alleluia.

7. The very nice park and walking trail by the Umatilla River.

8. The nice yards that people put a lot of time into keeping attractive.

What I Don't Like

1. Gang grafitti written wherever they want to write it--generally on other people's property.

2. Yards that are not kept up.

3. Cats that come and use our yard for their toilet.

4. When someone decides it'd be fun to put soap in the fountain which then can ruin the motor costing us, the taxpayers, money.

5. People who drop their soda cups, bottles, etc. and other trash anywhere they please--sometimes within sight of a trash can.

6. Shopping carts being left anywhere and everywhere in a parking lot.

An Apple A Day

2008-09-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

Aaron and I are the proud owners of 2 Apple Computers. Yes, you read that right...two. We purchased an IMac and and a MacBook Air. It has taken several hours of work getting email configured, getting one connected to the DSL and the other to the wireless router but Hallelujah...we have been successful.

So at this moment we have 4 computers, two of which we need to delete items or move to the Macs. Our granddaughter is buying the laptop and the old PC will go to PC heaven. For the time being Aaron has to use the old PC for his Sunday School lessons because he has so much info on it.

Now neither of us can complain about the amount of time someone is on the internet or using the computer.

An apple a day keeps the arguments away.

Last weekend in Namibia

2008-08-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

It is August 30--our son and his wife's 11th anniversary. Happy Anniversary Nolan and Maryanne. It is also our last weekend in Namibia. This morning the plan was to take one of the workers out to breakfast but I woke up not feeling so well so Aaron went by himself. Now, I'm telling you the truth!! for me to turn down going out to breakfast you have to know I really didn't feel good. After taking some meds I began to feel better. I gave a last piano lesson to Laudia and she presented me with a dress that is her tribal dress. I was very surprised. What a nice thing for her to have had made for me. Now I have a dress from two of the tribes here--Damara and Oshivambo (and I've probably spelled both of them wrong.)

Tomorrow we'll be busy in church--Aaron is preaching and I'm leading worship. Then Monday morning we'll head off to the airport.

My Day by Margaret

2008-08-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

Today I have been married 38 years--and all to the same man.

This is my day:

Went to breakfast at the German cafe where I had a brotchen with salami, cheese and tomato. Also had an apple turnover and coffee. Aaron had bacon, egg and toast with a jelly donut.

Came back home briefly, then went to pick up Rosie to clean the church then we went to a streetside vendor to buy a hat.

We have been amused by the fact that this sign clearly says No Vendors or Selling but everyday this man is here selling his hats. Also several women set up food pots to sell meals. You will see a policeman standing around and even purchasing food. So perhaps the sign doesn't mean what it says.

This is a gambling joint in town. I have NOT been there. It is called The Lucky Dip--lucky for whom I'd like to know.

After returning home Aaron went to the shop to work and I went to the library where I solved some of the mysteries I needed to solve. I worked on songs for church tomorrow and got that all prepared.

I had forgotten to take my phone with me so poor Rosie spent more time at the church then planned. We went to pick her up, Aaron took her home, I stayed at the church waiting for the choir.

Only 3 people came and so instead of doing a special number tomorrow they will be part of the worship team. I taught them songs they did not know.

Now Aaron has the BBQ going to do some chicken and I'll cook some rice.

All in all a very profitable day.

Taking it for granted

2008-08-17T15:26:00.000-07:00

Electricity that is. Living in the USA we are used to having electricity most of the time. Winter weather can change that, and also other circumstances. But generally we have electricity.

Today here in Namibia it had been announced that the electricity would be off all over town from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. We had a dinner to prepare for the folks from various towns in Namibia who had gathered in Otjiwarongo for a church conference. Fortunately most cooking is done on gas burning stoves. There were four of us in the kitchen preparing the meat, onions and potatoes. Several kilos of rice had been cooked. Carrot salad was the vegetable of the day.

Many people here enjoy the bones and this game meat had lots of bone. The long hours of cooking made the meat extremely tender and when I sat down to eat I enjoyed it so much.

The only bad thing about not having electricity today was not being able to watch the Olympics but that's okay. It was a marvelous, busy day and the tiredness I felt was deserved. Working to serve others brings a great reward of satisfaction.

Tomorrow we will do the cleanup. The hot water had all been used so cleaning by hand wouldn't have been very sanitary. The dish washer is full. By tomorrow we'll have hot water again and the kitchen will be put to rights.

Ahh...life is good.

You Just Might Get Called to Preach...even if you aren't a preacher

2008-08-10T09:05:00.001-07:00

Today, August 10, we visited another local Assembly of God church here in Otjiwarongo. We went expecting to hear one of the students, who is the pastor and also attends the Bible school, preach, but he had not yet returned from Zambia. A young lady was leading the service, beginning with prayer. At one point she welcomed us and called Aaron "pastor." I think perhaps if you are visiting Africa and you are white and attending church it may be assumed you are a pastor. Not the case for us.

A bit into the service this young lady and a lady we knew came back to us and asked if Aaron could preach. When you are serving Jesus, the answer should be YES. So as they sang all their songs, announcements and more songs (I'd told R to sing lots of songs) Aaron was thinking about what he would talk to them about.

So.....as it turned out, Aaron did become the preacher for today. He had me go up front with him and I gave a short talk. Every sentence either of us said is translated in two languages. You are patient and speak one sentence at a time and it works well. Aaron then gave his talk about the potential we have to be used of Jesus, using how water goes through turbines to turn the generator to produce electricity at a dam as an example.

At the end of the service after they took the offering I was asked to conclude in prayer. Before praying I said I wanted to sing a favorite song I'd learned here last year: "There's no one, there's no one like Jesus." Oh they sing it with gusto.

What a privilege to serve Jesus in this way. Be ready!!

I am putting this picture in just because I think it is a cool looking picture of zebras at Etosha National Park which we visited a few weeks ago.

Double Bar LInes

2008-08-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

For all you non-musicians out there, the double bar line means you are at the end of the song. For me right now it means that the class is finished, the recital is finished, and the juice and cookies are finished.

Some students played pianisimo, some played mezzo forte, and a couple played forte. Some played andante when they should have played lento, some played...oh you get the picture. I can't think of enough musical terms to describe it. I worked and worked with those who were playing eighth notes, explaining the relationship between quarter notes and eighth notes. "Eighth notes are two times faster than the quarter notes. You cannot play the simple quarter notes fast and then slow down for the eighth notes. If you can't play the eighth notes faster then you must slow down the quarters." If I said it once, I said it 10 times. When it was M's turn you could tell she was extremely nervous. Her 3 youngest children were there to hear her for the first time. She announced that she was going to play "Away in a Manger." Throughout the song she made so many mistakes and corrected them that if you didn't know what she was playing you'd have had a hard time figuring it out. But when she was finished she was greeted with a wild round of applause. Later she asked her husband if he could tell she was playing "Away in a Manger." He said, "Well, you told us what you were going to play." She laughed hilariously at herself for quite a while.

When I called for R to come play I asked him what he was going to play and he replied, "The Falling Bridge." Aaron laughed very hard as did we all. Two of his friends had come to hear him and he played "London Bridge is Falling Down" exceptionally.

Dr. Z had learned the melody of "Amazing Grace" from the printed page and then came up with own version. I had showed him how to play a C Chord with his left hand to end the piece and he ended with a flourish by playing it 3 times.

He and the other man who played Amazing Grace said they needed the grace of God to be able to play.

Things at the campus will now be very legato until the middle of August when the Church Conference starts. I'll finish up in the library, and Aaron will continue with his carpentry. Our flat needs some attention. The stress is over for awhile.

We've been asked to come back to Namibia next year after we finish up in Botswana. We'd be here for 2 weeks and I'd teach the music class again.

What's a jingle?

2008-08-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

In preparation for teaching music here in Nambia, I did a little searching on the internet looking for easy beginner piano music. I found a site where it is free to print music from and I downloaded 20 songs in to my flash drive and printed them out, making a booklet for each of my students. The first song was A Tisket, a Tasket, A Green and Yellow Basket. Finally after hearing that many times, I told them "No more A Tisket, A Tasket."

