letusgive!

Jam!   Lekvár! That is what I am doing this morning…making strawberry (eper) jam.   I don’t even really like strawberries!   But for some reason I wanted to make jam.   I LOVE raspberry jam and I may be able to make that…but I won’t be here much from this point forward and raspberries will be ready a bit later in the summer. So strawberries it is this beautiful day. So – why blog about jam?   Partly – because I haven’t blogged since early April and thought it was time.   Partly – I was so excited that I actually found the pectin in the store and if it turns out ok (questionable at this point…too sweet?, won’t set up?...oi!) I will be very happy!   This country of Hungary is amazingly beautiful and adjusting to life here has not been too difficult.   But let me say this – it IS a different culture, with a different language, currency, mindset and sometimes; like when attempting to make jam, I bask in the victories! I would be amiss if...

It was raining blossoms!   That was one of my moments of joy yesterday ast I stood outside the school talking with Ildiko.   The blossoms were literally raining down on us; and it brought pure joy to my heart.   I have tried to start a new blog several times this past month but no ‘inspiration’ has come to me…I guess it would be safe to say that it has been a tough month.   And so it goes – right? I have loved getting back into working with all the kids at English club (s), shelter, church and even getting a bit more organized with my finance work.   Also,  I had the opportunity to go to Krakow, Poland for Easter – with my brother and his wife.   We had a great time exploring and experiencing Easter Polish style!   Amazing to see a whole village ( Kalwaria Zebrzydowska) and thousands of Polish people go to a Good Friday service processing through the stations of the cross with drama and liturgy going on at each - all hiking around the hillsi...

Healing from pain – how do we do it?   Physical pain needs healing and we may take herbs or medicine or exercise or…a variety of ways for healing – some short term and some long term.   But what about ‘heart pain’?   That is what has been on my mind for a while now.   We said goodbye to my Mom two months ago today, and I was at a memorial service for my nephew (cousin’s son) this past Friday night….he passed away very suddenly and was only 21 years old.   So that is deep heart pain…that kind of pain can actually feel like physical pain – it hurts! It is numbing really…shocking…I’m not even a parent and I can’t begin to imagine the pain. So how do you heal?   How do I heal?   Perhaps to ask it more appropriately and could be part of the answer is “How do WE heal”? I have not been in California all week but I’ll tell you what – what I have seen from afar is that this family has had an impact on their world.   They have literally 100’s of p...

February 9, 2016 ‘Stuff’ – I don’t want ‘stuff’ and yet I have ‘stuff’.   I have too much ‘stuff’…my brain is starting to process that I’m headed back to Budapest in 17 days…just over two weeks.   I have a suitcase that is already too full – how did THAT happen?   And what do I do to fix that…since I have yet to get my big jar of peanut butter or a box of graham crackers?   Really – it’s just stuff!   And yet I’m fairly sentimental so there are some things that were Mom’s…I want to take those but really maybe it's too much and then it once again becomes 'stuff'. Life is a balance – and sometimes my life gets out of balance.   I hold onto things that perhaps I shouldn’t…so I have to work through that.   How to do that?   That leads to the question of what is my focus?   Is it my comfort, my sentiments…or the work I feel called to and others?   I’ve spoken about refugees recently with groups of people and we talk about backpa...

So January is historically a ‘funk’ month for me.   I have a difficult time during the month of January – anybody else experience a period of time that is tough on them?   And here I am in beautiful Eastern Oregon – having a funk.   And I’m not saying it is pure depression but you know – not much motivation to get things done…just kind of plodding along from day to day.   There are highlights – especially this year with lots of cards coming in but that is tough too…I love to hear from people but some words just bring tears when they are about my Mom!   Then a trip to hang out with friends in Portland…that was fun…Skype with friends from Budapest - awesome, and next weekend amazing cousins are coming to be with our family…all good.   And yet…funk. So – now what?   Well…Carol – pull yourself up and get moving!   That’s what is in my heart and mind.   Okay -   I started walking again…Mom and now Dad has this crazy dog…she never tires…...

December 31, 2015 Life is good, God is waaaay better.   I’m starting with that statement this time – I am reassured of that each day – really each hour these past couple of days.   People – family, friends, folks on the street or in the store have all been incredible.   People know – they ‘sense’ hurt and respond appropriately.   That is so very treasured.   My Momma died on Tuesday, December 29th at 13:49 PST.   Dad, Phyllis, Bob via FaceTime, Susan, Nathan, Jesse and I were all there…holding her hand, stroking her arm, leg, shoulder, forehead, making sure she could ‘feel’ us and hoping she could hear us.   I whispered to her a lot that day…the nurses would kind of talk loudly to her as they swabbed out her mouth or did some routine on her.   I couldn’t do that – I wanted to be gentle with my Momma…loud noises would startle her at home recently.   She would wake up and say ‘what was that’…I didn’t want her startled.   I wanted her t...

Parked the car in a snow bank at my sisters J .   She has some serious snow up here at her house!   She lives ‘up in them thar hills’ outside of Boise, Idaho…and we will have a white Christmas!!   It is beautiful and cold for sure so we’ll see how adventurous I am over the next few days.   Tanner (#7 nephew) said I should write about family…but I wasn’t sure.   And then it hit me scrolling through my FaceBook...I have a LOT of family!   I know, the story has it that family is who you are born or adopted into…and the family I was born into is AMAZING.   Love, love, love – parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, kids of cousins – AMAZING.   Such greatness.    But along life’s merry way – there have been other people in my life who have become ‘family’.   I experienced living overseas that being so far away from my first family…others became family!   My brother’s kids (3 nephews) grew up living in ...