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Showing posts from 2014

It has begun!

Wonderful time seeing quite a bit of family - Chicago area, Fort Bragg, NC and St. Louis...what a great start to the holiday season!  Michael had two concerts at Olivet University - amazing!  Beautiful music as stated in my last post:). Michael and I flew out of Chicago on Saturday - and let me just say that flying from Chicago to Europe instead of the West Coast makes a big difference!  8 hours to Dusseldorf - that was pretty easy and besides I got to sit by the cutest little boys on the plane.  Trilingual (Korean - mom, German - dad, English - living in the US).  So, so cute...had a robot movie recommended to me and so I watched that for a bit - awesome. Michael had mentioned that Cologne was not far from Dusseldorf (where we had a layover) and it has an amazing cathedral so we took the train there...took about one hour.  Walked out of the train station and there was the church...very gothic and amazing just like Michael said!  I was glad we went.  There was a Christmas market g

Phew!...1 week, family travel and amazing music...

One week until Budapest! Once again time is a mystery to me....6 months ago I was coming home and not really knowing my next step and once that was decided sometime in August...I still had 3 months...plenty of time right?  Not so much:).  Time goes quickly and here I am entering into the week I go to Budapest.  It is becoming more real - I left California last Thursday so that was a step.  Now I've been to the two concerts at Olivet where Michael attends (and sings!).  I flew to North Carolina to see my nephew David - that was great:).  Tomorrow I head to see my cousin and another cousin's daughter in St. Louis...and then fly to Budapest with Michael on Saturday....woo hoo! Tonight my Uncle, Aunt and cousin from Libertyville came to see/hear Michael sing in 'The Messiah'.  Bourbonnais is about 1 1/2 hours from Libertyville so what precious  family we have to come all this way!  So great to see them...love, love love! When was the last time you heard The Messiah?  It

Just over two weeks...and off to one year in Budapest!

So here I am...it's November 17th and I leave December 4th.  It seems a million days away and yet....it's only just over 2 weeks!  YIKES.  Let me just recap what I'm doing since my last blog post was several months ago:). I'm heading back to Europe...for a one year volunteer commitment.  Budapest, Hungary is where I will be based and volunteering with the Nazarene Church.  I'm working with a gentleman that is the Field Director - so he is over several countries and the ministries that go on in each one.  Various ministries going on in the countries such as planting churches, coffee shops, trafficking shelters, the list goes on but bottom line it is about reaching out to people!  He has asked that I assist him working with finances, processes, documentation etc - so administrative kind of work.  That will be good - I'm fairly comfortable with that.  Also he and his wife have asked me to become involved with a children's homeless shelter work that is current

Summer time and 'next'...

I love summer...absolutely love it.  July was family reunion time - and oh how much fun it was.  Great to see Aunts, Uncles, cousins, kids of cousins...and even adding another generation of grandkids of cousins!  Crazy but loved it all.  All this took place in the Chicago area and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan - I think I experienced the best weather ever...lots of bugs but weather was surprising...minimum humidity and/or heat.  Woo hoo! The past two days in Sacramento haven't even made it into the 90's.  That's amazing.  Last week - on the day my poor parents, sisters and nephew moved my stuff from storage to a trailer to haul up to Oregon...106 degrees!  Scary hot.  I didn't know if I was going to make it to my 50th:).  After some 'time outs' from the heat, lots of cold water, ice, swimming and prayer - we all made it.  But it was a bit much.  The next day was my 50th and it was perfect.  Started out with sisters, niece, nephew and friend walking the 5K &

Home, cherries and coffee shop presentations :)

Home...as in where I grew up.  John Day, Oregon...or more accurately Canyon City, Oregon.  Beautiful place - Mom and Dad got this house in 1969...I was 5 and they have done a lot of work to it :).  We slaved as kids - yes, I mean slaved.  I'm sure I did not like it growing up but today I'm okay with it.  I appreciate the work ethic.  The yard was a rock pit when we moved in, now it is lush, green and full of different kinds of flower gardens, a fish pond, a vegetable garden, trees and a hammock:).  Pure enjoyment.  My parents are doing pretty well - they are hard workers.  Perseverance must be in their genes, in their general outlook on life - just their overall attitude.   The house and the yard/property look good.  I'm impressed.  So that is good news to me...very good news. Mom and a friend of hers wanted to go pie cherry picking today.  So we loaded up the buckets and drove about 45 minutes to Thompson's Orchards on the John Day River...beautiful place.  We picke

Heart and home...

