Hello world!

The night before we left Guatemala, we were warned that a little stowaway might be found amongst our things when when got back. I found it. I'd now like to lose it. Send it back. Most of my team mates have found the same little stomach bug and we're all eager to send it back.
I can see why they ask you so many random questions about plants and farms when you go through customs. America is the land of the free and home of the healthy - and they want to keep it that way!!
A few things I did stow in my luggage are hand made items sold by the women and children in the markets. I got a great blouse for $10, a table runner for my mom, and some doo-dads that were just too cute! It was sooo hard to resist the smiles and broken English phrases of the children poking you like little puppies, asking you to buy something, "good deal for you" or, "something for your mother?".
Precious women hunched over or carrying piles of woven goods, trying their best to make the meager seventy-five cents a day, that they live on. Corn tortillas are the staple, along with fruit they pick from their trees. Sounds rustic and cool, but everyone was malnourished and poorly dressed (by our standards).

I was completely overwhelmed my first day in the market. All of us were moved to tears and sobbing; all of us had to step aside and pull ourselves together. It's not that you felt guilty for being blessed, you just couldn't believe how little it would take to make their lives different, and better.
So, I had to buy a few things early on. My last day I left all my money at the hotel so that I could truly say I had none. Lots of corruption and superstition keep the people from prosperity. Only prayer and smart thinking will circumvent the continued misuse of these wonderful, generous people. DO PRAY for Guatemala!

Another thing we were warned about was being alone. It was simply not safe for an American (especially a woman) to be alone in the streets. So we were all assigned a travel partner, that we were to stay with when 'out and about'. Mine, I'm thankful to say, was a soldier and a firefighter, so I felt pretty darn safe no matter where we went. He kept an eye on me like no other, and I'm extremely thankful for that. God bless you, Brian!!

And finally, we were encouraged to play down our role as missionaries when going through customs. Harassment and unfair scrutiny were possible, especially in light of the Times Square bombing. Thankfully on my trip back into the US (Dallas), the gentleman checking my passport was kind to alert me that I'd put the wrong flight number on my re-entry papers. (two legs, the latter flight number was what they wanted). I know he thought, "this lady could never be a terrorist, she doesn't even know what flight she's on". And the fact that I tried to convince him that I was just a tourist when I was wearing my church mission team t-shirt. (was there a giant "L" stamped on my forehead??)

Home again, home again, jiggety jig!

To market to market to buy a fat pig, home again, home again jiggety jig.
After being out of the country for over a week, I am settling back into my home-comforts nicely. I had an adventure worth telling over and over again, but when all is said and done, there's no place like home.

In Guatemala, you can't flush toilet paper or even depend on soap in restrooms, roads are free of nuisances like traffic signals, and communication with the outside world is extremely limited. At least where we were, in a remote village in the mountains.

I still hesitate when refilling my water bottle or brushing my teeth (don't drink the water!) Almost all of our team suffered a bout with Montezuma's revenge. And yet I have come from my experience feeling like I've been to rehab. Letting go of the things that felt so crucial, and embracing what definitely matters most. Intangible things that can be ignored if you're not careful.

Here are some photos that stand out to me. First, the one and only weaver I saw in a country whose main export is probably fiber.
A small hank of yarn or thread was only about a quarter.
Here are some shots of our accommodations and our hangouts.

Dining room where we ate breakfast and dinner every day.
Patio where we had morning prayer (and coffee) before breakfast.
My room.

It took hours to get anywhere and we usually rode in this bus. Affectionately known as the chicken bus!
Breezeway where we played with the local children.
I will surely post more soon, but it begs to be mentioned that I never once knitted a stitch. Not once. We were busy all the time and when we had free time, it was spent resting and trying to gather news from home.

I live in Tennessee where the worst disaster since the Civil War occurred in my absence! And we barely heard about the car bomb in Times Square. It's hard to believe how disconnected I was from "civilized society" but those things just didn't seem important where we were.

We gave medical care and comfort to people who live with dirt floors in houses equivalent to our lawn mower sheds. Those Central Americans really didn't care that music stars lost their precious guitar collections. The concerns seemed more to center around hoeing their garden; their single source of food, period.
We Are A Blessed Nation.

The Friendly Skies

I'm almost done packing and have to take care of some last minute details before leaving for Central America. The excitement is mounting!

Yesterday I finished my job and they brought some pastries and a bouquet of flowers for me. I spent some time doing the final training with my replacement and left to go meet some friends after work for a bite.
Done. And on to some other, very different things. But I will not, no matter what, stop my knitting. I have already packed the Stoney River socks and would like to take my spindle and some wool if they bag doesn't weigh too much.