One of the songs is 2 lines of "Jingle Bells" and a student was singing it as he walked along. He saw my husband and asked, "What's a jingle?" Another song is "London Bridge is Falling Down." A student wrote "important" on the song, meaning he really wanted to learn it. They may not understand it, but they like the song. They were amazed when I told them London Bridge is in Arizona now.

A student was overheard asking, "Why did London Bridge fall? Was it during World War II?" When I was told that it cracked me up. Things we take so for granted just knowing are not necessarily things that are known all over the world.

Another student was absolutely determined to learn the simple version of "Amazing Grace." On his page he wrote "vital." And he has learned it. It may not be perfect but it will be recognizable. The amazing thing about all of this is....they've learned these simple songs in only 5 days. I've tried to spend 15 minutes per day with each of the 14 students and tomorrow they will have a small recital. We had a practice today where each of them played their piece. How exciting. We applauded. They high fived. These are adults who are so excited to learn a little about playing the piano.

One man who plays well by ear, has learned on his own "When the Saints Go Marching In." It has chords and tied notes--not necessarily an easy feat for a beginner. He has spent a lot of time on this song. I've helped him twice, figuring out the rhythm, where the notes fit together, etc.

It will be interesting to see how the recital comes off tomorrow. To be continued.

Music Class Glitch

2008-07-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

Here I am on the first day of teaching Fundamentals of Music in Otjiwarongo. On the wall behind me you see words on a blue background....this is NOT what I was hoping for. I had prepared a Presentation slide show (kind of like Power Point, but not) to illustrate some of the points in the lesson. Alas, we were not able to get it to show.....unless....you clicked the mouse on the top of the slide and slid it all the way off the desktop screen and then it would show on the wall. No matter what we did, it would not work.

Then this morning I took my computer to church to use for projecting the words of the songs we were going to sing and the words would not show on the wall no matter what we did. So whatever we did on Saturday to try to see the presentation, completely messed it up for using the program I have for our church songs. So, we just sang without the words to read from. How novel. It was okay, though, because most everyone knew the songs. Everything turned out well. Crisis averted.

Teaching in Otjiwarongo

2008-07-27T01:03:00.000-07:00

Fundamentals of Music class in Otjiwarongo. My first experience to teach anything other than a Sunday School class. In one week's time--24 hours of class time, and helping students practicing on the piano--we will have a small recital on August

Ohhhh, the Pain, the Pain

2008-07-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

of not having a battery for our laptop. It has completely died during the 6 weeks we've been in Namibia and D**l says we can only use their batteries and they can only be purchased from D**l.

So if our intricate plug-in system here gets bumped, the computer goes off immediately..and I mean immediately. Today I was at the library at the Bible School entering some information for spine labels and bar codes I need to print. The long, long extension cord I generally use was in use across the room and I couldn't just take it. I had my laptop plugged into the wall at a table, but the room where the printer is, is too far away to reach so I'd have had to unplug, have the computer immediately die, then go plug in and have to do the whole restart thing. I thought about it and thought about it and decided that I'll do it another time when I just start in the room where the printer is.

We are praying that our laptop lasts until we get back to the States where we will purchase new computers.

If ONLY the battery had died before we left for Namibia. That's life on the dry side.

And uh one and uh two

2008-07-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

In 2006 I was asked to teach Fundamentals of Music to the students at the Bible School in Tlokweng, Botswana. The missionary gave me the book to begin studying. The course is actually intended t0 be a self-study text but even with my 3 years of studying music in college and almost 10 years of piano lessons, I have to admit there are things in this text I've never of, so to think that a non-musician could grasp all of this material on their own is hard to imagine.

I brought the book home with me and several months later decided to do some studying. I had to email the missionary's wife to ask something and she wondered why I was beginning so early. Then in 2007 while in Namibia, Mark, the missionary here asked if I'd teach the course. Glibly I replied that I would.

The book had set unopened for quite some time in my home in Hermiston, but before we came to Namibia this year I did begin studying. But I became more serious about it after I arrived. I've made many notes in the text, I've made a flip chart to use in class. I've printed off free beginning piano music and I have a chord chart for each student.

I'll begin teaching 4 hours per day this coming Saturday, July 26, and then Mon-Fri of the following week. Each student (12) will sign up for a time to practice very simple songs on a piano. I'll go back and forth from the two rooms spending 15 min. w/each student.

This is my goal. By Saturday, August 2, each student will be able to play a very simple piece, or two. Those who have some experience with music may be able to play something that is a bit of a challenge. They'll take a final in the morning and then right after we will have a mini-recital. Victoria (missionary's wife) suggested we have juice and cookies. We'll have a certificate of some sort. This will be so different for these Namibian students that I'm looking forward to how it is all going to come off.

This will be my prepatory for teaching the course in 2009 in Botswana. Hope my practice session goes well.

Yes, Virginia, Honest People Do Exist

2008-07-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, July 12, Aaron and I along with our missionary friend Bill took a trip to Waterberg Plateau Park, where we went on a 4-hr. game drive. We saw only about 4 animals--the hydrox, the sable, and eland and a giraffe, but being on top of the plateau, one of the higher points in Namibia was interesting. Red sand, very fine, would be difficult to drive through in a regular vehicle but the Land Rover we were in handled it just fine.

Unfortunately during the 4-hr. drive Bill lost his wallet. It is actually more than a wallet. It is like a daytimer with all the money and cards, etc. By the time he realized it was lost it was after 6:30 p.m. and very dark....and a long way from where he lost it. Linus promised to keep a look out for it and Bill made several phone calls. No word, no wallet, no use of any of his cards.

Today after the class he is teaching was finished he took off for Waterberg. It is slightly more than an hour's drive. He talked to the folks at the park but his wallet was no where to be found. Shortly after he pulled in to our driveway he received a phone call that the wallet was found. There were a group of students who were in the same area we'd been and one of them had picked it up. Not one dollar was missing. Not one card was missing. The young man, Moses, wondered why anyone would throw away such a thing, with so much in it. Bill rewarded the young man and when he and Aaron returned he was a happy man. It is nice to know that there are honest people in this world.

Does He or doesn't He......Exist???

2008-07-08T02:59:00.000-07:00

As I was perusing the various blogs I came across one that looked interesting. The person who created this blog had the scripture "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil. 4:13, so I believe I can assume that this blogger and I share "like precious faith."

On her site she has some discussions linked to blogcatalog. One of the items that people are discussing is "Is There a God?" I found that interesting and I thought I'd weigh in on the subject, but here on my own blog.

As an evangelical Christian I have complete faith that there is a God, that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to earth as a baby, to grow up and eventually die for my sins. He did not stay in the tomb, as on the 3rd day He was resurrected from the dead and now sits at the right hand of His Father, interceding on our behalf.

So....what if I'm wrong? What have I lost in this life if I'm wrong? Because of my faith in Jesus Christ I have adopted certain life style changes. So if I'm wrong in my belief about God and Jesus Christ, here is what I've missed out on. I've missed out on getting a DUII (DWI) from drinking too much alcohol (I personally drink no alcohol.) I've missed out on various diseases directly associated with smoking cigarettes. I've missed out on being addicted to heroin, meth, cocaine, etc. I've missed out on HIV/AIDS. I've missed out on sexually transmitted diseases because I've been faithful to my husband. I've missed out on robbery, murder, etc. I've missed out on losing all my money to gambling. Isn't that a lot to miss out on?

So...what if YOU are wrong if you don't believe in God? Here's what you will miss out on. You'll miss out on having complete peace in your heart knowing that Jesus is in control of your life. You'll miss out on an eternity spent in heaven with your fellow believers from around the world. You'll miss out on the joy of not being addicted to drugs, alcohol or cigarettes.