It is a Saturday morning (usually way too early for me) but here I am listening to the birds sing and contemplating my new surroundings.  Life as I know it, in my little world, looks a bit different.  I see bus stops, I hear and understand conversations taking place around me, I remember to take my own bags when I go shopping, I say Polish words as I'm going about my day, I dink out of my Polish pottery mug, I miss different people here, I miss Poland. So how or where do we call home?  The saying 'home is where the heart is' means something different now. IMy heart is kind of broken.  I loved, relished and treasured each moment since I left Sacramento on November 20th.  Now I am loving, relishing and treasuring each moment of being back here.  I'm sure I will relish and treasure my time in Tennesee, Oregon, Idaho, Illinois and Michigan over the summer..  So where is my home?  I know it is not lumber and wallboard structures; I had a house...but that is gone and I don

Windows, music, flowers, and driving!

Face timing with book club friends, weeding planter boxes and garden areas, going to an AMAZING flower market with Sweet Surrender employees and thus planting the garden etc, washing windows (really high windows!) -  these are a few of my activities this week!  Northwest Nazarene University in Idaho is sending an 'ensemble' over so that starts Saturday for me.  We have been getting ready!  There is an apartment above the coffee shop that is recently empty (no renter) and part of the choir is staying there along with other teams coming over here this summer.  So working up there has been fun. Setting up all the details for transporting this group of 8 folks...worked out that Bob and I will be driving two cars to Germany to pick them up and then back to Poznan via a few sightseeing adventures in Berlin.  Then on Wednesday we will head to Krakow and they fly out of there next Saturday.  So we have visiting schools for music, speaking English and concerts all over town this week i

JIF and trams in a small world :)

Well - I don't know exactly where my brother got the peanut butter...who brought it over the ocean for he and his family but he shared!  I got a big 'ol jar of JIF Creamy to bring back to Poznan.  So - I'm happy:).  It is Tuesday and I'm actually drinking a warm vanilla latte!  I always drink iced drinks but I got chilled today so I'm warming up with a warm latte - yummm! There is a lady here in Poznan that I just met, Kamila, and she does interviews for the 'International Poznan' show.  She does this on a volunteer basis -  she meets with people living in Poznan from all over the world (I would imagine) and listens to their stories.  Why they are here, what are their dreams etc etc.  So she is the 'pre-interviewer' and then she types up the notes and hands them into to the show to see how/what/when it may be used.  I met Kamila because she did a pre-interview on me which was interesting.  First of all - I enjoyed the chance to hear a little of he

Flying by...

One month left in Poland! Crazy...six months goes by fast and especially when I'm down to the last month and it will be pretty packed!  I will basically be in Poznan for a couple weeks, Krakow for a couple weeks and then head back to Budapest to fly home.  There is a choir coming from Northwest Nazarene University in Idaho so we will be picking them up in Germany and heading to Poznan - they will sing and speak at various schools, churches, locations around Poznan and then we all head to Krakow.  They will be performing etc in Krakow as well so it will be a great 8 days with that team. Then I will need to move out of my loft in Krakow...sad but true.  There will be a couple girls staying there from Trevecca Nazarene University doing a culturall immersion study so that is nice the loft is available and they can live there.  We all are preparing for a few teams coming to Poland this summer - they will work on projects at each Sweet Surrender shop and then do a kids day camp in the

WOW and bad public transportation day...

