letusgive!

It is difficult to imagine that I am actually over here for a while!  I still feel like I'm on vacation - I'm sure that will change with time but I am enjoying it here for sure!  Here are some 'reminders' that I have been going over as I go about my daily life here in Europe. 1.  Signs for restrooms?....Very American - look for 'WC' or 'Toilet' here.  By the way - I knew that WC stood for water closet but always thought it was old fashioned.  Not so much - the bathroom in many houses are literally that - the toilet is in its own room or closet - generally separate from the sink, shower etc. 2.  Metric everything!  I remember starting to learn this system in school, back in the day, remind me why America never converted?  Yes...I have new bookmarks and apps on my devices so I can convert. 3.  Dollars - another app I downloaded to convert.  Euro is popular of course...but Hungary uses their own currency (Forint), Poland uses their own...

I left Sacramento on 12:05 p.m. on Wednesday, November 20th (that is 3:05 a.m. on the 21st  in Budapest).  Then I arrived Budapest at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 21st....which is 4:00 a.m. on Thursday in Sacramento.  So....not bad!  I flew to LA and then from LA to Paris...where I missed my connection but was able to get on the next flight out to Budapest which worked out great.  I was on an Airbus380 from LA to Paris and they have two levels - I was on the top level!  I love airplanes and that was just amazing to be up there!  A Boeing 747 only has first class in their top level but the Airbus has all classes up there...it was great to be on the upper level:).  Easy flights...a couple movies, some sleep, some food and lots of water.  Good times. I went to bed early - slept most of the night...I did wake up about 3:00 a.m. for about 1 1/2 hours but was able to go back to sleep.  Then we (Bob, Colleen and some friends from Kiev) wen...

Good stuff!  Had great leaders, met some amazing people and feel very close to ready to be going to Poland for 6 months!  Oklahoma City was a nice place to visit...pretty flat but I think I like it...the people sure are nice. So here I am in the OKC airport ready to fly back to Sacramento for a crazy busy 1 1/2 days and then off to start my new job/chapter/adventure!  One thing I do know after this weekend...I have a LOT to learn.  Culture, language, getting around Krakow, working and living with new people...oh I am sooo excited!  I'm sure there will be days that I will look at my pictures of friends, family, and ache for familiar surroundings etc but that is a given.  Who doesn't have a bad day now and then - right? Life is good...God is waaayyy better. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:6 NLT)

I must say that early in my life my Grandmother (Gram) and my parents  were amazing role models to follow for giving.  These amazing people in my life gave, gave and gave some more! My Gram invited all her grandkids when they were 8 years old to her summer cabin in the 'UP' (Upper Peninsula of Michigan) for the entire summer!  We learned to fish, row boats, shoot a BB gun, and most importantly, to me anyway, we learned to water ski!  What an amazing summer...so many memories with cousins, Aunts, Uncles and most of all my Gram.  What an awesome role model. My parents gave when they had nothing!  We learned it was important to get creative in our giving - it doesn't have to be in cash...it can be providing wood for those that needed it for their fireplaces to keep them warm in the winter or my personal favorite (feel the sarcasm here)weeding and taking care of the church grounds each week.  Maybe its taking a plate of cookies to somebody that is lon...

Czesc!!! Wow...hard to believe I only have three days of work left at Pacific Coast!  This company has been so good to me...started in September 1986 and now it is October 2013 so 27 years!  A great company and amazing people to have worked with for that period of time.  Still surreal to me but I'm very excited and ready to head into this next 'season' of life. The last blog entry I said there were decisions to be made...well - it has been a decision making month!  Let me tell you...it has been awesome to see things work out and come together.  Ethiopia has not come together as previously thought or hoped for but that is still in process.  In the meantime my 'accountability team'  has affirmed and encouraged my desire to go work with my brother and sister-in-law in Poland!  Actually they live in Hungary but also work in Poland.  So that is the meaning of the greeting above... Czesc is 'hello' in Polish (pronounced tesh-ch) .  So on ...

10/1/13 One month left until I am done at Pacific Coast Supply!  Crazy to think that I've been there for 27 years and a month from now - just gone!  Excited? - definitely!  A little nervous? - defintely!  But ready for this next part of my life - definitely! So my official last month at work was great but I did end up in tears when I bought a paper.  It was 'Shriner Hospital' Day for our local paper so there were people selling the Sacramento Bee at various intersections around town.  Wait...backup.  I went to get gas (at Arco of course) and put in my first bill...no problem; the machine took it.  Second bill - rejected it like 3 times - yes, of course I kept trying.  Finally gave in and just got what gas I could with the first bill.  See where this is going?....yes!  Then I drove through an intersection that was selling those Shriner papers and I was able to buy one since I had some cash! I am a Shriner kid...was in the Shrine...

A little messed up time wise---3:30 a.m. here and I'm awake. 1:30 p.m. in Ethiopia right now. Oh well-it will take a while to adjust back.  But what a great day and country!!!   I had my In-N-Out about 3 hours after landing,  I washed my clothes twice just for good measure---the sound of the washing machine was music to my ears!  And I drove into Sacramento at rush hour--traffic with no cows, goats, people on the road!  All three in a matter of hours...AMAZING.  Great flights home---watched a few movies, napped and got VERY excited when the flight attendant handed me a toblerone chocolate bar!  I asked if I could have a diet coke with it and he said yes...would you like ice?  I got tears in my eyes I was so happy.   Joyful to be picked up by Michael...and my parents are at my Aunts house so family time too:).  Book club last night-- fun to tell some stories and catch up with a few dear friends!   All in all-'re-entry' is go...