I jumped up this morning, ate a banana and grabbed a mug of tea and headed outside to water. I started filling up the watering can and trudging around to the flowers. It was unexpectedly cool. As I looked around I saw that the wind picked up, the skies were overcast, and I thought, this is probably a waste of time, since it’s going to rain. Better water anyway, just in case. Did it rain? Nope, not a drop!
The children and I went to a little Methodist church near the house, for the first time. We liked it. The head pastor is female, but she isn’t soft spoken and reticent – she’s dynamic. Among many other laudable things, she talked about how important it is to understand the old testament before you can really appreciate the new testament, and said she learned Hebrew just so she could understand it better. The music was excellent – all but one song was patriotic. I had such a good time singing America the Beautiful at the end of the service, when it was over an old lady in front of me turned around and said “Choir practice is on Wednesday night!” I laughed.
They have a traditional service and a contemporary one at 5:30. I am thinking we can try the contemporary service next week. I bet the kids would enjoy it more.
So I am hopeful this might be a good place for us, but I will reserve final judgment until we have visited there for several months. It takes time to really get into the dynamics of a church. I also need to make sure it will be a place we can ALL be happy.
We had to run errands this afternoon, and we stopped at Little Odessa, the Ukrainian food store. Alesia got some Russian candy and Michael got one of the German kinder eggs he loves. He also pointed out a white chocolate candy bar he likes and I bought it, but it will be saved for his birthday. He wasn't thrilled with that.
I think I have everything for the children’s birthdays in July. It’s going to be hectic, getting everything done. Alesia wants to go rollerskating again, and Michael’s activity is bowling. Mike will be leaving for camp ON Alesia’s actual birthday, July 9th, so we will celebrate her birthday on July 8th.
After lunch of pierogi’s from the store, and homemade tuna salad for Granny, we went to work writing postcards. We got 8 done. I hope the kids like them. You still have time to do some and send to Laura, who will box them up and send them to the kids in Kazakhstan, who are at “camp.” Here’s the link again: http://antarespostcards.blogspot.com
Some of Alesia’s most painful memories are from “camp” in Russia. Do not think about American camps. They are luxury resorts compared to the camps the orphanage kids attend. Alesia had some very embarrassing and scary moments there. The buildings were just shacks, and the kids had to use outhouses, and at night a communal bucket. One night she spilled the overfull bucket full of pee and was shamed and laughed at the next day by all the children. I think Michael’s camp experiences were better, but it wasn’t exactly a resort. There were huge mosquitos that bit the kids constantly.
Anyway, if you can send the kids a postcard with a couple of sentences on it, it will cheer them, I know.
We had an early dinner at The Cheesecake Factory in Perimeter Mall. I hadn’t been there in years. When I was at my last job, just across the street, we used to go there for celebratory lunches. The food is good, but I wouldn’t say it fabulous. The cheesecake is decadent and delicious. It was fun to go there, for a celebration of all the July birthdays in my house – everyone but Granny is a July baby. Lesleigh joined us, and her birthday is in July, too.
Our movie tonight was The World’s Fastest Indian, a little movie starring Anthony Hopkins, about an elderly New Zealand man who broke land speed records in the 1960’s on a motorcycle built in 1920. It’s a character study, and it’s a wonderful little film. Here’s more: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412080/
I didn’t get everything done this weekend – my room is still dusty, bills aren’t paid, and the kitchen sink is full of dirty dishes. To heck with it all. I had fun with the kids and some good conversations with my mother. That’s what matters.
Below is a pretty decent photo of both kids showing off their new haircuts. The painting was done by my uncle Lewis when he was in college.