Well this week has flown by!  Sitting here on the train from Krakow to Poznan and realized it has been a week since I've done a post on my blog.  I love that!  The busy part that is.... Easter was amazing - Budapest with Bob, Colleen and Josh.  Good Friday - nice tenebrae service and then Saturday Bob and Colleen hosted a big 'ol bar-b-que which was fun to be a part of...good food for sure!  Sunday started out right with an absolutely beautiful sunrise service on a hill overlooking Budapest.  Later in the morning was a service and brunch - nice.  That late afternoon several (including all four of us) were invited over to a Hungarian family's home. They are actually Bob and Colleen's landlords and the reason they rent out their house was due to a bad anurysm and accident that the Dad had.  It has debilitated him for life but all the doctors and rehabilitation people are amazed that he can even walk and function on his own.  Isn't that cool?!  Bob and Colleen have

Dad and JIF!

It's a sad day here in Poznan, Poland.  Well - let me clarify - in my world here in Poznan, Poland:).  My Jif creamy peanut butter is goooooonnnne!  Yes - there is such a thing as peanut butter here but let me just tell you - it is NOT Jif!  Now we can get into the 'creamy' vs 'crunchy' argument or even the 'Jif' vs. 'Skippy' argument but I'm devastated.  JIF CREAMY wins hands down and I am totally out.  So - I did a mini-funeral prayer for the very cleaned out jar and laid it to rest in the recycle bin.  Sad, sad day. I did get a worrisome email from my sister this morning (very late for them on Wednesday night) - Dad was going back into the hospital.  He had a fever during the day and they decided it was due to infection from the knee surgery.  He had an incision that was seeping and they were watching it etc but apparently it got infected. He may be having surgery again today - so please pray for my Daddy:).  On the other hand - it is Maund

Easter Week

Palm Sunday...I love today and the whole coming week.  It started off last night as I went to a play at the Citadel Park here in Poznan of the 'Passion of Christ'.  It was amazing - the actors performed in a HUGE area of the park so I enjoyed it - to see a pretty long procession of people with palms all the way to the road to Golgotha and the cross.  The sounds were very loud (good sound system) so each crack of the whip and hammering of the nail really made me flinch.  I thought it was done pretty well and made me stop and think for sure. Today I saw a parade of people on the street in Poznan - it seemed to be a Palm Sunday procession - and it sounded like people were reciting various Catholoc prayers.  I didn't understand what they were saying but it was interesting to watch and listen for a while. I must admit; my church in Sacramento (Fremont Presbyterian) does Easter very well.  I will miss that this year but I have loved taking part in the past.  Today starts it al

Polish Tuesday :)

Well what a great day!  It started out with a nice bowl of oatmeal...followed by a great vanilla latte:).  That was just the beginning but what an amazing start! Moved on to interviewing two students to work at Sweet Surrender...both at the University of Art here in Poznan...one in photography and one in art.  Such talent these students have - love it.  Sweet Surrender hires all students so we have some that will be done with college this year so we are hiring in order to train and be ready for people leaving upon graduation.  One girl already got a job this week; very happy for her but sad for us, she was a great worker so I'm sure she will do well at the hospital that hired her.  The summer months are really a slow time for the coffee shop - we update our menu to more 'summer' food and drink items but the fact is that people like to be outside when nice weather comes!  So that is good news really but Sweet Surrender is closed for the entire month of August.  So things

Love the traveling:)

Happy birthday to sister Phyllis!  On a whim last night I face timed to Mom/Dad and they answered (a miracle) and then I saw Phyllis as well; she had been in John Day for a couple days.  So that was great to see her face, hear her voice and be able to wish her happy birthday!  Late last week I think it was, I was able to Skype with my sister Susan so now I've seen and talked to my immediate family all within the same week - woo hoo:).  My Dad has knee replacement surgery on Tuesday (April 1st) so that was good to chat with him about all that going on etc.  He is ready for much less pain in the near future!  Mom is doing very well - she got a great report on her follow up appointment a couple weeks ago so now she plans on helping Dad with his re-hab on his knee.  My parents are awesome. I'm sitting here at the river today; beautiful spring day here in Poznan!  People are out boating, running, walking, biking, bar-b-queing...all good. So since my last blog - I have been gone

