It's been great spending the past month in Lenoxdale, housesitting for our good friends Karen and Pierre. I think one of the things I've enjoyed the most is our time on the front porch. We eat breakfast, lunch, and our snack out there, read, work on the computer, and watch the neighbors walk by. In Tennessee, my mom tells me it's called "porching", and I think it's a lovely past time.
We've been reaping the harvest of their garden, another joy of summer and picking currants from two large bushes. I am not sure what to do with them, so I'll just keep them in the fridge.
We also take long walks. Russ is going about four miles a day, and I try to keep up. For the past two days, we have taken the back road to Laurel Lake and discovered the Lee town beach and a homemade ice cream store (with heart healthy sorbet). Kennedy Park is also a wonderfully shaded area with several different walking trails.
Going into the center of town feels like we are somewhere else. Having worked in Lenox for six years, I never really walked the downtown section. With it's cute boutiques and sidewalk cafes, it feels like we are on vacation. Tonight we came across a concert in Lilac Park and we plan on going to Tanglewood next week.
I went back to the high school today, and it felt like I had never left. Except that I did not have mountains of work as I would normally over the summer. I loved seeing co-workers. Several former students have been in touch with me, which has warmed my heart. They were the highlight of my time there (ok, most of them). Our social action group SAVE continues to grow, and I am so proud of the students who want to stand up for and help raise awareness about injustices around the world.
This will be my last blog on this site. Thank you for supporting me in reading it. The new site will be http://theq8report.blogspot.com and I hope to have a post up later this week.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Signed, sealed, delivered
Summer has arrived, and we are thoroughly enjoying it. Our time in Lenox is relaxed and carefree. The other times are not so much so as Berkshire Medical Center evolved into our second home last week with several doctor visits and medical "events" (lab work, heart tests, cardiac rehab, and so on). Everything has been going well, it's just a lot to happen all at the same time. As you might imagine, talking with the insurance company is often frustrating.
Partly because we are getting good feedback from the doctors, we reaffirmed our decision to go to Kuwait. We had so many different emotions arriving back here at the end of May, and then with medication complications and side effects in June, we just weren't sure. So with much thought and prayer, we decided decisively to go and feel good about it.
There is much to do, but it will not be like last summer. For one thing, we own a whole lot less and will not be shipping anything, but will be bringing some excess baggage on the plane. We still have to be medically cleared (including being negative on Hep B and C, HIV, syphillis, TB, malaria, and filiaris), as well as criminally clean (which included a letter from our local police chief, authenticated at the state and then the national level). And then sending all of it to the Kuwait Embassy so they can issue the work visa before we leave in the third week of August. Not really a problem except the time it takes to overnight mail documents and hope the right people process them quickly.
Russ is walking up to four miles a day, which means I am also walking quite a bit. It feels great. There are so many different paths to take around here and sometimes we'll walk up in Dalton when we are there for the day.
I have begun a shiny new blog, but nothing is posted there yet. You will be able to find it at http://stephsQ8report.blogspot.com
We are so thankful for everyone's support.
Partly because we are getting good feedback from the doctors, we reaffirmed our decision to go to Kuwait. We had so many different emotions arriving back here at the end of May, and then with medication complications and side effects in June, we just weren't sure. So with much thought and prayer, we decided decisively to go and feel good about it.
There is much to do, but it will not be like last summer. For one thing, we own a whole lot less and will not be shipping anything, but will be bringing some excess baggage on the plane. We still have to be medically cleared (including being negative on Hep B and C, HIV, syphillis, TB, malaria, and filiaris), as well as criminally clean (which included a letter from our local police chief, authenticated at the state and then the national level). And then sending all of it to the Kuwait Embassy so they can issue the work visa before we leave in the third week of August. Not really a problem except the time it takes to overnight mail documents and hope the right people process them quickly.
Russ is walking up to four miles a day, which means I am also walking quite a bit. It feels great. There are so many different paths to take around here and sometimes we'll walk up in Dalton when we are there for the day.