Now I know you won't all agree with me about the cigarettes or alcohol and you'll say you can still be a follower of Jesus Christ and do those things. Okay. But they aren't for me. That is the choice I made. The Bible doesn't say, "Thou shalt not smoke." But it does say that my body is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and I want to make that dwelling place as good a place as possible.

If I am wrong in my belief about God, at the end of my life I won't say, "Oh, I wish I'd used drugs," or "I wish I'd been unfaithful to my husband." Or other things like that. It will still have been a fulfilling life.

But if you don't believe in God and His Son, what things might you say at the end of YOUR life?

I'm not here to force you to believe in God. I'm just here to give you something to think about.

"For God so loved the world (you can substitute your name here) that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16, 17

Observations

2008-06-26T00:57:00.000-07:00

I go to Curves in Hermiston, Oregon on a regular basis . While in Windhoek on Monday I went into the local Curves to have my picture taken. The equipment was just the same as in my local Curves but I didn't exercise. Melissa, a missionary here in Otjiwarongo, is putting me through my paces in a way that is very difficult for this ol' gal.
While driving in to Windhoek on Monday we came up behind this truck loaded with wood. I was able to take this photo through the windscreen (windshield). It was only when we got quite close that we discovered it was all held in place with a rope.For the life of me I don't know why the above writing is underlined. It isn't even a choice I can make here on blogger.

Eggs: This morning I'm in the process of making deviled eggs for a baby shower to be held this evening. The eggs were all brown, as are all the eggs I've so far seen. Are they any healthier than white eggs? Nope, they just came from brown chickens. If you don't believe me, look it up on the internet.

Baby Shower: Baby showers are conducted somewhat differently here than in the USA. Instead of each person bringing a gift, the invitees are asked to give sums of money..whatever it is felt they can afford. Then the hostess or someone she asks purchases baby gifts for the honoree. This way no one is embarrassed if they are unable to spend much toward a gift. My part in the festivities was to buy items for a game--a classic shower game. Items on a tray...show for a bit...name as many as you can. At the end all of the items will be given to the mother. My allotment to spend was N$200 (approximately $25 US). I purchased thirteen items including nappies and something called Gripe water which must be used if the baby is having a little indigestion.

BBC Food: I am enjoying watching the Food Network from BBC. It is very different than the American Food network. There is no Emeril Lasgasse, no Rachel Ray, no Bobby Flay...But we do have Ainsley Harriot on a program called Off the Menu, where 2 teams work to recreate a recipe from a famous South African restaurant. Quite entertaining. I also like Jenny Bristow Light, who shows how to cook things with less fat. Others I like are The Endless Feast (which comes from America), Master Chef at Large, a program where they are searching for a winner whose prize will be that they get to work in a restaurant. So far all I've seen are cookoffs where they choose someone to be in the quarterfinals. I have yet to see the quarterfinals. After awhile, Aaron will say, "Can't we watch something else?"

Hallmark channel: The Hallmark channel here is somewhat different than at home. There are some really good things to watch on it. Midsomer Murders is interesting. I also really like McCloed's Daughters--a series out of Australia. It is from 2004 but they are new to me.

For news we get CNN out of Britain, and the BBC News. One nice thing is that we are not hearing TOO MUCH of the election goings on in the US--no ads. How nice!

We enjoy reading the Namibian newspapers and seeing how they are viewing what is going on in the world. They are concerned about what is happening in Zimbabwe.

Enough observations, my eggs are awaiting deshelling!!

Our little helper

2008-06-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

Aaron and I are once again in Otjiwarongo, Namibia for 3 months. This year the missionaries, Mark and Victoria are living in the house in front of us. Last year this house was being worked on and it finally got to the point where they could move in in June. It is very nice to have them close by although I have promised that I won't be dropping in all the time.

Between our flat and the house was nothing but dirt. Mark had the workers put in a sidewalk of paver blocks between the two houses. Aaron asked how I'd feel if we put in some money and had a larger area covered. So we did and it is so nice. It is big enough for both pickups to be parked on it and still we have room to walk in front of them. The picture to the right is Gino. Gino is almost 4 years old. He is the son of Pauline and Seigfried, both of whom work for the missionaries and the Bible School. Gino comes to work with his parents and entertains himself quite nicely. He speaks very little English but we seem to get the idea of what he wants. The picture shows him helping to carry the small blocks over by the house. He was chattering away to his dad and gesturing. I asked if he was saying that he was putting the bricks in a nice stack. That was a pretty close translation.

I received an email telling me that someone had subscribed to my blog. But I have no idea who as it came out in computer gobbledygook. So whoever you are...enjoy.

Winging our Way

2008-06-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

On June 4 we flew from Seattle to Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. The movie on the flight was The Spiderwick Chronicles which I soon realized was not a movie I was interested in so I listened in on the conversations between the FAA controllers and the pilots of planes in the area, including ours. As we flew across the country our flight was handed off from one locale to another and each one asked the various pilots to check in. I heard a lot of G'day and we were in the United States. Must be a shortcut way of greeting. As we flew along I realized that many, many planes were being put into a holding pattern. There was very bad weather in the D.C. area, including a tornado that caused the tower at the airport to be evacuated for a period of time. One pilot asked how much longer this would be happening as he was running low on fuel. A couple of planes may have landed in Richmond, VA if I understood all the lingo correctly. One pilot said they were getting a pretty good knocking around and asked if there was an alternate level they could fly at. Again, if I understood correctly, he was told to continue where he was.

Finally planes were beginning to be allowed to land. The debris had been cleared from the runways. I'll bet there was a lot of activity going on that we never saw, but I sure do appreciate all of the hard work done to allow all those planes to land safely.

So when we landed we had to get over to terminal A for our international flight on South African Airlines. We arrived with a little time to spare, but not enough to get any lunch. At about 5:00 p.m. Eastern time we boarded the plane and we sat there and we sat there and we sat there. Ay yi yi!! Seems all that time that we couldn't land the planes waiting to take off couldn't because of the storm so there was a real back up. The pilot had people communicating with the officials to explain that due to our very long flight that working hours for the staff was going to be a real problem if we couldn't take off soon. Finally at approximately 7:00 p.m. we were given clearance to take off and after we were in the air the pilot explained that if we'd had to wait one more hour the flight would have been delayed 24 hours. I'm glad that didn't happen because then we'd have had to get ahold of Mark and Victoria in Namibia to let them know we'd be late...really late.

About 16 hours later we landed in Johannesburg, South Africa where we then hurried to our next flight. Guess what!!! That flight was delayed by about a half hour also. Then when we landed in Windhoek our luggage hadn't--along with just about everyone on the plane. So while Aaron was filling out paperwork, I went to look for Mark and Victoria. They were drinking coffee in the cafe and I walked up to them and said, "I have good news and bad news. The good news is that we are here. The bad news is our luggage isn't."

Eventually we left the airport and headed off on the 3 hour drive to Otjiwarongo. The lights of the city looked good in the distance. Our long day's journey into night was finally over.

Made in America????? Not anymore!!

2008-05-31T19:21:00.001-07:00

As much as possible I try to buy things made in the USA, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for many items that we need in our everyday life.

Recently my husband and I decided it was time to update our silverware....oops...I mean flatware. Obviously I can't afford silverware, but that is what we've always called it.

I looked at a local store and the brand carried there was made in another country. As I preferred to buy American made, I checked on the Internet and even called one company whose number I found on their website. I discovered that no silverware is made in the USA. The last company was evidently Oneida and they quit manufacturing here several years ago--according to what I was told. If I am wrong, please accept my humble apology.

Anyway....the silverware arrived today and it is truly beautiful. I purchased it through the JC Penney website and I'm very pleased with it. 92 pieces of silverware for $69.99. It isn't light weight and looks to be very durable.

I did get a chuckle out of the instructions for care that came with it and I want to share some of those things with you.

Please follow below use and care instructions in order to prevent injuries and enjoy many years of use.

Towel drying immediately after washing will maintain the appearance of the finish and eliminate water spots. Sounds like a good idea. Did my mom teach me this?

