MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

A TRACK MEET AND THE TAJ MAHAL

2009-05-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

Well, Bree had a track meet in Delhi and I was so proud of her. John, Ashley and our friends Stephanie, Rich and Sophia went with us to check things out. It's a blessing to have friends. Anyway, here's the pictures.

Bree stayed at the home of a family who was connected with the American Embassy in Delhi. When we went to get her, John got out to go knock on the door and the security pulled his gun, ready to shoot and ask questions later. I'm screaming, and our van driver jumps out and gets him to back off. Great. Welcome to Delhi.

I'm coming home and will write more about that later. The cancer came back with a vengence. It's good to have family to come home to. Miss you all, hope to see you real soon.

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DAYS 11 - 13 HOLLAND

2009-04-21T01:05:00.000-07:00

All good things must come to an end. We stayed at CitizenM again, a really fun place for the kids. The girls shopped and had fun seeing the sights, we came up on a fair in Amsterdam's Dam Square, and everything crescendoed for me at the garden. So, another adventure comes to an end, and we try to fall back into line...John back to work, Bree back to school...Ashley is taking final exams now...and I'm rubbing my back and cooling it. Life is good.

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DAYS 9 AND 10

2009-04-21T00:35:00.000-07:00

Excursion to Rhine Falls at Schafhausen...drive through the Black Forest...Drubba...Heidelberg...lots of neat castles along the Rhine.

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DAYS 7 & 8

2009-04-21T00:28:00.000-07:00

Well...We didn't get to ride the 40 mph sled down the mountain, nor did we get to be pulled by the pack of husky's...just a boring pull around the mountain with a snow trucky thingy. How boring.

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DAYS 5 & 6

2009-04-20T23:48:00.000-07:00

It was a 5 hour drive to Chamonix Valley, which was such a beautiful place. I'd like to come back here again. It was cold and Bree ran into problems breathing after we got on the top of the glacier (3842 meters). We were running up the stairs to a coffee shop there...and then the pain struck her heart...she stopped talking, fell against the wall...and I FREAKED OUT. Geneva was so amazing...such a fascinating city. Everything is on the camcorder...which got stolen...so much for the "memories".

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PARIS PICTURES - Days 3 & 4

2009-04-20T23:27:00.000-07:00

Well, we left London and went on to Dover and crossed the Eurotunnel which felt really wierd. I forgot to put a few extra pix in yesterday from Madame Toussad's so I added them here. I left my camera when we were crusing on the Seine river and Ashley has all the pictures of the bridges and sight seeing this day. We were supposed to go to Disney, but didn't go. We went to the Lido show...(John was in a bad mood and didn't go, and truthfuflly had I known what was in store for us, I would have left B

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ree, who didn't need to see this show in my opinion...oh well. Had fun shopping and looking around. Bree's French is getting a little better. The Eiffel tower was scary to me at night going up.

LONDON PICTURES

2009-04-20T04:47:00.000-07:00

Day 1...London...Sleep, get over jet lag...Day 2...City Tour...Tower of London...Crown Jewels (Koh-i-noor diamond)...Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and the London Eye...

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THE VACATION FROM HELL...

2009-04-20T00:22:00.000-07:00

You've heard the expression, THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS, right? Well, I can truthfully say he was "all over this vacation", in fact my nostrils are still singed with burning sulphur, not to mention the rubber on my sneakers has melted from running through the fire and brimstone.

He first reared his ugly head in the airport at Mumbai. You know, you give a person a little power, stick a gun into his hands and "watch out". I didn't mean to run over the toe of the armed guard with my carry-on suitcase. How many times could I say "I'm sorry"...but if looks could KILL...then he drifted into the incompetent airline worker who would not let us board the plane despite having all residency papers, visas, etc...it took a supervisor to get us through...yes it gets worse, but you know John, let me white wash everything and paint a rosy picture for you...but not until I tell you about his final performance as we sat on a train waiting to blast into Amsterdam and he entered three blokes who walked by us, and snagged John's back pack with my camcorder...wallet..driver's license, (thank God I had my cash/cards and passport on my person) right from under our noses.

But true enough, everything ended on an etheral note at a beautiful garden called Keukenhof...It was like walking into the guarden of Eden, such absolute beauty as much as we toil through life, one could never imagine the beauty of such flowers, the passionate color combinations, the heavenly scents drifting through the air, the magical combinations and arrays laid forth in ponds, on mounds, fields and fields of tulips. There were birds chirping in the trees, children's giddy laughter filled the air as they played on playgrounds. John and I ate pizza and icecream and there were hot honey-ham sandwiches with dijon mustards that filled the air as well. Boats drifted through canals as on-lookers saw fields, and fields of flowers. Swans swam up to us...and John and I had the time of our lives...I'm telling you, if I died tomorrow, (heaven forbid) I want you all to know how beautiful this experience was for me. I will post the pictures in the order of our journey and comment here and there. Unfortunately the girls had decided they wanted to shop and not take this excursion with me, which was the only reason I wanted to come back to Amsterdam. There is nothing more beautiful in the world that I have come across at this juncture in time than to be lost in Eden with the one I love.

So the vacation from hell ended on a heavenly note, and I'm still recovering from the break-neck speed of it all.

My first and major mistake was booking a "group" trip without fully understanding what we were in for. I had been on "group" trips before and had a blast. Remember when Jaspter street went to New York City? I liked travelling in a group with family and friends...I think the culture overload here became apparent, because true enough, I am enjoying learning of Indian culture and trying to immerse myself in absorbing different ways...I should have thought of the family. Somehow the thought of going to London, Paris, on and on, eating only Indian meals at Indian restaurants did not sit well with my family, who wanted to get a break from India and experience French, German restaurants...etc...that was only the beginning..We finally were able to break from the "pack", and things got better.

I also looked at this trip kinda like the movie SPEED, there we are trapped on this bus of what...50 or so people...no there was not a physical bomb attached, but John was (and did) ready to blow, like a bull in a china shop...maybe it was the 3 hours of singing and the movie going at the same time that got to him with his short temper...

Nonetheless, let me just forget the negative past and press onward with the great beauty of Europe that we saw. Fourteen days is a long, long time to be away from home. (Truthfully we made friends with many people there who took us under their wing at times. It was almost hysterical to watch European faces as we paraded through with our group, and to have them stop us or make sure we weren't lost or with the wrong people. It was almost like the kid's game where they have 4 pictures and they have to pick out which thing doesn't belong with the others..ha, that was funny. One sweet couple from Chennai took me in, and the group referred to him as my Uncle...when Bri got sick from running on top of the glacier (thin air), he did so much to try and bring her back, calm her down (Prana, etc. There is so much to tell, I will try to get it all out in time.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAYA

2009-03-19T05:04:00.000-07:00

Today is my friend Jaya's birthday, and she celebrated it at the Madras Club. No, she wouldn't let us sing "Happy Birthday" to her...and no, she wouldn't tell us how old she really is...hmmm. Anyway, we had good food and fun. It's always good to get out of the house. I gave her my favorite book of the year..."The White Tiger", because she had been meaning to finish it for the longest (ha), chocolate candy...a girl can never get too much of that, and aloe vera juice, because she had been trying to find out just what it does for you and how good it could be for you. (I'm sure it keeps you eternally young and wrinkles away, right).

Happy Birthday, Jaya.

A BOY AND HIS NEW TOY

2009-03-17T00:08:00.000-07:00

You want to know what makes Johnnie smile so big? Can you saw...NEW GOLF CLUBS!!! Don't even ask me the brand, I couldn't tell ya, and I'm too lazy to run into the front room and look, but look out world, John has now become a true threat on the golf course. Well, believe it or not, this lovely bunch of bananas was growing in my back yard. How wierd, and cool to just pick a banana off of the tree.

This almost reminds me of the time I took my dad to Florida, and he had never seen an orange tree before. He wanted his picture made by the orange trees. Oh well, we had our really nice, expensive camera stolen on an excursion in the Bahamas, and we never got to show the family those pictures. Oh well...