Old Town Squares and elderly people

Old Town Squares - I just love them!  There is a very pink church off the old town square of Poznan (Fara Church).  It was started by the Jesuits in the 1600's...was demolished in the 1700's and rebuilt again.  It is now considered a 'city' church and it has a huge pipe organ.  So every Saturday at noon there is a concert there and I have gone a couple times now.  The church is absolutely beautiful!  HUGE marble columns on each side leading up to the alter area so it is very awe inspiring.  The perfect thing about this church?  I went today with a girl from the shop and her boyfriend!  After the concert each week is an opportunity to take a tour - of the crypts, the upper level of the church and of the sacristy...where the priests get ready etc.  It was excellent!  I enjoyed that very much....it was a cold, windy and rainy day so what a perfect day to be inside.  We have had spring like weather this week so to have a rainy day again is kind of a bummer.  But so is spri

Ashes, flowers and backpacks...

Here I am at Poznan Glowny (means 'main' and say it with the 'w' as a 'v' of course!).  It is right by the main bus/train, thus the reason for 'glowny'.  There is a mall right here and it has everything...really.  My backpack fell apart this past week and that was noooo good - so I headed to TK Max (nope...not a typo...not TJ Max here).  Sitting outside Toys R Us sipping on a fruit smoothy from a little kiosk thing since my cold seems to keep coming back!  Yuck.  My next stop is the Piotr and Pawel (Peter and Paul) grocery store.  Cooking up a bit of chicken for dinner tonight...yummm! This past week has been great - and I did get to go to an Ash Wednesday service at a church here in town.  Ada from the shop took me with her so that was awesome.  The priest put ashes in my hair...not with oil and not on my forehead or hand.  Ada said he spoke of the oil in his homily or sermon but they do not use it.  Ash Wednesday - the ashes used this year are to be

Baltic Sea, pancakes and donut day:)

It is March 2014!  How awesome is that?!  Time marches on and spring is in the air!  Even here in Poland people have spring fever.  There was a guy in the coffee shop the other day wearing shorts!  Now - I'm not a big fan of jeans and jackets etc but it was even a bit cold for me to be wearing shorts.  But I say bring on spring!  I saw some pictures from Sacramento and trees are in full bud etc etc - oooooh....it looked so pretty!  Not quite yet in Poland but I'm looking forward to experiencing spring in this beautiful, historical country. Life is going along; work at the shop is busy and learning life in Poland is going pretty well.  Last Thursday was 'donut day' here in Poland...aka 'fat Thursday'.  Thursday instead of Tuesday...ok!  Ash Wednesday is coming up this week and I would like to go to a service here so I've asked if anybody working at the shop is going.  We shall see!  It would be interesting to me. Bob was up in Poznan this past week for w

Kyiv...history and pray!

Weekend in Budapest was great...Josh's team won it all - go Bulldogs!  The tournament I've been hearing about since Robby was in high school fulfilled all expectations.  I hung out with the Bulldog mascot all weekend (Skinner dog...Dude) and we bonded.  He was a good dog - a big chicken really but good.  It was a good time had by all. Monday I headed to Kyiv.  I stayed with some Ukrainian friends and got to see some friends from John Day, OR (where I grew up).  What a great, small world right?  Anyway...Viollleta and Andrey (family I stayed with) took me to the Maidan.  WOW.  Oh my gosh...there were a couple times that I was in tears.  As Viollleta says; 'Kyiv (Ukraine) is in a revolution'.  There were several areas set up with flowers and candles for those that have lost their lives.  Viollleta got candles for us to put on one of the places.  I just cried.  Amazing to see how people have set up places to sleep and stay, places for people to come for drinks, food and

Trains, planes and high school basketball!