I have begun a shiny new blog, but nothing is posted there yet. You will be able to find it at http://stephsQ8report.blogspot.com
We are so thankful for everyone's support.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Four kids and wii (as in us)
We are back in the Berkshires after a few days in Carmel, Indiana. Mom drove Russ and me up to Louisville, Kentucky where Beth and the girls met us for a picnic. It was a halfway stop and we then drove the rest of the way with Beth. Both girls are very cute and adore Russ, who in turns dotes on them. It's a win-win for everyone. In fact, normally squirrly Rachel insisted in church on sitting on Russ' lap so he could rub her back, which put her into some kind of trance.
Some of our favorite sayings from the girls -
I said, "Ok,hugs before bed" and four-year-old Rachel piped in "What about high fives?"
Five-and-half-year-old Faith was always asking where Russ was if he was not in the room. She matter-of-factly told me before bed one night "We were praying for Uncle Russ when he was sick. When he had his heart attack, his caterpillers did not have enough blood" (she meant capillaries, and apparently learned that from Bill Nye, the Science Guy)
The boys are quickly grown-up and spun us with tales of what they are working on for the 4-H fair (archery, chicken bbq and geneology for ten-year-old Zack and steak bbq, Star Wars collection display, and bicycles for twelve-year-old Marshall). Both boys are still plugged into music and help their dad out Sunday mornings. Zack is on swim team and Marshall just started football conditioning.
We played tennis, swung at the playground, and fed ducks. All four kids gave us lessons in wii, so we also bowled, shot decoys, and played party games. Let's just say their hand-eye coordination is light years beyond mine. A jolly good time though.
Beth and Max have done a wonderful job making their home very cozy and comfortable. We slept soundly in their king-size bed, although we also got lost in it. It was great catching up with them, and we always enjoy Max's salsa. They are on the same two-meals-a-day plan as Mom and Dad, which we have been continuing since then. It is very satisfying. The kids are still eating up a storm though.
Beth also took me to her favorite Goodwill store. I swear that Carmel has the best thrift shops I have ever seen. So, I am slowly rebuilding my wardrobe. Mom helped too. Beth also gave me a purse to replace the one that was lifted on the flight to Gabs to Joburg; things are slowly getting back to normal. (There was nothing in the purse, but it was really nice)
As in Tennessee, the weather was cool and pleasant. I think this will be the forecast for the summer, even though I wish it was a bit warmer.
The whole trip was a good diversion for us and it went by too quickly. We are now housesitting in Lenox, which is a nice change. We are enjoying discovering our neighborhood, walking, and sitting out on the porch.
Some of our favorite sayings from the girls -
I said, "Ok,hugs before bed" and four-year-old Rachel piped in "What about high fives?"
Five-and-half-year-old Faith was always asking where Russ was if he was not in the room. She matter-of-factly told me before bed one night "We were praying for Uncle Russ when he was sick. When he had his heart attack, his caterpillers did not have enough blood" (she meant capillaries, and apparently learned that from Bill Nye, the Science Guy)
The boys are quickly grown-up and spun us with tales of what they are working on for the 4-H fair (archery, chicken bbq and geneology for ten-year-old Zack and steak bbq, Star Wars collection display, and bicycles for twelve-year-old Marshall). Both boys are still plugged into music and help their dad out Sunday mornings. Zack is on swim team and Marshall just started football conditioning.
We played tennis, swung at the playground, and fed ducks. All four kids gave us lessons in wii, so we also bowled, shot decoys, and played party games. Let's just say their hand-eye coordination is light years beyond mine. A jolly good time though.
Beth and Max have done a wonderful job making their home very cozy and comfortable. We slept soundly in their king-size bed, although we also got lost in it. It was great catching up with them, and we always enjoy Max's salsa. They are on the same two-meals-a-day plan as Mom and Dad, which we have been continuing since then. It is very satisfying. The kids are still eating up a storm though.
Beth also took me to her favorite Goodwill store. I swear that Carmel has the best thrift shops I have ever seen. So, I am slowly rebuilding my wardrobe. Mom helped too. Beth also gave me a purse to replace the one that was lifted on the flight to Gabs to Joburg; things are slowly getting back to normal. (There was nothing in the purse, but it was really nice)
As in Tennessee, the weather was cool and pleasant. I think this will be the forecast for the summer, even though I wish it was a bit warmer.
The whole trip was a good diversion for us and it went by too quickly. We are now housesitting in Lenox, which is a nice change. We are enjoying discovering our neighborhood, walking, and sitting out on the porch.
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