I've got my Kindle ready, prepared some lessons for the children we'll be working with, and replaced the batteries in my camera.

I will try to take some good pictures and will try really hard to get at least one of me knitting in Guatemala. Wow, that would be so awesome! I've heard it's a beautiful place, and the lack of phones, computers and files sounds great. Down to earth experience with people who have no where near the affluence of the country I live in. I am looking forward to hearing some neat stories and getting to know how people function in their daily lives; with family, friends, church and community. I love the whole idea of different cultures; surely there's a lot for me to learn.

A post with no name

In 2006, my youngest graduated from high school and I decided to go back to work. I looked for a job all spring, thinking I would go back to work that summer. I kept on looking into the summer, interviewed a couple of times, but still had no job when fall came. I really wanted to be working when school started in the fall, to help with college tuition. I finally got the call back for the job I started in November of that year; the call to work at a law firm in the greater Nashville, TN area. My girlfriend from church worked in the same building, and she's the one who told me about the job. It was a newly created position and would eventually expand to be much more. Even at the beginning, the job was very different from what I imagined it would be. But I was learning and I was back in the work world after almost 20 years. I figured I'd stay at least 4 years, if they'd have me and contribute sufficiently to my kids' college education.

On Monday, our staff all went to lunch to honor my departure. Four attorneys, an accounts person, a receptionist and the lady I'm training to replace me. It's been a great place to work and I've learned a tremendous amount while there. Even more than most college degrees could have taught me, and I'm very, very thankful for the opportunity.
My daughter is now married and my son is engaged. So that brings me to next week.
I will no longer be employed by the law firm, but will be in......wait for it......Guatemala!
On a foreign missions trip! My last day is Thursday and the flight for Miami leaves Saturday morning. Not exactly the two weeks of vacation I've been waiting for, for the last couple of years. I haven't had a whole week off since about 2007.

But with the trip to Central America, and all the accompanying miracles that go along with my actually being able to participate in this adventure (that's another blog altogether!) I will tell you about my plans for the next week.
Our mission team will arrive Saturday afternoon and make our way to the mountain region where we will be staying. A sweet man with no home will hopefully have one when we leave the following weekend. Countless children should be given some kind of medical care and encouragement. Moms and dads will look at our fair skinned American complexions and smile. And I will (I pray) get to see some awesome wool at a world famous market. I have an issue of Wild Fibers magazine that highlights the weavers of the country and their patterns, specific to their regions; kind of like Scottish plaids.

I will be taking my spindle and some knitting but probably not the purple sweater. It's on metal needles and I don't want them confiscated. Instead, I'll take the UFO - Stony River socks on bamboo dpns.

It is a lifelong dream of mine to do mission work and I had given up that dream long, long ago. I can still hardly believe I'm going. We had a commissioning prayer the other night and I headed home in a daze. The Lord is sometimes slow in answering our prayers; sometimes He even takes 25 or 30 years to answer them. But He does indeed answer them.

I just want to celebrate, another day of knitting...*

Spinning group is always a treat, especially when you get to not only see your friends, but get inspired about what projects they're working on. I love to be challenged to try new things. I'm ever impressed with the skills of my friends and here's the proof. Look at these babies!
That center square is started on the diagonal, with picked up stitches along the sides, creating triangles that wrap around each subsequent square.

This sweater was commissioned by a gentleman who showed up at our meeting one day with a fleece. He asked if it could be spun and knitted into a sweater.
Brenda M. spun the wool and Sally B. knitted the garment. It's almost ready; just needs some buttons! It looks similar to Susie's sweater above.

And to make us all tremble at being in the presence of a star, here is the fleece from Florence, featured in this month's Spin Off Magazine! Susie bought the fleece, combed some for a sample and spun a little bit. You can't see it very well but there is the proof in the April issue. (not a centerfold but a very distinguished looking lady.

While in NC, I took some photos of something else that elicits respect. A large blanket knit by my husband's grandmother. Orange was very 'in' in those days so just admire the skill and beauty wrought by this little lady's hands.

Last night my husband and I went to the funeral home to see our friends, Ron & Cathy. Ron lost his mother this week, unexpectedly. I have another friend who lost his dad this week. And yet another friend whose daughter lost a baby days before her husband lost his job. Some things happen when you are not at all prepared for them. Somethings happen after you've been waiting for years to see them come about. Both require a life well lived; focused and ready. Whatever the case, we should celebrate the day we have, doing the things we love and blessing those around us in the meantime.

What's going on?