Clickety clack, clickety clack...with some ka-thunk, ka-thunks added in...that is what I've been listening to for the last several hours.  Music to my ears really - I'm on a train!  On my way to Budapest via Krakow so I'll be on a train for quite a while and I love it.  Time to work on this blog for one thing!  I haven't talked to too many people during this ride...my Polish stinks :).  I can't seem to form a sentence....I just know words...but not how to put things together.  Frustrating and I'm not quite sure how to work on that.  I think when I get back to Poznan I will ask somebody to give me lessons.  There is a gal in the church that has been in the states and she is starting a 'Polish for foreigners' every Monday night at the coffee shop.  I will be going to that but think I need more one on one training too!  And guess what?...her name is NOT Joanna:). So Poznan is going well...the shop is set up differently - with 3 rooms instead of 1 big room

News and counting...

Well...first of all...counting in Polish...since I counted in Amharic while I was in Ethiopia on this blog - I thought I might as well count in Polish!  I actually used it today while I was shopping etc...counting does come in handy - good to learn early! 1.  = Jeden - the j is like h in English...or similar to Spanish where it is 'silent' 2.  = Dwa - the w is like v in English and the a always has the 'aahhh' sound 3.  = trzy - good luck is all I can say...my notes say 'th + shea' 4.  = cztery - cz is like 'chah' and roll your r! 5.  = piec' - pee + ench 6.  = szes'c' - shay + st (this one got me in trouble..saying this in German is a different meaning and we had a good laugh at that in class).  Sorry Joanna! 7.  = siedem - shed + em 8.  = osiem - I like this one...sounds like ocean :) 9.  = dziewiec - again...good luck...je + viench 10. = dziesiec' - best of luck...je + shench My next subject is just funny, kinda personal b

Loving Life!

To love life is a gift.  I have been given that gift.  I seem to be reminded through various people that this is the year that I will turn 50 years old.  I love that.  I am tearing up writing this as I think over those 50 years and the love that I have for each year.  True, I dont remember each one but those that I do...I do love.  My childhood was amazing growing up in a tiny little town in Eastern Oregon.  I had pretty strict parents that expected much but oh what joy we had in living life!  My parents are still enjoying and loving life.  Even through Mom's cancer and her month of radiation that started Jan. 13th...they love life!  My siblings?  Well - I'm the youngest and that is the best place to be.  My oldest sister (Phyllis) I dont really remember much until she left for college and then it was like we were instant soul sisters and really has been that way since then.  I love that.  My brother (Bob) - beyond words really.  He let me hang out with he and his friends, too

A few of my favorite things...

A few of my favorite things (we watched Sound of Music over Christmas...): 1.   Making my own vanilla latte! - I've trained 'on the bar' and I love it...I need more training but that will come and I enjoy it all so far!  Work at the coffee shop is going well...continuing to do the laundry since I have the washer/dryer combo deal.  I did train once in the kitchen as well so I have more to learn there...but I am enjoying working there very much...hoping to get more of a routine down but sure that will come after coordinating a bit more with the gal that makes the schedule:). 2.   Pieroigi, golabki and Krakow czekolada (chocolate) - Joanna took us to an awesome pieroigi place (often potatoe dumpling but usually filled with other things here in Poland and they had dessert versions which were amazing!)  Golabki is stuffed cabbage - I tried a recipe...had good flavor but not as good as the restaurant I had it at here in Krakow...that was amazing.  And there are a couple c

Yummm...stuffed cabbage (Golabki)!

Golabki!  Polish stuffed cabbage...well at least I'm calling it Polish.  Many countries 'claim' this dish but I had it in Krakow and loved it.  So the friends I had it with found a recipe and I attempted to make it here in Budapest.  It seemed okay to me...not as good as the restaurant in Krakow but it definitely had good flavor.  Along the process I learned I could keep a 'recipe book' online at Food.com.  Now - that is kind of ironic to me since I don't consider myself a cook much but to have recipes available online is awesome...I can take them anywhere:).  So yes...I signed up and created a recipe book...woo hoo!  I'm growing up...I hope my Momma is proud! Ha! Since the 21st of December (last blog post) lots has happened.  Christmas and New Years was amazing with family.  We took a side trip to Vienna which was over the top!  There I sat in a beautiful little church (St. Ann's) listening to a string quartet playing Mozart.  Did you catch that?...M