Bree has the bball tournament finals on her camera, which of course I can't find, but I was mortified when the blow up bed I had put our guests on was totally deflated in the morning and they were sleeping on the floor. I tried to make it up to them, but you never get over that.

So Bree is running track now, and we are making plans for a home visit during June/July and a quick get away in a couple of weeks. I really need to go somewhere...

YYAAAAYYYY, MORE PICTURES...

2009-03-05T06:33:00.000-08:00

Well, we are on the precipice of hosting two students from Bangalore this week that are competing in the basketball tournament. The plumber is still working on installing our bathtub, and left today with promises of finishing next week. Yeah, right. I've become pretty good at interpreting the lingo around here. Let me see, translation: "Yes, Mrs. Sykes, the tub should be completed by the turn of the century." I think I'll go take a nap.

I've learned a new trick, do ya wanna know what it is? Okay, since stress is a killer, and we are all trying to live as long as we can, when a stressful situation arises and you don't want to deal with it...just walk away like it doesn't exist and go take a nap. I'm telling you, this works everytime. Say the credit collectors are calling you non-stop, wanting the last few month's backpayment and you just don't have it...."fiddle-dee-dee, I'll just worry about that tomorrow..." take the phone off the hook, light an aromatic soy candle, less toxins, play some soothing music, (I recommend Vivaldi or Mozart), and just take a nap...I'm telling you, it works wonders. Say for example Ashley and Bree are fighting again, whining for attention or getting on my last nerve...completely ignore them and???? GO TAKE A NAP. People are always being so pushy sometimes, encrouching on your space -- it's like they don 't know where to "step off", and what's a girl left to do after having to put them back in their place...(I know you're getting the hang of this now) Take a NAP.

So here are a few pictures of Bree and friends and a few repeat pictures that you've seen before that I just didn't get deleted off the smilebox. No, I haven't gotten around to take pictures of the house, it's almost like you've seen one, you've seen 'em all. Whoop-dee-doo. I'm tired...I'm going to take a nap now. p.s. Be sure to check out Bree's video at the end of the pictures on smilebox.

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GO RAPTORS!!

2009-02-26T05:42:00.000-08:00

Go Raptors!!! Bree had her first basketball game tonight, and where or where was my camera? Not in my purse where it was supposed to be. Oh well, they looked so cute in their blue and white uniforms. I'm almost resolved to not go to another game, I really lost control. I'm one of those mothers yelling and screaming from the sidelines that usually gets evicted. John was worse than me, and Ashley is worse than both of us. Things got really wild. Boy, these girls are aggressive. I miss Bree's friends from Garfield and the YMCA's team too. Seems like Jessica and Danielle should be running up and down the court screaming at Bree to throw them the ball. It was so many girls out there. I don't know if they won or lost, there was no scoreboard, which was probably a good thing.

Other news of the day, Ashley tells me that my driver Vendan saw a ghost and now he's scared. He ran to the temple today and had ashes on his forehead. He told Ashley he was coming down the road and saw a woman in a dark purple sari with long black hair and her face was convered. And when he turned back, she was GONE. Vanished into thin air...She was standing by a tree, and now he thinks the tree is evil. Hmmm, it's been a while since I studied pantheism, isn't that like when you think spirits can get into inanimate objects...hmmm.

And on that note, I'm heading to my infrared sauna to detox and chill out. We went to HotBread after the game for some hot fries and friendly conversation with the waiters there. I like to practice my Tamil on the guys, and the lead one there is really nice. Now he's being transferred to the HotBread by the airport. Hey, nothing is forever...make the most of each day and treat all people with kindness. Chow-Chica.

SLUMDOG WINS THE OSCAR

2009-02-23T18:11:00.000-08:00

It's kind of funny, but if you look at it through this slant, we all can really relate to Slumdog...that is, getting the correct answer by drawing on some (childhood) experience in the past. Let me see, like say what if I found someone's purse in my living room, full of rupees...(you can tell I've been in India too long, I normally would use dollars, okay.) The question is: Should I take the money and run? (a) No....(b) Yes...(c)...Get Ashley and Bree to do it for me (d) Kick it under the couch for later contemplation.....
Then my mind would race back to the days of being with one of my childhood best friends, Sharon, who had swiped her foster mother's purse and we ran off together to Montgomery Wards down the street with the money on a shopping spree, later hiding the purse in one of the bedrooms...Yes the "whoopin' of my life" is still layed into my memory. It's a wonder that I'm still alive today to tell the story...
So, despite the devil whispering in my ear "Go on, take the money and run...whooo, whoooo, whoooo....the answer is: (a) No, Marsha don't grab the purse. Yeah, I win.... I can just see the funfetti falling from the sky as I look up in joyful anticipation.
Yes, I am glad Slumdog won. My analysis on the movie, although yes, it is a love story...the real love story that no one seems to talk about is the one that occurs between the brothers. Yes, I'm the baby of the pack and I know what it's like to have pushy older siblings running the roost (ha). But remember the older brother despite all of his aggressiveness still loved the younger brother.,,he saved him from being blinded. Don't get me wrong, he did his fair share of detrimental work, but he still loved his brother and ultimately gave up his life so his brother could finally connect with his true love. Yes, the scriptures state: No greater love is this that a man will lay down his life for a friend. Yes, to me that is the true love story here.

Okay I'm off my soap box now.

Bree's Big Adventure in an Indian Village...

2009-02-17T06:03:00.000-08:00

Well, Bree's 6th grade class went on a trip to a rural Indian village. They took cow dung, cow pee and a little sugar to make fertilizer (Bree said the sugar tasted like grape juice...) They planted seeds and put fertizer on it. I hope I can put the little video clips up. They are so cute. They rode in a tractor, and they played games. Tomorrow Bree is going away for three days. What will I do??? (hehehe)

They are going to Yeligiri Park... or something like that. I'll share more pictures with you when they get back.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIANA!!!

2009-02-10T05:43:00.000-08:00

Well, today is my baby's birthday. Briana turned 12 today, and boy have I been suffering through her mood swings. One minute she is happy, the next...she has gotta get out of here. Anyway I'm finally getting around to posting pictures...pictures of the baptism Sunday, pictures of Bree in the hospital, pictures of the birthday cake, pictures of my friends at Tamil class learning how to bargain with the "vegetable man", etc. Bree and Ashley are out now picking out a camera for her. Hopefully that will put her into a different phase of capturing events in her life here. She really has a good eye for shots.

WHERE DID JANUARY GO?

2009-01-28T03:44:00.000-08:00

Where did January go? Seems like it was just yesterday I was coming down from Xmas...a lot has happened this month. It seems like a blur. In reflection, I was ecstatic watching Barack get sworn in. I was one who never believed America would let a black man into that realm (Actually, I have always felt his mom deserves credit as well, but we often just see "brown" skin and categorize people into little boxes. He is just like the posters you see of him, mulitcultural and everybody gets a piece of him that way. Being in India, watching everything on tv...I miss my country and am hopeful and prayerful that everything will be all right. I hope he is successful and can bring our country together.

In one week I saw more pain and anguish since I have been in India. It started when John's driver bumped a motorcycle...I tell you, I didn't know if he had ran over this guy or what...we were talking and WHAM...just like that the accident happened. Then the next day Briana had an asthma attack...which left me running for the car and whipping it around, oblivious to never having driven here, or even attempting a left-handed shift in crazy evening traffic...well, Bri wouldn't get in the car with me...need I say more? I could have handled it. (I had sent my driver home early...) I won't begin to go into the detail and trauma of the "good meaning" doctor whose prescription sent her into antoher...no, I'll just skip it. I get so tired of having to play doctor as well. Do you know how many people die from good meaning prescriptions...Anyway, we are straight now.

Then the next day going to the hospital for her blood work, I saw a motorcycle cream a lady standing too close to the road...thank God she could get up.

Well, after having a plethora of house problems and going through my manic depressive mode, I told John I had to move. Believe it or not, the company said, yes. Then the bad news, the movers would be here like in a week. Say it ain't so...

So I've been plowing through boxes. My back just isn't the same...which I can't figure out why I signed up for a Bollywood dance class, because after the first encounter...I dropped out. There is no way I can deal with the quick jerky movements with the back problems I've been having.