In general, undissolvable salt will "pit" stainless steel surfaces. Please to not put flatware together with salty, highly acidic foods or beverages (i.e. pickling) for long period of time. How many of you drink pickling as a beverage?

If wash by hand, flatware is easy to clean with warm water and mild dishwashing soap using a sponge, nylon pad or dishcloth. Soft scrub without bleach is recommended. Good advice for the new bride.

Do not submerge for long time. Will they stop breathing?

Do not use oven cleaners. Do not use steel wool. Why didn't I think of this?

This is one of my favorites. Always put flatware on a firm, flat surface to avoid falling accident. I have fallen many times in my life and where I put my flatware has not prevented me from falling even once.

Always clean the flatware set after each use. Failing to do so will result in residue built-up, making them difficult to clean later. Just think of the dish soap you'll save if you only wash your flatware once a week.

Flatware tools are sharp. Always keep them away from children. Children must eat with their fingers as flatware is far to dangerous for them to use.

Please keep the flatware set in a kitchen cabinet when not in use. Well, that ruins my plans to keep the flatware on the floor!

For daily dust, wipe with dry or damp clothes. But if I'm keeping them in a kitchen cabinet will they gather daily dust? Also, notice it says "clothes" not "cloths."

Okay, okay! I know that companies have to put all kinds of warnings and directions in with their products because people have done some silly things--like stick their hand under the lawnmower while it is running or pour liquids down the back of the television set. I just wanted to bring a little chuckle into your lives.

Moments

2008-05-31T06:26:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law Craig sent us this photo of my nephew Cleighton who is serving on a Navy carrier somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. I know the moment he had to leave his wife behind was extremely difficult. I am so proud of Cleighton for choosing to serve the United States of America in this manner. Every man and woman in the US military is very much appreciated by me.

At my TOPS Club (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meeting on Wednesday night my group surprised me by having a Goodbye Salad Bar. My husband went with me that night and we showed them our pictures of Africa. While we were doing that the ladies got things out in preparation. I don't know exactly how they pulled it all together but it was a huge surprise to me and a lot of fun. I won't be back to a TOPS meeting until September. This was a special moment for me.

The countdown clock continues ticking ever so quickly as the moment of our departure for Namibia draws nearer. The moment we board the small airplane in Walla Walla, WA on Tuesday evening the adventure begins. After spending the night at a motel near SeaTac Airport we'll board the United flight to Washington, D.C. where after a couple hour layover we'll board the South African flight for Johannesburg. About 16 hours later we'll land, be on the ground for a couple more hours and then on to Windhoek, Namibia.

The reality of this is that for over 24 hours we won't have the chance to change clothes. Now wouldn't you like to share that moment with us?

Las Mananitas, Hermiston, Oregon

2008-05-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

I've read a blog of a man who rates the various restaurants he eats at and while I'm not going to start doing that, there is one I'd like to tell you about.

Las Mananitas is a family-owned Mexican restaurant in Hermiston, Oregon. If you don't know where Hermiston is, get a map of Oregon and look in the Northeast part, almost by the Columbia River. Hermiston is near Pendleton where the famous Pendleton Round Up is held every September--not that I go!!

When my sister visits from Fairfield, California she loves to go to Las Mananitas and on her very recent visit we went twice. The Sopa de Albondagas (I may be misspelling that) is very, very good. In fact, I've never had anything there I didn't like. When someone asks Jeanne what her favorite Mexican restaurant is she always answers "this little place in Oregon that makes the best Mexican food ever!"

So next time you are driving through Hermiston and you come in from Interstate 84 and you pass the giant water tower with the watermelon painted on the side, start looking to your right for the Cornerstone Plaza because that is where Las Mananitas is located.

You won't regret it! Tell Esteban that you read this on the internet on a blog written by a lady from Hermiston, Oregon and proud of it.

What was the deal?????

2008-05-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

I have never had so much trouble posting a blog. I just do a new one, click on Publish Post, and there it is. White lettering on a black background. But noooooo, not this last time. I had to redo it and redo it and redo it. I had to change all the lettering to white...which meant I couldn't see what I was changing unless I highlighted it. I do not know what went wrong but I hope it doesn't happen this time.

Gross, Disgusting and Yucky...Read at your own risk!

2008-05-12T08:59:00.000-07:00

So what exactly do you think the dirtiest thing in your house is? Many people might say the toilet. And according to some cleaning shows I've seen on TV that might be the truth. But generally speaking most people clean their toilet at least once a week. I mean, how bad can it be? Pets drink from toilets. (Now that is gross!!)

The place I'm talking about is a place you cannot see, unless you hold a mirror and look at the reverse image. I'm talking about your.......DISHWASHER!!! How in the world does a dishwasher which has detergent in it every time you use it get so gross? If I knew the answer for that I'd let you in on it, but I don't.

Get a paper towel or a cloth and wipe along the front part of the inside of your unit. You would not be able to see this unless you are young and/or a contortionist so you could stick your head inside the dishwasher. I am neither young nor a contortionist. I took my dish washing sponge and ran it along the edge and oh the gross brown stuff that is sticking there!! Go ahead, do it now and you'll see what I mean.

By the time I took this picture I had cleaned out quite a bit of the gross brown stuff. On the right you see my husband Aaron taking off the screen at the top of the door and we cleaned that out also. Then we went to Safeway where I purchased a bottle of stuff specifically designed to clean out dishwashers made by Jetdry. I ran that through in an empty dishwasher and things look and feel so much nicer now. This was not the first time we have cleaned out the dishwasher and we've had it for about 10 years. So if you have never done this and you've had the machine for many years be prepared for grossness.

And now for some GREAT NEWS!! Our 9-year old granddaughter Karen participated in a spelling bee at the Walla Walla (WA) Balloon Stampede. She placed 3rd in the Third Grade part of the Bee and although she was disappointed to not have won first place (and to have won a laptop computer) we thought she did great. She received a gift certificate from a local bookstore.

Crazy Week

2008-05-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

Last week I worked all week and I thought this week I would get to stay at home more. But it was not meant to be. Tuesday the library assistant from the school where I used to work called me asking if I could work since she had a serious leg problem happening and needed to get to a doctor. Wednesday I subbed half a day at the Christian School where I volunteer and then went to the school where I was formerly employed to finish the day. Today (Thursday) I'm at the high school library until about noon and then I'll go back to the elementary school library to shelve books. Tomorrow I'll be at the middle school library in the morning. Ah, retirement.

This week I lost 3.8 pounds and I am very happy about that. I didn't eat things with sugar in them, like cake, cookies, donuts, etc. I believe this really helped. It is my plan to continue with this choice for awhile. I did it once for 9 months--no sugar. So I know it is possible.

I read a blog this morning about a lady who walks 6 miles a day and observes and takes pictures. She records how much money she finds--pennies, dimes. My grandfather used to find money when he walked--like $10 bills. I admire this lady who walks 6 miles a day. It'd take me more than 3 hours. Perhaps to supplement my retirement income I should start walking 6 miles a day. I might find 15 to 20 cents. Invest it wisely and in a few years I'd have $1.00.

Random thoughts from a random person.

Comments, Cool Whip and Cream Cheese

2008-05-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

Okay...so none of those things have anything in common except that they all start with "C".

If any of you have read my blog recently you will see that I deleted one. It made me feel better to write it out and now the necessity for having it posted is gone.

I had written about being 100 pounds overweight and how I hate it but feel helpless to change. But...I know that I can change because I don't have to depend just upon myself. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." So is it Jesus' fault I'm overweight? No, it most certainly isn't. Jesus speaks to me in a "still, small voice" or through a friend, or through my family members and I choose to ignore that quite often. If I wouldn't get defensive when my husband says something that would certainly help. But those inward feelings arise and my attitude is "you can't tell me what to eat." Ahh, that is so bad.

So I'll carry on, keep exercising, keep thinking about what I'm eating and hopefully get rid of some of this excess poundage I'm carrying around. Isn't it sad to think of all the people in the world who may get one meal a day and yet I can eat like there is no tomorrow? Makes you think, doesn't it?