There's a lot going on lately and I feel like most days when I get home from work, I have zero brain power left. As I've been training my replacement, I am reminded why that is. It tires me out just telling her what needs to be done each day, each week, each month, each year. Whew.
I got home tonight to an empty house so I did not cook a thing - last night I had a little car misadventure in rush hour traffic and still had to come home and put some fish in the skillet. (Eating healthy takes more work than fast food; I don't know why........)
I have eaten a microwave baked potato, spun some wool and started my TiVo'd episode of Castle. Here's the finished back of the purple sweater and the start of the front waist band I'll be working on.
We took a little weekend off to see my father in law and visit my favorite store in Asheville, NC, Earth Guild. I bought some Cushing Dyes and can't help but notice the tactile nature of the color names.

While there, the shopkeeper explained why the police had blocked off a nearby street. A city bus had swerved and ran right into a store. The whole block was shut down due to a busted gas main and someone may have been killed. This was literally a couple of hours before we arrived downtown. Strange.

I got some great shots of the scenery on the drive there (detour due to rock slide which we barely missed on our last trip to NC!) Detours are made to take you off the beaten path, and that it did. Beautiful little mountain hollers and a gorgeous waterfall that I could not get a picture of, but we saw it nonetheless.

Note the clouds!!!!!!

Lots of flowers in bloom in the mountains, and I had to share a few.



Plus one of my own back yard - Snowball Tree.
I am thankful to be surrounded by beauty all the time. Some times I think I'm one of the lucky ones. Life is full of near misses and I'm very aware of the protection of the Lord, almost to the point of feeling like Mr. Magoo sometimes. Stumbling through life with calamity all around, yet I'm taking pictures of clouds and flowers!!!!

Judas and the Woodpeckers

I've almost completed the back of my pretty purple sweater. On the drive yesterday and into the evening, I knitted away with my terrific Addi turbos. Greased lightning, kind of.
The armhole decreases are straightforward and easy. The joins should go pretty well.
I need to bind off for the shoulders and neckline and then I can start the front.

I'm convinced that no matter where you go, there will be a Judas Iscariot in the mix. No kidding. It never fails that there's always someone who will bring up the negative side of every single thing that is said. SNL calls it Debbie Downer. Whatever you reference you choose, it's inevitable that you will have to deal with this person; someone who outwardly doesn't break the rules or cause physical harm but who will always and forever leave everyone in the group in a bad mood.
For the longest I couldn't understand why the Lord didn't fix this glitch. But now I think I know why they're there. Just like Judas, who WAS one of the disciples, they serve a purpose. Trying to get rid of them, or tell them 'exactly what you think of them' does no good. It's better just to accept their presence and try to make the best of things.
My daughter has told me of someone like this that drives her crazy. I can think of ten different "Judases" who I've known. At least! Yet their demise will come. But know this: resistance is useful if channeled in the right direction. Let it have it's work in your situation. Let the resistance be your chance to improve, learn and be a better person. The Lord will take care of that Judas, in due time. It's probably not your job to bring them down.

When I arrived yesterday, at my little retreat destination, I immediately went outside to walk around and listen to the wind in the trees. There was a definite tapping that I realized later was a woodpecker. I never could see where he was, but I heard him. In fact, when we woke up this morning, (the windows were open) I heard him again. Lots of other birds were chirping and singing, but the woodpecker was still at it. I figured once again, this little guy serves a purpose, whether I know what it is or not.

Road Conditions

Every time we take a trip, I look forward to two things. (Not eating out or sightseeing!) I love deciding which book(s) I'll be taking to read and I love picking, sometimes by default, what I'll be knitting. Since I'm clearly on a roll with the deep purple sweater, I will definitely take it with me.
I have switched to my Addi turbos though, just for convenience sake.
Traditional straight needles start to get in the way when the sweater gets bulky. This makes it much faster and hopefully I'll be in the armhole decreases soon, which will really make me glad I switched.

As for my book, I haven't decided yet. I do have a paperback I borrowed from a friend. It's written by a mutual friend and is her 'true' story. Not really a biography, but a book about some pretty stressful events in her past.
I think everyone should write a book. Most people have at least one really interesting story to tell, and we usually never hear about it. Her's is a sad story, at least so far, and all too familiar, I'm afraid. Abuse in the church, which is a really hot topic these days.
So, I'll probably take this book, and get a new Kindle book. My latest audio book is Folly by Laurie King. I've always wanted to read it and I started it last week on my iPod while working in the yard. Laurie is a famous writer and I have one of her Mary Russell books in paperback. Folly is a real departure from the rest, IMHO. So far I really like the main character, who although a bit odd is funny and real.

I'll also be taking the new Spin Off. It has a great little one page article on wheel maintenance. Plus some goodies that keep me inspired.