Then Roy, our minister, got slashed. Last report I heard out of 57 COC ministers here, 11 died last year. Most in the rural village areas... okay....pray for Roy. I went into shock that Sunday.

Whizzing down the street with my driver a few weeks ago we hit rush hour traffic and there was a truckload of musicians, all singing and playing instruments so beautifully. My driver told me they were all blind...well, we saw Slumdog Millionaire two nights ago, and that sent me back into my manic depression. Is it really true? Is that what really happens to children to make them sing for money. I just can't take it.

Johnnie's Aunt Zella passed away this month, and we couldn't go to the funeral. I sat the kids down and told them all the stories about her that I could remember. We always had such good times with her and Uncle James...life is but a dream....WHERE DID JANUARY GO?

February has got to be better. I'll put up house pictures and twist Bri's arm...she may even let me put a picture of her getting an IV drip at the hospital up...yeah, I had a camera to distract her and calm her down...it did help. One thing is for certain...my babies has really grown up. I'm really proud of Ashley for taking charge when Bri was falling ill, and I'm proud of Bri, after getting control of her panic/anxiety attacks, understanding that God is in control and we don't have to be afraid.

PICTURE TAG...

2009-01-06T21:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, at the prompting of Lynn, (Yes, she tagged me), I thought I would comply with the rules of picture tag.

The object of picture tag is to: 1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer; 2) Select the 4th picture in the folder; 3) Explain the picture; 4) Tag 4 people to do the same... No cheating, cropping, etc.

This picture was taken in February 2008 when I had come to Chennai on a house hunting trip. Yes, it's obvious I'm having a bad hair day, okay. Charmaine was taking us through all of these houses, and this house was huge...beautiful marble, stained glass windows, balconies...just in a lousy area.

Let's see...who can I tag now....Donna? Danie? Jennifer? Stephanie??? Tag, you're it.

p.s. On a sadder note, my driver had an accident on his motorcycle coming into work today. I still don't have all the information right, just that a bus from Pondecherry was the cause of the accident. His leg was bloody, his arm looked busted and his hand was gouged. Thank God there didn't appear to be head injuries. He was limping, and his brother had come to drive him to the hospital on his bike. (I am assuming that he got up and continued in for work after the occurance). I offered to drive him in the car...(I'm sure even though I haven't tried to, I could handle driving a left-handed gear shift with the steering on the right side of the car in rush hour traffic, I could handle it...) Well, he chose to climb onto the back of his bike and his brother drove him away. So, I am waiting to hear something. Hopefully in a few days he'll be fine. What a way to start out your day. Driving here is so SCARY. Even the best drivers aren't safe.

IF A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS...

2008-12-31T05:21:00.000-08:00

HERE'S your 13,000 worth of words to chew on, in other words...here are 13 of our pictures. We took excursions to so many places. The people were so friendly. This guy just ran and jumped in my picture as John was trying to take it.

We drove through Rotterdam and saw the sites there.......

We went to a shoemaking village. Doesn't John look cute in these clogs...

This is your typical English breakfast...bacon, sausage, beans and bread. The

pancakes were good and yummy...kinda yeasty tasting...

We visited a Delft pottery shop...there are only two businesses that make this pottery in the world today. And there is this special signature thingy on the bottom of the originals...don't be fooled guys by the imitations. Yes, this pottery is beautiful...and no, I didn't get the vase that I'm holding $$$$$$. I got a tiny one that could hold one stem to be placed in my bedroom for fond memories of Holland.

There were so many shops in this village (Delft). There was a huge town square and Xmas tree that was breathtaking...

This shot is from the same little village square.

And this blue heart is the end of the town square.

This place was so exciting and fabulous. This is the northern rersort town called Scheveningen. That tall tower looking thingy is where you bungy jump. John wants to come back here. On January 1, people run into the north sea...some type of ritual...there are shops galore...really nice. Can't wait...maybe next time we can come in the spring when all of the flowers and tulips are in bloom.

This is the coolest place. John fell in love with Madurodam. This is the reason he wants to come back here and play in this miniature town with real trains that run through the place...it was too much for him...he says he has to come back. Okay...April 2009???

These windmills are in the town of Zaanse Schans. We toured a windmill, talked to people who told us the history of this area. Fascinating...you know 40% of the land has been reclaimed from the sea with these windmills. Now, actually I think they use electric pumps. This place is preserved for tourists.

Okay, we went to a cheese place and gots lots a cheese...my favorite is the smoked cheese with this honey mustard stuff. Yummo.

We really, really enjoyed this trip. I hope to come back in the spring. I know it would be absolutely beautiful.

AMSTERDAM...DAY 1

2008-12-26T22:03:00.000-08:00

John and I like Amsterdam. This is a very interesting city...seems like the "entire world" is here. We are staying at a CITIZENM hotel. This place is really, cool. Very high tech...just wish the room was larger...but even so it's cool http://www.citizenmamsterdamairport.com/

We finally figured out the train system and took off hitting the streets downtown, FREEZING....The Xmas lights were so pretty we took a dinner cruise on the canal...there were really cool houseboats along the way decorated with lights.

BOPPIN' IN BANGALORE

2008-12-23T21:13:00.000-08:00

Okay we went to Bangalore this weekend...my primary goal was to get my hair braided. I was ecstatic that I could actually get my hair braided in India. I guess there is a larger African community in Bangalore, and after searching the internet, I found "Sasha's" which advertised African braiding. Well, Vendan ranted on and on how well he knew Bangalore...I gave him the addresses well in advance. Even thought about printing out directions to this place...(my lesson for today, always follow your initial instinct and never rely on anyone else). We were so lost for so long...(oh well). We piled into the car, and it was really nice to get away from Chennai for a few days. The mountain range was nice, the weather was considerably cooler. In photo number 1, out of boredom, Bree decided to melt a chocolate mint on John's forehead while he slept...

Anyway, I had everything timed out, from how long it would take to get there, to how long it should take to get my hair braided (like 5 hours in the chair). Our hotel (The Monarch, above), was right across the street. Definitely nothing to write home about, but it was in the right location, and had a tub, {We only have showers in our home, bummer}...free breakfast, and was...okay for a 3-star, if you know what I mean. (Yeah, we had to scream to get hot water, but it eventually came).

I'm racing into the hotel after an hour or so circling around, trying to find this place...I call Sasha, tell her I'm checking in and I will be right over....AND THIS WOMAN HAS THE NERVE TO TELL ME, WHOOPS, THE STYLIST SAYS SHE IS SICK TODAY, COME BACK TOMORROW AT 2:30. YOU KNOW I AM SEEING RED. DOES SHE REALIZE WHAT IT COSTS TO STAY OVERNIGHT IN THIS PLACE, OR THAT MY HUSBAND HAS TO BE AT WORK THE NEXT DAY, OR THAT COMING IN AT 2:30 PUTS US DRIVING BACK ON THE ROAD AT ABOUT 9:30 OR 10:00...AND HOW DANGEROUS IT IS FOR NIGHT DRIVING HERE... YES, I AM LIVID. I HAD CALLED A COUPLE DAYS BEFORE TO VERIFY THAT THE APPOINTMENT WAS STILL "ON"...AND NO ONE CALLS ME BEFORE I COME THIS FAR TO ... I GUESS YOU GET IT.

I'm still mad about this. Then to top it all off, after starting at 3:00, I didn't get out of this chair until 8:30 p.m.; rather than risking life and limb trying to get home dodging cows and heaven only knows what else is in the road...we just decided to stay another day.

So, was it worth it...I really wanted my hair braided. No, it's hard to find the same quality that we have in good ol' Decatur. (One braid thick, one braid thin...) And then they charged me an extra 1,000 rupees over what was quoted before I came. Yeah, Merry Xmas. I hate being "taken", and I suppose I need to just become more adamant, aggressive and demanding over stuff. Yeah, that's my New Year's resolution. I need a good assertiveness class. I told this woman this was not the original price quoted...

Yes, this was a very expensive hair do; not sure I will do it again. Guess I will just wait to get to the State's next time.