Comments: An anonymous person commented on a blog from way, way back. Thank you.
Cool Whip: It'll never taste like the real whipped cream.
Cream Cheese: Yummy!

Driving with my daughter

2008-04-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

My daughter is a secret shopper, but....shhh....don't tell anyone. She has two differents kinds of jobs to do for this company. In one she pretends that she is looking to buy a phone or open an account at a bank. Based upon the information she sends to the company the business is graded on how they are doing at customer service, etc. Hopefully this information when relayed to the business she has gone in to will help them with better customer service. The other job she does is called an audit. For this one she announces that she is there to do an audit and then takes pictures of how the business (a gas station) displays their signage.

So on Friday April 25 we went to Milton Freewater where Aaron babysat and I went along on the drive to LaGrande, Oregon. We left about 1:30 p.m. and arrived back at her house at about 5:30 p.m. The really nice thing was the chance to ride with Larisa and carry on a conversation. We talked about many things and reminisced. It is wonderful to have her be more than a daughter, but my friend also.

We are also rejoicing that Jesus helped the splinter in Paul's hand come out so easily. For a picture of the splinter go to www.rizaroni73.blogspot.com. The doctors couldn't find it but Jesus knew right where it was.

If anyone out there reads this and knows how to remove something off of a Myspace page, please post a comment. I have two countdown clocks going for our return to Namibia and I need to get rid of one and can't figure out how.

I'm dealing with the aftermath of a migraine so I'm not thinking too clearly. So my blog isn't too interesting today, I'm afraid.

Reminiscing

2008-04-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today we watched the wedding video of our daughter and Paul from almost 14 years ago. Larisa and the children spent Friday night with us. I'd come across the video and asked if she wanted it. She did and we decided to watch it.

There was my son, Nolan and his future wife, Maryanne walking down the aisle together. Nolan was getting ready to head of to Oregon State University and Maryanne was beginning her senior year of high school.

Aaron's parents were there, being escorted down the aisle by Aaron and by Nolan. I have to admit that it brought tears to my eyes. I don't think Karen (age 9) really understood that.

Then there was my sister Jeanne and I singing "Sunrise, Sunset". Oh it was beautiful! I have to admit that she is the better singer, but we have always had great harmony--she's the soprano and I'm the alto. Then the beautiful bride Larisa comes down the aisle on Aaron's arm while I waited at the end of the aisle. Paul (with a full head of hair) picks her up and the ceremony begins.

When it was time for the kiss, my nephew Cleighton was who 9 at the time, rolled his eyes and smiled, not sure of where he should look. Too funny! Now Cleighton is 23, married, and in the Navy serving on the USS Ronald Reagan. How time has flown.

As the camera panned the audience I could point out several people who have since died. In the video they are alive forever. It's kind of like thinking of JFK and always picturing him as the young man he was when he was killed. If he were still alive he'd be in his late 80s. Or Elvis...he'd be really old also. But in our minds they are forever young.

I find it amusing when in an obituary in our local paper the picture will be of the person when they were in their 20s or 30s and if they died in their 80s you know they looked nothing like the picture shown.

There are many things about getting older that are not so fun. It is discouraging to see the wrinkles in your face and neck and know there is really nothing you can do about it. Yes, I put the products on my face, hoping to hold off time for as long as possible. But I know that time is going to win. When you sit down for too long it hurts to get up. The knees don't behave like they did when you were young.

A few years ago Karen asked me if I would be alive when she grew up. I reminded her of how her mother's grandmother is still alive so there is a very good chance that I'll still be alive when she is in her 30s.

Ahhh...reminiscing. Memories are so precious so go out and make some good memories with your family today.

From 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye.....

2008-04-04T19:10:00.001-07:00

Some pictures of my childhood--me and my sister Jeanne. My mom liked to make us dresses alike and we didn't mind that when we were young.

This merry-go-round was made by our dad out of an old car axle. That merry-go-round was the fastest you've ever seen. Several of our playmates threw up after riding on it. Oh, did we have fun!!

This picture was taken of Jeanne and me shortly before Aaron and I became engaged. Oh to be this thin again.

Here is a picture of Aaron and me on our wedding day, August 23, 1970. We are now a little older, a little wiser and a little bigger.

This picture was taken on board a cruise ship to Alaska in June of 2006. Shortly after returning home we took our first missions trip...to Botswana. Then in 2007 we went to Namibia and we are returning this year in June.

I was born April 1, 1948 to Cecil and Delight Goodwin, my sister Jeanne was born into the family in 1951, I graduated from high school in 1966, married Aaron in 1970, had a daughter named Larisa in 1973, a son named Nolan in 1976, and retired in 2006. I have a great son-in-law, Paul; a great daughter-in-law, Maryanne, and 5 beautiful grandchildren ...Karen, Curtis, Sabina, Addison and Emmaleese.

The years have flown by. Aaron and I have served Jesus faithfully all of our married life. We are thankful for the opportunities that have been made available to us.

Emmaleese Hope

2008-03-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

Emmaleese Hope and daddy, Nolan. Emmaleese is one and Nolan is .....well, not one. Just add 30 years.

Addison Faith

2008-03-24T09:03:00.001-07:00

Addison Faith, age 2, Easter Sunday, 2008

Sabina Grace

2008-03-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

This is our 4 year old granddaughter in Texas.
Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008

The Finality of Leaving the 50's

2008-03-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

Twenty-two days from today (March 10) I will no longer be in my 50s (or is it 50's) . I'm pretty good at grammar but never sure about the apostrophe with a number. Nothing belongs to the 50 so perhaps it should be 50s--my 50s.

My 10s I remember very little of. In fact I have no memories before 1st grade and that is sketchy. I remember skipping a word during reading group because it caught in my throat and the teacher told me the word. I knew the word but it just wouldn't come out. I also remember a little girl wearing pink undies who got a spanking in the classroom (that'd never happen now!!) and recess time being chased by boys and HATING it.

The year I was 10 my parents took my sister Jeanne and I to Southern California to go to Disneyland--which was only 3 years old at that time. We traveled south from Oregon in our little gray Volkswagen. If I correctly remember my parents went with $100 for the trip. That was also the trip I received my first bee sting..while riding in the Volkswagen.

My teen years were traumatic. My mother made me practice the piano daily, get good grades and dust the house once a week. Now don't you think that is just a little too much to ask.

My twenties ended my college life--quitting after 3 years, and then I met the man of my dreams. By the time I was 28 I had 2 children and so I spent the next 18 years raising them. They turned out pretty good if you ask me.

When I was about to hit 40 I thought, "I don't want to be fat and forty."
When I turned 50 I thought, "I don't want to be fat and fifty."
And now that I'm about to be sixty I'm thinking, "I don't want to be fat and sixty."

There was a period of time in my 50s when I got skinny but unfortunately that didn't last. So maybe in my 60s I'll be able to get skinny again. I will admit that my idea of being skinny now is a whole lot different then when I was in my 20s. Then it was weighing in the 130s, now it is the 170s.

Turning 60 means I'm a senior citizen. It means that applying for Social Security is only 2 years away. Turning 60 means I have 30-40 years left to live. Turning 60 means that my life has been blessed by having Jesus in my heart, my being married to Aaron for 37 years, by having a daughter about to turn 35 and having a son who is 31. It means that I have 5 wonderful grandchildren...Karen, Curtis, Sabina, Addison and Emmaleese. Turning 60 means I have good friends who will come to my birthday celebration where my daughter and son-in-law will cook a wonderful meal for us. Turning 60 means I'm alive and so blessed to be healthy.

Hallelujah!! I'm turning SIXTY!!

I'd Like a LIttle Cheese With My Whine

2008-02-14T10:54:00.000-08:00

Why can't other drivers read my mind and know what I intend to do??