Rich beyond measure

On a day like today, words fail to describe the feeling of complete blessedness I have. Two days in a row, now, I woke up to look at my bedside clock and smiled. It's been a very long time.
My entire morning has been spent in the yard, again. I love it! Flower beds neglected for two years will come back to life this summer. I trimmed the pampas grass, dug up old day lilies and peppermint gone wild, and trimmed (hacked with the electric shrub-killer) the forsythia bushes that have become larger than most small cars. Ok, not really, but they needed to be cut back.
It's almost time to go buy tomato plants and petunias; just a few more days!

Yesterday was equally fun for me, getting to work in the flower beds all afternoon and clipping my salad greens straight from the back yard.
My husband smoked some tuna steaks, a whole chicken and a pork loin for the coming week. I had one of the tuna steaks with my salad. We ate while watching the fourth installment of The Pacific. Episode three was way, way more racy than I bargained for, and I was relieved that last night was better. (We don't normally have HBO but subscribed so we could watch this series. Now I remember why we don't have it all the time!)

I worked on the Deep Purple sweater while watching TV, and finally finishing the Leroy Brown socks. I am very pleased, in spite of all my mistakes. I am Smitten with Knittin!

Now, I want to show you a picture that will blow you away. Here it is.....
I know what you're thinking. The same thing I thought when I saw it. NO WAY! That CANNOT be the Whirling Butterfly plant from last year! Nuh uh. But there it is. I spent a lot on those plants and fully expected to have to buy them this year as well. But the Lord has blessed me once again. I am so rich, I never had to even open up a seed catalog. These aren't supposed to come back but they did. So now I have my favorite plant of all time, again, for free!

Will wonders never cease?

I've had some great conversations with my friend Nancy lately. She had lost a journal a few years ago and thought it was gone forever. Last week, while unpacking from a recent move, she stumbled across the journal. A great reward for a task that no one wants to undertake!
I started blogging in 2004 and my site was hacked last summer. I had thoroughly decided it was gone and yesterday asked my husband to give up the domain name and cancel the account. In the process, my son was able to retrieve all my posts and save them remotely. Will wonders never cease?
Another wonder-ful thing happened recently. While sitting in church week before last, a mourning dove swooped all over the sanctuary, lighting here and there, almost trying to get us to look at him or at least look up. I couldn't help but think about how the day Jesus was baptized, that the Holy Spirit descended like a dove. Will wonders never cease?

And last night, Duke barely eked out a victory over Butler in the NCAA men's championship game. But Butler nearly won, with a coach who'd been at it for 3 years against a coach who'd been at it 30. Will wonders never cease?
And during the game, I knitted as much as I possibly could while looking over the top of my glasses. The heel is very close to being finished, but I simply had to put it down in the last 5 minutes or so. Too close!

On Easter Sunday my 23 year old son proposed to his girlfriend as we were about to eat lunch. She tearfully accepted and everybody clapped and cheered. What a cool thing he did - in front of everybody!! My precious son and his fiance! What a delight to my heart.
This morning my husband had to get some blood work done. He's had quite a scare, with his blood pressure rising so high he nearly died. With diligence in eating right and exercising and taking some medication, it's back to normal and we hope it will stay that way. These are the things that make you realize what really matters in life.
We can go through life trying to please the unpleasable, working for an imaginary pat on the back, or we can do what we know matters. In my book, that means love God and love people. Period. Not stuff, not admiration or respect. Just God and people. The Bible backs me up on this point, too. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. The two greatest commands.

A Hole in Two

The Masters is coming up and everyone is recognizing the signs that spring is here. Beautiful days for golf, beautiful days for cutting the grass, beautiful days for flowers to bloom. My yard is brimming with these little flowers, all over the place. The shrubs are in full bloom.
I am so happy with my little home. Lots of quotes say there's no place like home and I believe its true. We love our house, our street, our town. I am so thankful for all I have; some people are not as fortunate as I am, and I recognize that. We live in a wonderful land, with freedoms and possibilities too numerous to count.
I spent some time last night picking up the stitches for the heels in both socks and they look mah-velous) to quote Billy Crystal.
I now have a VERY large hole in both socks but the stitches are safely on four small dpns, ready to be knit when I have a spare moment.

I will probably not have time to work on them at all this weekend, maybe Sunday night. It's Easter weekend and we have guests coming to stay with us, and a big meal planned for Sunday after church. I'm thinking almost 15 people. But I'm not afraid - I'm downright excited. I can get a lot done ahead of time, and I'm blessed with women-folk around me that are pretty skilled in the kitchen. It will be a blast to have our house filled with loved ones!!!
I must get back to work; dear hubby is cutting the grass and I just heard the buzzer go off to let me know the sheets are ready. Have a Blessed Easter!!!!