We found the Hard Rock Cafe, (Poor Vendan couldn't seem to get directions right...I told him to just pull over, pay a rickshaw guy to guide us there, and let it go...but NO...he would find the way). Anyway, the important thing about this venture was....

I SAW THE GUITARS FROM "THE CARS" ON THE WALL. This is my favorite rock group. When I was a freshman, there was a girl on the floor who blasted the cars non-stop, like 24-7. I hated this music...but maybe after the zillionth time, you kinda get the songs in your head, and you start groovin' to the bass and rythms...yeah, I now confess, I really love the cars...Candy-O and all. So much for trippin' back to 1979.

We made it back to Chennai...and now we are bracing up for Amsterdam. Ashley and Bri will be running amuk, and I'll bring you up to speed on what's happenin' there later.

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE XMAS...

2008-12-16T03:12:00.000-08:00

NOT. Okay, today is just like another hum-drum day. What is it..like 90 degrees outside? I laid out like 25 minutes as usual trying to get my fill of vitamin D in...http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/12/16/my-one-hour-vitamin-d-lecture-to-clear-up-all-your-confusion-on-this-vital-nutrient.aspx

So now I'm into the Budwig protocol...http://www.budwigvideos.com/ as well as infrared sauna and a few other treatments that are good for your liver. (Okay, I'll skip the boring health stuff).

Sunday we went to dinner at Sparky's. All I can say is WOW, boy does he have Xmas going on big-time. I'm gonna make John dig out our tree. I miss Xmas. My mother passed away Xmas morning, 2005. It really changes the way you live through your holidays. You know that year my kids got me Oprah's 20 year special anniversary collection, and I think I stayed in bed for a week and just watched the entire 6 cd's and cried. Well, Ashley drug it out a few days ago, and we just watched them every day and night until we got through them all and boo-hoo'd. I need to get out of this rut...

And guess what, I've got just the ticket. John, Bri and I are gonna bust a move to Bangalore this weekend. Yeahhh, they have African Braiding there. So I think I'm gonna transform myself, give my 'fro a rest and I'll post pictures if it turns out good.

So this pinched nerve in my back is driving me crazy. I'm seriously considering acupuncture. Ashley said she would give me a massage tonight. I hope this helps. John's working late, Bri is in bed sleep (it's only 5:00 p.m. (She'll probably be up all night talking on the phone since we got our Vonage going again.)

Okay, sisters...ya'll can call me now...get me through the holidays...

SO HERE'S THE REST OF THE STORY...

2008-12-09T03:22:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm gonna get through the rest of this trip today if it kills me.

We arrived in port to visit Pisa and Florence...Paulo was waiting for us. Paulo, we love you. You are such a sweetheart...(Johnnie let me say this, okay). A kiss on both cheeks to you.

Should any of you find yourself in need of a guide on an Italian tour excursion, go to www.unforgettabletuscany.com. This operation is run by Paulo who really, really helped us to fall in love with Italy. We went everywhere, saw everything, absorbed so much history, from the Medici's to Michael Angelo, from the leaning tower of Pisa to the back roads of Tuscany...such beauty...the wine vineyards, the olive trees. Ultimately we toured a beautiful castle, which was like a private hotel...wrong word, I mean museum. This is the first time I ever heard John exclaim that he would take me here on our 50th anniversary. I laughed and thought to myself, hmmm so that must mean next year, right. Let me give you the website...but the pictures on the web just doesn't do this place justice...oh well, http://www.montegufoni.eu/

I think I should rent out the lower wing that holds 8, and grab as many of my peeps as would travel that far and...wouldn't that be a blast. (Let's just pray that the economy doesn't completely tank).

Truthfully, we won a free round trip ticket to anywhere in Europe, and this would have been first on the list for this Xmas, but...I can't swing it $$$ with all of the girls right now, so John just settled on going to Amsterdam the day after Xmas to celebrate our 25th, since we were at a loss during September because of unforseeable events occurring then. The girls will be up to mischief for 4 days, but still having an adventure without us.

These private excursions were so wonderful, we got to see tons of more things than just taking the ship's tour with like 50 people being herded here and there and paying $$$much too much through them. Yes, we want to definitely come back.

FRANCE...

You know I loved Princess Grace. It seemed just like yesterday remembering her death...little Stephanie in the car with her...well Jerome came through to get us at the pier in France...http://www.rivierapremiumtour.com/ So according to Jerome, Prince Albert is now engaged to a beautiful blonde who is a great swimmer/athlete.

Oh, the French!!! You know you must be a gazillionaire to live in Monaco, yes, we saw it all. The changing of the guard... Nice was beautiful...and the most fascinating place that I tried to book for after Xmas this year (but had flight problems returning to Chennai) was called the village of Eze. This fortress was constructed in like the 13th or 14th century (I'm never good with details)..but it captivated my heart. The views into the harbor from the cliffs were so awsome. Here's a link to it: http://www.circumvista.com/chateau-eza.html

Yes, yes, the French riviera was wonderful. So now I feel the need to learn both French and Italian after I finish stumbling through my Tamil lessons. You know they say Tamil is one of the oldest languages on earth today...(and one of the hardest, if you asked me). My teacher said most other languages require your jaw to go up and down, in Tamil, it goes sideways.

We arrived back to Barcelona where the tour company emailed and said they had my cell phone and back pack. All is well, John is forgiven for leaving it...and there was peace in the valley.

So, that sums up our travels in a nutshell...but it seems like if you are following the news, chaos reins. I'm sitting here under a blasting air conditioner thinking about how hot it is now...but not really missing icy wintery weather. Ashley took Lilly over to a friend's house to play and boy oh boy did Lilly cause a raucus. So there it is...Merry Xmas everyone...no, our tree is somewhere in a box still.

TERROR ALERTS...WE ARE OKAY

2008-12-05T10:29:00.000-08:00

I first want to let all friends and family know that we are doing fine. What has happened in Mumbai has been devastating. We are following the consulate's advice, but you can't go on living your life in fear...just take the best precautions that you can and then..."let go and trust God". Today we are just getting our internet back, and it is still popping in and out. I really wanted to finish up our last trip...after all, we have still got to get through Florence/Pisa (Tuscany), Monaco/Nice/Eze, France and back to Barcelona, but I am just moving in slow gear.

To Sister Olivia Hill...I love you, we love you...we were so shocked and hurt to hear of Bro. Hill's passing. He was just like a second father/uncle/loving, close relative to us. I am giving you a {{{hug}}}. It's so hard to be so far away, and then so many things start happening, and what can you do but pray to God. May He comfort your hearts, Jasper Street.

God has been so good to us, and today I received family pictures of Sean, his wife, Kris and new baby, Noah. The Sykes family name will go on (smile). Yes, John really, really wanted a son...but we won't go there...so Sean carries on the family name. Boy, if you aren't the spitting image of Willie James and Connie....we love you all.

Briana finally got admitted into the American School yesterday. I don't know how to say it, but if this child hasn't given me a head full of gray hairs...to cut to the chase, I am thankful in some ways that her "rocky" experiences and dealings in an underprivileged initial setting will eventually find a way to make her appreciate so many things that our kids take for granted...Thanks to all who have said a prayer for us, and especially for Bree. I can now see light at the end of the tunnel.

I've been busy with our OWC group, we've been singing Christmas carols for elderly men and women, I have been going to all kinds of neat places...the Madras Club...we visited another home for the elderly where orphaned children put on a play and sang. They were so sweet. I miss those days of directing choirs and singing with the children, but I am grateful I got to do a little of it here as well.

Our book club this month was a blast. This is the first book I managed to get through in a long time..."The White Tiger". I guess you almost have to be here in India, living the life to really, really "get it" and appreciate this book. Wow. Our discussions were fun and racy.

I even took a trip with another ladies' group to visit "Jean Lesage". Who is Jean Lesage, you might ask? I'll try to post a link for you...http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/10/13/stories/2005101300640100.htm

That's who.

We miss all of our family...immediate, distant, courthouse, Decatur Cat, church family..everyone. We are fine, I feel fine...maybe even lost a couple of pounds. ) Yes, I am jumping on a rebounder). Now, if only I can get John to jump. He's still golfing like crazy.