A few weeks ago--and yes, it still bugs me--I left my home and drove to the stop sign on SW 15th in our fair city. This is something I've been doing for the 10+years we've been living on SW 16th. I pulled up to the stop sign perhaps a little faster than normal and a lady in a white car driving down SW 15th where it intersects with Joseph (you know who you are!) ((if she reads blogs)) stopped in the middle of the intersection, rolled down her window and said something to me. I have NO idea what she said but I imagine she was telling me off thinking that I wasn't going to stop. I would like to let this nice lady know that in the 10 years I've been stopping at this stop sign I have never run the sign and have no intentions of doing so now.

Then just recently I had to pull out into the middle lane of the main road through town. I waited until the traffic had ceased from my left, looked to the right (you have to look WAY to the right), saw that I had an opportunity to pull into the center lane. Oregon law says that when you pull into the center lane you wait until there is an opportunity to move into the right lane. (My son taught me that when he took his driving test.) I stopped, looked into my rear view mirror and discovered that someone was behind me waiting to make a left turn. Someone in a red SUV went by me and gave me a long honk thinking that I was going to pull into the traffic. Honest! I wasn't going to do that. I don't want to have an accident any more than you do.

Football Fever (but I haven't caught it)

2008-02-04T07:46:00.000-08:00

Well.....yesterday was the LONG anticipated Super Bowl here in the USA. Although I understand the basic rules of football I don't really enjoy watching it, but since the Super Bowl signals that is is almost over for the season (there is the Pro-Bowl next Sunday) I can watch part of it. And there were a couple of very cute commercials.

Sometimes when the last show of Survivor or Amazing Race is on Aaron will come to the computer and discover who wins, since the program is already over on the East Coast. He'll ask me if I want to know and I let him know that "No, I don't want to know who wins."

So yesterday quite a while before the Super Bowl was over I was at the computer. At the point I was figuring out my scheme the Patriots were ahead of the NY Giants and it looked like they'd go all the way. I thought about it for awhile and figured out a possible ending score. Hmm, if the Giants got this and the Patriots got that the score would be 17-14 with the Giants winning. I went back to the den and told Aaron that it was on the internet that the Giants had won 17-14. Now obviously it was impossible for the internet to state this as the game was being played live in Arizona in our time zone. The Pats were still ahead at this point. There was no way the Giants would come back. Aaron just grinned at me and knew I was making the whole thing up. But turns out I was right... and the NY Giants won 17-14--my exact prediction.

Snow, Snow and more Snow

2008-01-28T08:08:00.001-08:00

Our friend Chuck cleaning off the snow and ice from his car to head back to Portland
Aaron having "fun" with the snow blower. He did our driveway, sidewalks and a couple of neighbor's driveways. I think he was out for 3 hours. I stayed inside, working on the jigsaw puzzle and watching TV. Here is a view of the neighborhood. Isn't it pretty!

Important Items

2008-01-21T19:35:00.000-08:00

Here are some VERY important things you should or shouldn't do when traveling.

#1. Never, never, never throw away your boarding passes because you may have to prove that you were actually on the airplane. Having the itinerary from the travel agent isn't enough. Having a copy of the paper ticket showing all destinations isn't enough. No NO NO NO...you must MUST MUST have the boarding pass. So we got cheated out of several thousand miles from our flight to Africa last year.

#2. Don't put anything of value into a suitcase because that suitcase might end up staying in the country you just left. Yes, we still have a suitcase in Africa--either in Namibia or South Africa. If the suitcase had been empty having the airline lose it wouldn't have been such a big problem. As it was Aaron had to buy a whole bunch of underwear, and other assorted clothes. And guess what South Africa Airlines wants to prove we were on the flight. A COPY OF THE TICKET!!! And guess where our ticket info is? In Rapid City, SD. I called United today and the man who was so nice to me didn't seem to understand that I wasn't trying to get them to give me the airmiles (we'd been rejected twice because I didn't keep the aforementioned boarding passes but just wanted to know if they might still have the ticket info I sent them.) Sooooo.....

#3. Make a copy of your ticket info, make copies of EVERYTHING and probably twice because you might have to mail something somewhere or fax it across the Atlantic Ocean, spending money because you hope to get your suitcase back with the clothes you've lost but already bought new ones to replace them.

Do I sound frustrated? I am.

And in just over 5 months we'll get back on a SAA jet and fly to Africa again. And believe you me...I will NOT throw any boarding passes away until I know we've been credited with the airmiles.

Who in the world reads this???

2008-01-05T15:58:00.000-08:00

My sister asked me, "Who reads your blogs?" That is a good question and one that I cannot supply an answer to. I told her that I frequently click "next blog" to see what other people in the world are writing about. Many I can't read although I recognize the language as German, French, Spanish, etc. After spending time in Africa where many people speak 3-5 languages I show my ignorance in that I can only speak one language. English!

Occasionally when I click "next blog" I get into blogs I'd rather not see. And sometimes those blogs don't have "next blog" at the top so I have to backtrack and then go forward again hoping to avoid the naughty pictures or language. I have flagged a couple of sites as inappropriate. I think this blogger site should be family friendly.

So "who in the world reads this?" Is it you....someone in the USA, the UK, Sweden, France, Botswana, Namibia?

Television--My life as an addict

2007-10-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

It began in the 50s when I was very young. TV was very, very new and no one I knew had one if they were even available at that time. My grandparents who lived in Portland, Oregon had one of the first TVs--a Dumond. It didn't have a very big screen and everything was in black and white. In my young years my sister Jeanne and I would spend one or two weeks per summer with my grandparents....and the Dumond TV. Oh it was so glorious! Everyday in the Oregonian newspaper there would be a little TV schedule about 5 X 6 inches. Keep in mind that back in the 50s there were only 3-4 channels (if I'm remembering correctly.) When I was in the house that schedule never left my hot little hands. I studied it as though it were a textbook. The most incredible program was the Mickey Mouse Club with Annette Funicello. M..I..C (see you real soon)..K..E..Y.(Why?? Because we love you.) M.O.U.S.E. I'll wager there aren't too many people my age who can't sing that song.

And then there was KOIN Kitchen--a very early cooking show. That probably was the start of my liking to watch cooking shows, even though I'm not particularly fond of cooking. And I loved the way the announcer said: KOIN TV, Channel 6, Portland. There was just this lilt in his voice.

When Dr. Kildare was on the air Jeanne and I went down the street to the neighbors to watch this show every week. I don't think it bothered the neighbors because they let us sit on the floor and watch the show weekly. My mom even bought Dr. Kildare blouses for Jeanne and me. We were SO cool!

And then when I turned 14 dad bought a TV. By then he had remodeled our house so the TV was downstairs. On hot summer days Jeanne and I would be in the basement watching TV wrapped up in blankets because it was so cold downstairs. I think that is when my attachment to "General Hospital" began. An attachment that is now beginning to wane, believe it or not.

Favorite shows were Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Phil Silvers Show, The Real McCoys, Jeopardy, and the soaps. I really didn't like it when NASA shot off a satellite or Apollo, Gemini or Mercury flight because it interrupted my regular television viewing. And then when something political happened like a state funeral that really messed things up. I couldn't understand how adults could like to watch all that stuff. I know I saw the news coverage of man landing on the moon and looking back I realize that is a good memory.

My years in college did interrupt my usual viewing habits but after marriage the watching became epidemic. And when I kids were young I recall with shame how often I put them off about doing something or going somewhere because "I had clothes to fold." That part was true but what I really wanted to do was watch the soaps. Nolan and Larisa....I sincerely apologize.

This past summer in Namibia I didn't have television to watch. I don't really want another summer without ANY TV. But I will say this....my viewing has lessened. I hardly ever watch "One Life to Live" and "General Hospital" now. I guess my addiction has waned somewhat.

Maybe there is hope for this addict.

The Big "C"

2007-10-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

CANCER....the diagnosis nobody ever wants to hear from his/her doctor. Last May we were given that diagnosis when Aaron's urologist gave him the news that he had prostate cancer. As this is a very slow growing cancer we decided to wait until we returned from Africa for the surgery. What made the wait safe was the hormone injection Aaron got that slowed the growth of the cancer. We arrived home from Botswana on Sept. 12 and on Oct. 12 Aaron underwent surgery in Walla Walla, WA. The surgery took a little longer than expected because of where the prostate was but still things went well. The doctor is pretty certain that the cancer was contained but a biopsy of the lymph nodes will be done this coming week and we'll find out for sure.

Aaron says I'm the best looking nurse he's ever had...but maybe he was looking at me with his glasses off. Hmmmm. Anyway for the next two weeks I'll be doing the lifting, the driving and the fetching. He's worth it! I want a lot more years with him.

We are thankful for the grace of God and His presence in our lives.

Around Otji on a Saturday Morning

2007-08-18T02:13:00.001-07:00

As we were driving out to take a picture of a business with an interesting sign we saw walking down the street this group of Herreo ladies dressed in traditional dresses. We stopped and Aaron asked if he could take their picture. When asked where they were going Aaron was told they were going to a parade. He also inquired as to how long it takes to iron one of their dresses and was told one hour. We have seen some beautiful Herreo dresses and it has been a fairly common sight here in Otjiwarongo.

Below you see groups of men. The men on the left were dressed in traditional Herreo stype, military type jacket, hat and walking stick. A man Aaron conversed with told him he had been an officer in the military. The group of men on the right came marching down the street doing an intricate style of step. A man called out a beat to keep them in step. When they saw Aaron with his camera they began to perform maneuvers--turning around, snapping their arms. Oh how I wish we had brought the video camera to have caught this incredible sight.

In the background behind the gentlemen you can see the group of soldiers coming up from behind them. It wasn't long before they passed us.

I was so glad to get these pictures because I'd been wanting the Herreo style of dress to show you.

A Wimpy Breakfast

2007-08-18T01:20:00.001-07:00

A Wimpy breakfast is not a wimpy breakfast. The plate I ordered is the Hashbrown Splashdown.

In the lines below I cannot figure out how it became underlined
and no matter what I did I couldn't change it. I've also had a great deal of trouble getting this accomplished this morning because our dial up internet kept disconnecting so I'd have to start the downloading process of the pictures all over again. Frustrating!

Our waitress Ingrid. When we go into Wimpy for coffee the ladies like to wait on us so Aaron has them call heads or tails with a coin. The "winner" has jumped for joy.

This is Spar, where we do much of
our grocery shopping.

After breakfast we took a drive around town to check out the sights and found some interesting things to take pictures of. I'm going to start another blog to record what we saw.

House Church in Sam Saat

2007-08-12T08:25:00.001-07:00

This is a very common sight in Ombili--small children carrying even smaller children.

Below you see Pastor Brown greeting the young lady who asked him to start a house church in her yard. On the right is Pastor talking with an Herrero lady.

The lady in blue, Siska, takes care of 5 children none of whom are hers. The parents may be away in Windhoek working. Many grandmothers are raising their grandchildren while the parents are away working.
Pastor Brown preaching to people eager to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Children waiting for House Church to start.

As I've reported before Pastor Brown has been building a church in Ombili--outside of Otjiwarongo. One day while passing a small house in San Saat, a young lady dressed in blue asked him and Fredna to come pray for her and her home. Later she asked him if he would be willing to do a house church. He replied with great joy, "I was just waiting for you to ask."

So now on Saturday afternoons he and Fredna pick up a young couple with their 3 little boys, and another couple. Joel and Neddy from Zimbabwe help with the service. Neddy leads the singing and she has a great voice. Billy and Helen go weekly and Billy is a great interpreter for the Pastor. They work together like coffee and cream! It is a joy to listen to Pastor preach and Billy interpret. The residents begin to gather in and before long...church starts.

People bring their own chair--one girl sat on an overturned can, one lady on a block. The children sat on the ground on a blanket.

This was a church service we thoroughly enjoyed.

Enchanting Etosha

2007-08-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

On July 31 we visited Etosha National Park about 1.5 hours north of Otjiwarongo. Below you'll find pictures of some of the animals we saw there. If you wish to see a bigger picture, just click on it and it will fill the screen. We were gone for 12 hours, including the driving time, and saw elephants, springbok, kudu, oryx, secretary bird, kori buster bird, wildebest (sometimes known as gnu), warthogs, red hartebest, black faced impalas,lions, black backed jackal, ostriches and zebras. The Park is enormous, you can drive all day without seeing everything. It was an incredible day. A wonderful place to visit.

Elephants and babies

Noah's Ark

Sundown at the watering hole

Two wild guys--Aaron and Mark

Sights from Otji

2007-07-13T23:59:00.000-07:00

We were able to get a picture of this lady not only carrying something on her head, but also carrying her baby on her back. You see babies being carried this way quite often. Must be comfortable for both mother and baby but when the baby is wrapped up quite well, I think they get a little overheated.
This is Ombili Assembly of God in its yet unfinished state. The children pictured below were playing across from the church. Gaylord and Fredna are having this church built.
Children playing at Ombili Location. They are always happy to wave at a visitor.

This is a cemetery out in the Ombili Location. It is a different way of burying people from what we are accustomed to.

It is winter here in Namibia but you can tell by the way the children are dressed that during the day it gets warm. There is no heat in any of these little houses so I'm sure at night and early morning that they are quite chilly.

What an incredible opportunity for Aaron and I to be in Namibia.

Namibia, Africa

2007-06-30T23:58:00.000-07:00

A month ago I wrote that we were getting ready to leave and now we have been in Namibia for 3 weeks. The city we are in is Otijiwarongo. It is a comparatively small city, different than where we were in Botswana. Here there is no mall but lots of stores to choose from. Aaron is becoming known in the hardware/supply type stores. There are only a few restaurant choices and one we like going to is C'est Si Bon. Good prices, generous quantities and quick service.

We are attending Faith Assembly where I have the privilege of playing the piano for the worship service. They sing American songs and I am familiar with almost all of them. There is a guitar player and we work well together.

Aaron and I are keeping busy in our respective jobs on the Bible School campus.

And so it begins....

2007-06-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

Friday night, June 1, 2007, I'm tired. I'm trying to leave the house clean so my friend who is coming in occasionally won't think I'm an absolute slob. I believe I will shut the office door. "And when we get behind closed doors....."

As Aaron was preparing to turn off the ice maker he discovered a small leak so he had to travel to Home Depot (I spelled it "Deport" at first,) for a part that will suffice until we return.

The suitcases are ready to be transported out the door tomorrow morning. I hope I'll be ready.

We are so grateful for those who contributed money to our missions venture. May God richly bless those who shared with us.

Tomorrow night we see our son and family. That'll be good.

Suitcase Stuffing

2007-05-30T18:12:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me, "How do you pack for 3 months?" I said, "You don't. You pack for one week." Perhaps I should have said for 2 weeks. But the point is that I don't have to take enough clothes to wear for 3 months while we are in Namibia. We'll do the laundry. Did I say "we'll"? I should have said "I'll."

There are many things we don't have to take to Namibia because they can be purchased there. If I run out of clothes or get sick of what I take I'm fairly certain there will be shopping available.

This Saturday morning, June 2, we fly to Austin, TX. We'll be with our son and his family through Wednesday and Thursday morning we leave Austin International at 7:10 a.m. Thus will begin a very long period of time of being on the airplane and in an airport. I'm glad we will have a night to spend in Johannesburg before flying on to Windhoek. That should help us acclimate.

Next stop.....Hutto, Texas.

A Splendid Smile

2007-05-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

On April 4, 2004 I began my experience with braces for my teeth. In March of that year my husband and I were watching TV when out of the blue he said, "I want you to get braces. You've always talked about how you don't like your bottom teeth." I wasted no time and called an orthodontist the very next day. I started my call with, "I'm 56 years old. Am I too old to get braces?" Fortunately the answer was 'no'. We decided that Invisalign would be the better choice for someone my age. It was the more expensive choice but worked very well for me. Slowly my terribly crooked bottom teeth began to straighten. The top teeth took very little time as they were decent.