Well, I'll write more tomorrow, Lord willing...if the creek don't rise...

SPQR...ROME

2008-11-28T00:53:00.000-08:00

Rome was actually about an hour away from the port where our ship had docked. We had arranged a tour, and Manillo was there to greet us. We embarked on what was to be another life changing experience for me.

In my line of work...or somehow I should translate it to reflect my "past" line of work there was very little from a graphic point of view that I hadn't seen. Nineteen years in criminal work and a couple years beyond that in Atlanta left me feeling as though I was a fairly seasoned court reporter. Don't get me wrong, to this day there are pictures I will never get out of my mind... graphic, mutilated bodies, autopsies of babies...there will always be a few cases that haunt my mind which to this day I still have to push the thoughts out when they still return. Even so, I don't think I have ever been driven to the point of ad nauseum until we arrived at the colosseum.

There is a huge cross that has been placed there now...and the imagery that filters into my mind comes from the book of Revelation, of the martyrs' spilled blood, crying from the ground for God to take vengence...it was just a killing field, which was more than I could stand. I guess I'm just a sensitive soul...John and the kids, you could almost hear them saying "pass the popcorn".

I couldn't look at it from an architectural point of view...truly an amazing wonder when you research the construction, the way it was a lake that was drained, the precise measurements used to keep water from back flowing in, the underground construction put in so that animals could pop up through the floor for drama and surprise everyone...truly a marvel...but all I could keep seeing was blood, crying from the ground.

Rome, the Vatican....it really would be a place we'd like to return to, but with 8 hours in port and traveling time to and from the ship...yes, we need a few days there to truly absorb this amazing place. Like a fog, trying to clear the mist away, four years of Latin in high school began replaying through my mind as I struggled to translate various writings that were everywhere. Ollie was the Latin scholar...(my mentor). Actually all of the girls in the family followed in her footsteps and tried to emulate her.

John says he kept thinking about the movie, GLADIATOR. We saw so many wonderful things, out of the 7 hills, we got to visit only one...temples...Circus Maximus...we went into the catacombs...but you weren't allowed to film down there. Well, there was a "peaceful" protest going on of students, and we were stuck in traffic for an hour. Then as we were racing back to the ship, a rain storm blew in, with hail, mind you. How befitting for an end to the "Eternal City". Yes, I hope we can find our way there again.

A BUM DAY

2008-11-26T04:48:00.000-08:00

(These pictures were taken before we went to the OWC ball...this was the dress I bought in 1997 for my parent's 50th anniversary.)

For all of the excitement that has come my way during the last week or so...and there has been a lot Iwanted to share with you guys...John and I won two of the top prizes at the OWC ball, (a beautiful silk duvet and the grand prize...a roundtrip ticket to anywhere in Europe on Lufthansa...I attended the violin concert of Sara Michieletto, who played movements from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons"...my very FAVORITE composer and favorite composition...I think it was Spring and Summer...she played with such passion that I was brought near to tears...), all that said, today was a sad day for me.

Battling cancer, I developed a circle of cyber friends. I got to the point where I had to get away from some of the chatting because things can get depressing. Health begins to fail...desperation setting in...members all trying to help and suggest different things for final stages...not a good place to spend a lot of time, so I just stopped going there to keep my head in a good "mental" zone.

Well, for those of you who really know me from 1999 on, you also know I was a Y-2K freak who became a gun toting, survivalist...preparing for the worst possible outcome, stashing my basement with enough food for a year or so, seeds to sow in case I had to grow my own garden...yeah, I even got a generator...whatever it took to survive independent of the power grid. (I think everyone who knew me thought, if it gets that bad...we'll just crash in on Marsha for supplies). Well, thank God the grid and computer systems didn't crash...but I hung out on a website called Timebomb, which was a "survivalist" type spot...and there I met EXPOSE...alius Deborah.

I hadn't been on this site for months, and just happened to click on it today. Expose died of cancer, and they were posting their farewells and condolences. She had emailed me, trying to help me with helpful advice, sharing whatever she could. It hit hard. I hate cancer. It took my mom away...I know we are not meant to stay on this earth. One day, something will take us all away. Guess I'll go and spend some quality time with my husband and kids and be thankful for right "now", because that's really all we have.

Tomorrow I'll try to tell you all of our journey to Rome...

PERIL IN POMPEII

2008-11-24T01:09:00.000-08:00

Pictures of Pompeii, racing through the streets of Naples in a taxi...Briana is responsible for these "back-of-the-head shots".

Peril...peril? What peril you might ask? {The kid in me wants to do a tongue twister thingy with 'The Perils of Penelope Pitstop'...I guess I'll never grow up.} After all, we did manage to avoid being hit by the volcanic ash from 79 AD, so surely any other obscure dangers lurking would be inconsequential to our traipsing through the ruins, right?

No, the dangers I'm talkin' about is grabbing an 11 year old girl named BRIANA, and dragging her away from the market stands (yes with her straining eyes aglow) from the prominently displayed EROTICA (bronzed 12 inch ...hmmm....how shall I say it...male anatomies) that were just everywhere. I had forgotton that Pompeii was also known for its erotica, wall murals of brothels, well...it goes on and on. Just do your own "erotic art in Pompeii" at google...need I say more? So, once again, my sweet, innocent baby has been exposed to more than I anticipated. Great. I really am trying to keep her from growing up too fast, but it just seems the world keeps exposing our kids to so much...and I am sorry...I'm still a prude.

We used the camcorder a lot, and as of yet, I still am unsure about putting video shots up...I'll have to get some of my friends to help me. I'm doing big stuff just loading up a picture.

Well, the girls and I fought our way through the ruins, listened in on other guides giving the particulars...John stayed on board, and through a mishap of our original tour, we didn't do so badly getting around for not having a plan that day. We had a crazy cab driver who was a lot of fun. The Italians we met were fun-loving people who love their homeland.

Maybe one day I'll go back and we can check out the Amalfi Coast.
P.S. Lilly's leg is healing well.

MALTA...MY OH MY

2008-11-20T23:09:00.000-08:00

Ladies from North Carolina; entering the catacombs

blown glass shops; historical churches

going into the catacombs; our ship, the NORWEGIAN GEM...

Last night our dog, Lillie, cut her leg so badly...blood everywhere. Obviously a vein damaged and you could just see the bone...to say the least, it's been a harrowing night and morning; but I am thankful to find the vet to help her and she will now be getting shots for 7 more days. She was crying at my bedroom door trying to get in...

Okay...I'll spare you all the details and go on with Malta, but I wanted you to know there has been so much drama going on...I'll just intersperse it between shore excursions.

We were a day at sea before arriving to the island of Malta. I had read cruise ship forums which stated..just do the tour yourself and save $$$ do this, that and the other. I had no idea what Malta held in store for us, nor did I realize just how much this was to become a spiritual journey.

Leaving Barcelona, and seeing the remnants of the Roman Empire was quite memoralized in my mind...buildings where the original walls still stood, just rebuilt upon and used as the foundation of other buildings that were erected over the same spot...anyway, while watching the tv on the ship, they show what all awaits you in Malta. Then, they showed pictures of the cave where Paul was held prisoner after his shipwreck episode. It was here while gathering wood a snake bit Paul and they all waited for him to die, and he didn't...I just about fell out of my bed. I didn't realize I would be coming here...I didn't realize the impact that this struck me with. Well, I couldn't get John and the kids to go with me on this trek, they did their own thing. So, let me tell you about my excursion of Malta.

It kicked off first visiting elaborate churches, with unbelievable domes, gold, detail...On the front of this one church they had all of the apostles that were huge outside. I tried to zero in 0n a picture of St. Thomas since he was killed in Chennai. There were huge portraits of Paul, the snake scene within the church. A bomb during WWII had blew threw the dome, but was repaired...Then we went on to shops where they had the most beautiful glass art. I got a blue swirled lovebird duo. Malta is known for their blown glass. We ultimately ended up heading for the catacombs that were connected to the crypt where Paul had lived during his stay to be transported to Rome. Going into these catacombs really leaves you with a strange feeling...walking through these narrow hilly streets gazing into the windows...people were very friendly. I got the best peanut brittle with tons of different spices in it, so different than what we have back home...