So when we were in Botswana last year I realized that one tooth was simply not turning into place. When we returned home the orthodontist put brackets and wires on and that tooth began to move to its rightful position. And six months later he removed them and now I have a splendid smile.

If you don't like your teeth and you think you may be too old for braces...chances are you aren't too old. I am so glad I went through this process.

Prolific Pigeon Poop

2007-05-10T14:31:00.000-07:00

Our small church in Umatilla, OR had a cupola or bell tower on top of the roof. It appeared to be rather attractive but actually it had become a home for a couple of dozen pigeons. Oh they were very happy in their nice little home. They cooed and made nests and laid eggs and POOPED!!! The attendees of the church decided it was time to remove the cupola and so Aaron and Pastor Ron and his son James undertook the arduous task. A high lift was rented and the work began on Tuesday, May 8. As they ripped apart the cupola the pigeons hung around. They even stayed on their nests. They could not sense that life as they knew it was about to be over.

On Wednesday Aaron and Pastor Ron scooped the 14 inch high pile of poop into garbage bags--about 27 of them. And then today, May 10, Aaron and I took the bags to the dump. The weight of the poop--EIGHT HUNDRED POUNDS!! Then we hauled 2 pickup loads of the wood to the dump--1120 pounds. There is more for us to finish up tomorrow.

A few pigeons meander forlornly on the roof--desperately seeking their home. Please don't feel sorry for them as they appear to be a nuisance in Umatilla. I'm sure they'll relocate and live to lay another egg.

2007-04-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

In 38 days we'll be on the road again. For some people car trips are long and boring but for Aaron and me they are an enjoyable thing. Aaron enjoys driving for hours and hours with frequent stops!! and I enjoy sitting, sleeping , reading and watching the scenery go by. We listen to Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura and Dave Ramsey. We have books on tape. Sometimes we even just have silence. There is nothing wrong with sweet, sweet silence.

We'll drive to Texas where we'll spend a few days with our son and daughter-in-law and 3 gorgeous little granddaughters.

On June 7 we'll lift off the tarmac in Austin, TX heading for Dulles International and then that evening crossing the ocean to Johannesburg, South Africa (where we will spend a night)--final destination Windhoek, Namibia. Ahhhh, I don't look forward to the long hours in the plane but the final destination makes it all worthwhile.

As much as I'm looking forward to our 3 months in Namibia I'm beginning to realize that I'm going to miss my church family. We are a small group but a close-knit bunch.

Amazing Anthem

2007-03-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, twas blind, but now I see."

Today Aaron and I went to see the most amazing film, I believe, that I've ever seen: Amazing Grace. I thought the film was about John Newton who penned the famous hymn and he is a part of it; but the real story is about William Wilberforce who fought for many years to have England end the slave trade.

What an absolutely incredible movie!! If you attend movies often don't miss this one; if you attend a movie once or twice a year, make this one of them. If you don't attend movies at all be sure to rent it when it comes out on video.

Airline Arrangements Accomplished

2007-03-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Robin at Springfield Travel in Springfield, MO.....we have tickets purchased for Namibia. We are going to drive to Austin, TX and fly from there. This gives us the wonderful opportunity to see our son, wife and 3 beautiful granddaughters a couple of more times this year. Nolan will store our van at his place and we are thankful for that.

We were able to arrange our flight so that we can take a side trip to Botswana. We'll fly out of Namibia to JoBurg on Sept. 2, then fly to Gaborone, then back to JoBurg on Sept. 8 where we'll head back to Texas.

God is good...all the time.

Namibia bound

2007-03-10T09:32:00.000-08:00

Just this week we learned that our missions trip to Namibia has been approved. For those of you who didn't read in the papers all the time about Brad and Angelina's baby being born in Namibia.......Namibia is in the southern part of Africa. It is just to the left of Botswana where we spent 3 months last summer. The Atlantic Ocean borders Namibia on the west. We are looking forward to working with missionaries Mark and Victoria. We haven't met them yet but know that "all things work together for those who love the Lord, and are called according to His purpose."

Exiting Economics

2007-02-17T09:02:00.000-08:00

Yes, I meant EXITING not EXCITING.

After arriving home and giving myself a couple of days to R and R, I added up our expenses for our grand adventure of traveling across the beautiful USA.

When our children were young and traveling with us Aaron liked to estimate our daily spending at $100. I figured there was no way we could come close to that with the rise in price of gasoline, motels and food. Well, thanks to friends and relatives who graciously allowed us to stay in their homes, and who purchased meals for us our average cost per day was $111. I kept track of gas, food, motel and other. Surprisingly the money spent on motels was our highest item. The money spent on gasoline was the lowest. We filled our van 38 times, with prices ranging from $1.84 to $2.69 (California). Our "other" expenses included gifts, entrance to theme parks, a new tire, etc.

Our total miles traveled was 12,111 and driving hours was 237. That is almost 6 work weeks of 40 hours per week.

Places we visited:
Meteor Crater, Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, WWII Museum of the Pacific, LBJ Ranch and Birthplace, Gruene Street, McIlhenny Island (Tabasco), Silver Springs, Cyress Gardens, Kennedy Space Center, Epcot, Disney World, Hopswee Plantation, Biltmore Estate, Whitetail Falls, BMW plant, General Tire, and Saguaro Forest.

To borrow from the Amazing Race....2 people, 60 days; 12,111 miles; 13 states. WE LOVED IT!!

Oregon, My Oregon

2007-02-12T19:37:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid going to school in Oregon we learned the Oregon State Song...Oregon, My Oregon. I always have liked that song.

We are back in Oregon--home. Well not our home in Hermiston yet. Tonight we are with our friend Chuck in Brooks, OR. Tomorrow we'll arrive home.

Nothing exciting happened today except we got to eat dinner with Chuck's parents, Grace and Charles at their retirement center. They are delightful people and we enjoyed our time with them.

I'm ready to go home, unpack, start eating less food, see our Oregon grandkids and daughter and hubby and get ready for Spring.

Cruisin' California

2007-02-11T20:07:00.000-08:00

Saturday as we approached the end of Arizona we stopped in the small town of Brenda to have a brief visit with my cousin Bev and husband Skip. They live in a nice park full of people escaping from the cold weather up north. Thanks for the lunch, Bev and Skip.

Then we went into California and headed towards Hemet to visit former neighbors Jim and Kelli. We had several hours to visit with them, catch up on old times and learn what is going on now. We hadn't seen them for 9 years and Kelli was nice enough to tell me that I hadn't changed!! How sweet is that.

Today we headed north. Part of the time we were on Highway 395 which if you take it all the way you'll end up in Oregon. But since it is often a 2-lane road I'm glad we eventually got out to Interstate 5.

We traveled just over 600 miles and ended up in Corning, CA. As we were walking outside to walk across the street to dinner the phone rang and it was Larisa. She was delighted to hear we were in Corning because they are out of green olives. For those of you who have never been to Corning they are famous for the Olive Pit--full of green olives of many flavors and stuffings. Ummm good. So of we drove to the Olive Pit to pick up olives for them. Larisa...that'll be $16.57.

And speaking of the phone.... I had some laundry to do and got that going. In a few minutes Aaron said, "Where's your phone?" With dismay I realized that I hadn't removed it from my jeans pocket. I went down to the washer, found my jeans and searched the pockets. No phone. So I felt around the bottom of the washer and I found it--water logged and ruined.

Tomorrow we'll arrive back home so on Tuesday I can go to the Sprint store and shell out some dollars and get a new phone.

Crossing Cactus Country

2007-02-09T18:34:00.000-08:00

Today we traversed Arizona and took a side trip to Saguaro National Park where we saw hundreds of Saguaro cacti, also barrel cactus and just regular run-of-the-mill cacti. It was very interesting. I talked to my 85 year old dad who told me that during his training for the Army in 1942 the recruits were taken through the park. So here we are 65 years later driving the same road. Pretty cool, huh.

I'm going to put some pictures in for your viewing enjoyment.