There were so many stories I can't remember them all, stories of the Maltese Cross (8 pointed cross) and the order of St. John...

Anyway we were thoroughly enjoying our cruise. Met some fascinating, fun loving Obama loving ladies who flagged us down...they were all college graduates who reunited every year and took trips together. They were out of North Carolina, and this was so similar to Tyler Perry's movie with Janet Jackson..."Why did I get Married"...if you haven't seen this movie, you have got to. I'll try to put their picture up as well, but we had such camera problems for a couple of days, that we didn't even get Colosseum pictures on our camera...had to use Ashley's.

But I just feel so blessed. Blessed, that God allowed me to physically go and cast my eyes upon these places that seem so much just like a "story" which you've read all your life, heard preachers give sermons about, and looking at the Bible as a living, breathing, book...just waiting to be ultimately fulfilled...you won't believe the physical sickness wave that overwhelms your soul just stepping toward the colusseum...but I'll get to those stories later.

Oh well...the journey continues.

HOW COOL-AAH IS BARCELONA

2008-11-18T14:02:00.000-08:00

It's so funny, despite fighting it throughout most of my life, I can now say that, YES...I have become my mother. As a child tagging along with my mom shopping or whatever, one might think my mom knew the entire city of Decatur. She spoke to strangers on the street, in the malls or grocery stores like she had known them all of her life. For being so introverted and shy at times, you'd never know it watching her laugh, crack jokes and chatting with people. So yes, I have developed that knack. It's really kind of fun, and I kicked it off from the guy picking us up at the airport all the way through the end of the trip...John just kinda let go and just enjoyed the ride.

We loved Barcelona. Spain was so cool, and even with my limited, broken Spanish, we did great. Ashley even managed to find a restaurant and order in Spanish off the menu with Bree in tow when John and I took off for the flamenco dancing show. I wished I could be travelling here with my family, especially Ollie. So the best I can do is show you all the pictures and share a few emblazened memories.

Europe doesn't come cheap...you think you can put 4 in a room, like a double in the US...Naaahhh, doesn't work that way here. Three is the max, so we had two rooms for a couple of days at the Market Hotel, a budget hotel which had great reviews in Travel and Leisure magazine with breakfasts (the apple glazed muffins with cream cheese or something sinfully delicious in the center were the bomb, you know we were not dieting, okay.)...included in the deal, free wifi (don't you hate paying an arm and a leg just to use the internet in hotels...) free apples and water to send you off on your daily trek, and it was definitely in the middle of things if you like action...It was a 15 minute walk from the main strip, (Las Ramblas). Oh, if only I had money to truly shop for clothes, because guys, you know the Spanish know how to dress. (Like I could really get one more thing in my overweight suitcase)...and the coolest designs were just dazzling before my eyes. Our first dinner was at a Hard Rock Cafe. It was a bit challenging finding it. It's amazing how words I hadn't used in over 20 years (Spanish 101) filtered back into my mind . Just to show you that it's a small world, we were sitting there, enjoying the ambience of your typical Hard Rock Cafe, chowing down on some barbecue ribs...John was still wearing his CAT cap, and low and behold, at a table across from us was another CAT family out of Peoria on an R&R/vacation also. I forgot where they were stationed. You'd almost think we set this rendezvous up! We had a nice evening.

The next day we took a day tour of Barcelona...to go into these churches and see the beautiful, artistic work was amazing...all through Europe, it was just amazing. Then our tour guide was chatting about Christopher Columbus coming back here for this, that and the other...have you ever been so overwhelmed...sensory overload...that you can only just stand there and your mind/body can only filter in so much? The afternoon was dedicated to Gaudi...a man after my own heart when it comes to design. We ran out of time to go into Picasso's museum, John left my backpack with my cell phone in it on the tour bus...(but it all works out in the very end).

We ended the day by dressing up...John and I headed for the flamenco dancing dinner, (yeah, they bring you a fish with the head still on it and the eyes of it are looking dead at you...) and Bree and Ash hit the streets and found a restaurant close to our hotel. Okay, like maybe 6 people were even in this dive...but boy could this guy sing and dance and the guitar playing made you want to grab a pair of castinets and let go...Oh, I almost forgot to tell you...I got drug up on the stage to dance with this guy. John wouldn't go when they tried to drag him, but he pushed me forward. Thanks, John. We spent the next morning getting to the pier, ready to board the NORWEGIAN GEM...an awsome ship.

We had a minisuite with a balcony...which I wanted to share with the girls, but they had insisted on being on their own...so they were a few floors down from us. I'll tell you more about the embarkment of this journey later...although it's winter supposedly in Chennai (probably 90 degrees outside), monsoon season must still be here because it's raining cats and dogs right now...and this internet is acting funny. Maybe I should shut it down lest another power surge should do me in...if you know what I mean.

I SPOKE TOO LATE...I AM WRITING THIS NOW 24 HOURS LATER...OUR SERVER WAS DOWN UNTIL NOW. Vendan says that our street is very bad for internet, I guess the one in front of us and behind us are just fine...somehow I should have known...Tomorrow I will try to tell you about Malta.

LIFE WITH NO INTERNET...

2008-11-18T13:44:00.000-08:00

Life with no internet is the PITS...definitely the pits. Anyway, after taking over three weeks to get things going again, we are back in action as of two days ago. Then suddenly another power surge took out the modem plug despite having a surge protector in place...so another day goes by to get back up and running...I miss being in touch with everyone. So much has happened. Logically I left off with our Mediterranean trip, so I'll pick it up there...

AND WE ARE OFF...

2008-10-26T02:20:00.000-07:00

Barcelona is so awesome. We got off to a rocky start, our suitcases were way over the limit, they wanted $600 more bucks, which sent me into shock waves. We recalled our drivers and were throwing stuff into the back of the car. I don't know what possessed Bri to carry all of her school books, like she would really be studying...anyway, we made it. Hey, Bri and I wouldn't mind living here. Gotta go catch our boat.

WE GOT 6 MONTHS IN...30 MONTHS TO GO

2008-10-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Sunnyside for our gift box. Yes, you can see the twine from custom's rampage through the package. Yes, every can of Pringles you sent was opened and poured throughout the box...but it got here. (At least everything else was virtually untouched). Thank you for your love, your prayers, your thoughts and well wishes. The cards, gifts, books meant so much to Bri, Ashley, me and John. We are doing fine. The church in Chennai is doing fairly well. Thus far, no serious persecution here in the city that I know of...but the rural areas...keep praying, please.

I wanted to shift gears and reflect on what it's been like, now that we have 6 months in. I guess I have to be ever so careful with my words...I don't want to say anything inflammatory or sound like an...alarmist, so...choosing my words ever so carefully...here goes:

There are ways that I can empathize and sympathize with the poverty in India, afterall, we grew up in poverty, but we really just didn't notice it, because most of our friends were poor too. It's so wierd, I guess is the best way to describe it. I remember going over to some wealthier friends homes throughout childhood and feeling so out of place in their upper eschelon neighborhoods, never really being comfortable. We had a comradie in "da hood", like it was "us against them"...we were on the bottom striving to make our way out...trying to pull a "George Jefferson" and move it on up...

I guess that is the beauty of America...you really can achieve your dreams and beyond...the opportunity is there.

So now...it's like the tables are turned...and here I sit in the wealthy neighborhood, servants come and go, eager to please...fearful of losing their job...such humility in their hearts. I can't take it. I feel like Jennifer Lopez singing "Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got...I'm still, I'm still Jenny from the block"... I believe the compassion and love of mankind transcends all barriers, and not like I'm emulating George W. lookin' into Putin's eyes...but I find myself searching deeply within people's eyes, past the core of anger or resentment of foreigners floating through their land with freedoms they can never quite attain...maybe I'm just having my WWJD moment, trying to be that light on a hill. I don't know...

It was more fun being in "da hood" hustling for a buck and surviving. Then again, reflecting on the "good ol' days" is always more happier than the reality of being there. Who wants to go to bed hungry?

Well, here I sit, planning another whirlwind vacation. Truth be told, I AM TERRIFIED OF BEING ON A CRUISE BOAT THIS BIG. Echoes of Titanic fill my mind. I find the sound of a fog horn petrifying, it just leaves me quaking inside. My silly girls are determined to watch Titanic tonight. I had found movies like Spartacus, Ben Hur and Gladiator at the DVD shop to try and bring them up to speed on Rome, the Colluseum and Circus Maximus. They seem so clueless as to what happened, or even connecting the dots to 70AD when Rome destroyed Jerusalem, using much of the gold, precious items to be reconstructed in their colluseum. I guess they are much more interested in "where is the mall"...

I know one day they will appreciate this great opportunity that they have been given. I'm just trippin' thinking...what if a rogue wave hits? I never got over the heart sick feeling that settled in after Poseidon Adventure either. So why did I pick a cruise to go on? What we did in Egypt is "nothing", NOTHING compared to this...being out to see on a huge vessel. In Egypt we simply floated down the river, with the land on either side. I could have swam to shore if I had to...

Okay, six months in, my job terminated, I want you guys at the courthouse to know you are always drifting through my mind. My family is always drifting through my mind. My mom and dad are always in my dreams, comforting me in this strange land. I feel like my mind and eyes are still looking for some semblence or essence of HOME, good ol' Decatur...the smell of Staley's in the air...I guess other smells have filled my nostrils these days, and other sights have filled my core. But my Johnnie Frank is happy as a lark, and I am really happy for him. I am really glad they have been able to do good things for India at work, and I really am trying to "enjoy the ride".

Six months in, 30 to go...stay tuned.

WHUZZ UPPP

2008-10-17T01:24:00.000-07:00

Monsoon rains from our car window -- Ashley's Birthday cuppacino with heart sprinkles delivered by an admiring waiter -- Forgive me for posting this one of Bri at her insistence -- Our ever-attentive waiter -- Ashley's birthday, en route to Extasy -- Global Adjustment's New Building....

I know I haven't been writing lately, but things have been totally crazy. I guess I wanted to start off telling you about...MONSOON season. I was always wondering what monsoon season would be like, kinda like wondering what the first pang of giving birth was gonna be like comes to mind. Such obsession with the unknown, and then one day...WHAM...doom and gloom sets in. Yeah, rainy days and Mondays always get me down. You might as well throw in Tuesdays and Wednesdays, okay.

We took off for church last Sunday, the front roads were passable, but suddenly as we turned into smaller roads, the water -- which of course drains NOWHERE -- began rising to our door level.

The girls are freaking out, I'm talking to Vendan, like "Do you really think we can make it?"...rickshaws are becoming stranded in the water...So Bri reaches into my purse, grabs my camera and TA-DA...here's a picture of our first real swampy ride.

Thanks to the grace of GOD, we did't have to get out and push the vehicle to higher ground (yes, others were out there towing the line), because only heaven knows just what the gunk floating and lurking below the surface was.

Well the storm knocked out our internet for 4 days, and just when we got it going, SHA-ZAAAM, lightning struck and fried the modem. A neighbor's house had an entire wall to crack. I'm telling you a clap of thunder struck in the middle of the night that was so loud, we all saw a white light...I was just waiting for the trumpet to sound before I realized that no, the end has not yet come...it was THAT HORRIFIC, and NO, I AM NOT EXAGGERATING...

Well My BABY turned 21 the other day, and yes we celebrated. Me, Ash and Bri took off to their favorite cheese cake spot..EXTASY, and yes, this coffee shop truly deserves its name. It just doesn't get any better than this. I'm telling ya, who'd a thunk that one could find such BLISS in India? Okay we were totally silly, whacky and crazy...and our waiter...Gobbie?? I think that was his name, couldn't resist circling our table any chance he could get. Any way, he wanted to bring Ash a candle in her ice cream, but she was coy and shy.

They bring you your dessert in this huge bowl, about the size of your head, with a strip of...I don't know how to describe it other than it's like sugar coated gummy bears, but it's cut into a 5 inch rectangular block, and it sticks to the side of your bowl...like an after-treat of your cheese cake and ice cream. Well, Bri grabs hers, and lets it dangle out of the side of her nostrils. (We are just rolling, it was so funny). Why are my girls so uncouth sometimes?...I was just simply mortified).

Actually, we were the only people in the shop, or I really wouldn't have let them carry on like this....

Well, once again I joined another club...this time it was GLOBAL ADJUSTMENTS. (Yeah, like I need a mental adjustment). So John took pictures of the entertainment that night. These guys were playing instruments (I forgot what you called them and the type of music it was...cantonic?? something like that. Anyway, as soon as I get back from our cruise (I'm gonna tell you all about the drama going on there maybe tomorrow)...but as soon as I get back, I'm going to take a 6 week Tamil course at Global Adjustments. My head can only hold so much...I am trying to review my Spanish (it's been 20 years) for 3 days in Barcelona, the cruise goes to Malta, Naples (Pompeii), Rome, Florence/Pisa, Nice & Monaco. The guides all speak English...but we are on our own in Spain.

I'm sure we'll have some pretty good stories for you then. Hasta luego, feliz navidad, la cucaracha, vaya con dios, my darling! (Yeah, we are in trouble).

GO SPEED RACER...GO

2008-10-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

Hey, believe it or not it has been 6 MONTHS since we have been in India, and we are just getting to Kart Attack...which is few blocks from our house. John and Briana as just too dangerous on the road...Bri almost flipped her car twice. Ashley kept exclaiming how much she missed driving...they had a blast here.

I will have to write more of 6 month update in the next blog.

BRI'S SCHOOL OLYMPICS

2008-09-28T03:54:00.000-07:00

This is Bri's school. Saturday they had their olympics event to kick off a two week break. Bri got to help carry the torch around the track and eventually as the torch came to each of the strategically placed students, they would pass it off and all run in unison to the podium in the picture below (bottom right), where they lit the torch. It's amazing, Bri seemed happy. The principal listed the students interests and hobbies over the sound system as they passed the torch off...I was just mad because I was too far away to get a good shot. Oh well.

Whoops...I don't know how this got in there...anyway this was the infinity pool at Mahaballpurum (I can't spell)...this was when my sisters were here...

This is Bri waiting impatiently for the event to start in the hot sun...
Here's Bri's relay race...They got third place. I don't know how these girls run in their bare feet on the hot sand (maybe they think that will help them to run faster...go figure). John noticed that they didn't bother to stagger the lead runners on the track...What does it matter, as long as you are having fun, right? Too bad Bri didn't get the inside lane.
Here we have the 5th, 6th, and 7th grade boys building a pyramid. Yes, the day was so close, yet so far from coming to an end. I could be very cynical and sarcastic in the manner which this entire event was played out. Yes, I lost my patience and John finally broke down as well. Maybe the fact that you couldn't leave after your kid was through with their event factored into this...or the entire team she participated in would receive a "zero"...nor will I go into the tedious games they wanted the parents to play walking in a circle, running in a race, guzzling down a bottle of water, and running to the finish line ...(John actually competed in that event)... I must learn patience. (The things I do to keep everyone happy). Yes, Bri had a couple of metals as well. It was worth it all to get a positive reaction out of this kid. The students seemed very happy, dignitaries were there to encourage the students and pose in many pictures. What a Saturday...I felt totally drained after sitting in the sun (there was shade) for... 4 1/2 hours. I practically slept all day Sunday, lots of napping.
Now, if I could just get Bri interested in picking up her school books and studying a little more, then we would have really accomplished something.

WHAT A BUSY DAY...

2008-09-25T21:33:00.000-07:00

What a busy day we had. These are pictures from the "Tiffin Club"/OWC where we had cooking lessons in the preparation of Sushi at the Park Hotel. Okay, as much as I hate to admit it, I have never had sushi before...until yesterday. Our demonstrating chef was named "Peter" who had a quick and easy smile as Lan (whose husband is Japanese) kept him in check on the true Japanese way of preparing things. Very educational. After the demo, we had a wonderful lunch and proceeded on to the balcony where we prepared the beginnings of fruit cake fermentation for Christmastime...

Yes, tons of dried fruits slathered in rum were comingled in this huge bin. We all donned out chef hats and after a few great photo ops, returned to the restaurant for awsome green tea gellato...yummo.

This is Sejal (our fearless leader of the Tiffin Club)
Heeeerrrrrre's CHEF PETER

This is Lan checking on the sushi...............
Sejal and Karen...(Karen is just in from NYC)
I ended the evening going to the Taj Hotel to hear Liz Neisloss, a reporter for CNN assigned to India speak about being a reporter at the Indo-American Association. Liz did a nice job, Natalie (Pres. of OWC) also introduced herself and our group to the association, and we did a lot of chatting afterwards...met interesting people...fellow Americans. They concluded by playing the Indian National Anthem (all of the Indians were singing)...and then the American National Anthem. (You know, I was the only one I could hear singing...ever so softly...nonetheless, I had to represent...and yes it was pitched way to high. Nobody sings the anthem like Whitney...But my pictures were too dark to put on the blog.

They are going to have a Obama/McCain debate in a couple weeks...I'm thinking about going, we'll see.

HAPPY 25th ANNIVERSARY, HONEY

2008-09-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

LOVE AND HAPPINESS
JUMPING THE BROOM
BONNIE AND CLYDE
Before you laugh at the clarity of my first two pictures...you must understand that, no, I don't know how to scan pictures on my printer yet, and yes...I just took a picture of a picture and that's why it's so FUZZY...

Twenty-five years of living, laughing and loving with JOHN... We met at Jasper Street Church of Christ in Decatur, Illinois, in 1983. It was summertime, he came up from Kentucky to visit his sister, Fannie. I looked into his eyes, I looked into his soul, I looked into his heart...I opened my heart, and he came in.

We committed to each other and married September 17th, 1983, in Scovill Gardens, with Bro. Mayo Towles officiating.

What an intersting journey we have had. We were so poor in the beginning, like so many couples starting out...but I think the most special magic with me and John, what ever I can envision (yes, I do have quite an imagination), he could always create. We have always fulfilled each other that way. The Lord only knows that John Sykes marches to a beat of a different drummer...and the Lord knows that I have developed a good ear for his rythms.

We were blessed with Ashley in Atlanta, Georgia. John watched the entire c-section...cut the cord...I almost died in the recovery room after her delivery. I had toxemia, swelling... I can hear my sister, Joe, telling me of the 'old wive's tales'..."You know death races around the bed three times when you have a baby..."

Thankfully death didn't linger or trip, and ran on out the door...

I was so homesick in Atlanta, couldn't go back to work...dealing with post-partum baby blues...we moved back to Decatur to raise Ashley with family. Well, it took a good ten years to get over the last pregnancy before we did it again...and we were blessed with Briana, the spitting image of John...yes, little Johnnie reincarnated.

And now, we are just one happy family enjoying sunsets in India. Wow. Okay, maybe I skipped a few things, but can you really get 25 years in a few paragraphs on a blog??? Naaahhhhh.

If I could put a song on my blog right now, it would be Whitney Houston...(Yes, Whitney is my favorite singer)...and it would be...MY LOVE IS YOUR LOVE

..."As the years pass us by...we stay young through each other's eyes...and no matter how old we get, it's okay as long as I got you baby...if I should die this very day, don't cry, 'cause on earth we wasn't meant to stay...and no matter what the people say, I'll be waiting for you at the judgment day..."

SEIZE THE DAY

2008-09-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

Carpe Diem...

I am functioning again today...I'm up, dressed, ready to face the world, ready to seize the day.

Let me tell you about John's Ethnic Day at Work...I took the girls to visit the office where the employees all dressed in their native clothing to clelebrate Ethnic Day. I asked John if he wanted to go as an American Indian, (Cherokee) since he actually has stronger blood lines there than Africa, and a few other things in the mix (ha). He decided to wear the garb from Egypt that we got on our vacation. The guys seemed so excited decorating the office, flowers everywhere...there were sites where they had tributes to their Hindu gods, Christianity and Muslim faiths as well, welcoming all into their cubicles. They had native food dishes prepared which we could taste. (I signed up for the Tiffin Club with OWC which teaches you how to cook with Indian flare)....

Anyway, they had a great day at work and partied long after John had left. Another good day.

GARBAGE IN...GARBAGE OUT

2008-09-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

There are days when I've simply "had enough" of seeing the piles of garbage thrown over the streets of India. I can't fathom why people can be so content or oblivious to trashing their environment. There are days when I just put my ipod on, and blast my favorite tunes, hoping the pleasure in my ears will outweigh the pain in my eyes. Well, today I am forcing myself to revisit Phillipians 4:8..."Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things"...

As I looked out of my car window at the ubiquitous trashing of India, you know there was the most beautiful, exotic tree that stood there, so beautiful and strong with the most beautiful orange blossoms you can imagine...gorgeous. It took Sylvia Carlton to teach me to slow down and stop and appreciate the beauty of a flower...and it's the sweet memories of my mother's yard, always beaming with every flower of your wildest dreams planted there, a bountiful garden, full of greens, tomatoes, beans, squash...always enough to feed our huge family and then some...those are such lovely memories to cherish.

Training your mind to go to the right places has never been easy, but with the world being so negative, a flower in the midst of filth and trash can give hope. I have found this scripture very comforting.

ANOTHER YEAR OLDER...

2008-08-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

Hey, I made it through another year. John took off from work and we celebrated my birthday all day. We took the girls out with us for dinner. It was really nice. I've decided that I have got to leave my camera in my purse. Too many things have been happening and I never have my camera with me to take a picture and show you guys.

I have become an avid reader of the newspapers here, cutting out articles that have been very impacting on me (this place really has me trippin'), or just "what to do in Chennai", and taping them into scrapbooks. I saw where a jazz quartet from New York City was coming yesterday (Eli Yemen Jazz Quartet) Yeeaaahhhh, Americans.... so I drug Ashley and Bri into the car, and we got there. They were cool. Bri is studying keyboard at school and has a good "ear" for music. I gave a shout out to the "brother" on the sax before we left at the interlude. This guy could definitely "blow". Yeah, I miss home.

Got an email to come meet other Americacns, register to vote abroad, and watch Barack's acceptance speech. I am so glad we did. We met some really interesting people, including a couple of teachers who are at the school we were trying to get Bri into. Maybe there will be hope she can get in after Christmas there. This newspaper guy was there taking pictures of everbody. It was a fun night.

Ashley got her certificate yesterday for Occupational Therapy Assistant. I am so thankful she has finally completed this step. She is studying ayurveda (panchakarma) which is so interesting. I picked up one of her books and it was so interwoven with Indian words/yoga/and sanscript (picture writing), it gave me a headache. I was on line looking up every other word to try and comprehend it...this is truly a LABOR of love for her.

Okay I have booked a cruise and will tell you all later about our plans of travel during October. Boy is this one really exciting.

UPWARD AND ONWARD...

2008-08-08T02:23:00.000-07:00

Well, my sisters are gone. I'm at a loss to describe my "zone" right now, but I am so grateful to have family come and see about us. We went to the OWC book club meeting and discussed "Sea of Poppies"...took a story trail tour through Parry's Corner in a bicycle rickshaw (yeah, we almost got creamed by a bus), and did another shopping trip with the same ladies. They were so much fun...I think I asked them everything I could possibly think of, from how do you really use a sprayer instead of toilet paper all the way to... why aren't you letting your daughters marry for love...No, they won't forget us anytime soon.

We didn't do much in Pondicherry, just got out of town and got lost trying to find the permit place to bring a car into their town. We saw our first funeral pr0cession there. The flowers,the body laid out on a wagon...the procession is reminiscent of what you might see in New Orleans.

We found a pretty good local food place, Dhaba Express, recommended by the women at OWC. Our waiter kept staring at us so much, I just asked him to come and sit down and eat with us. He graciously declined. So overall, my sisters got a really good view of India. We didn't make it to church here, our driver had an emergency issue which couldn't be helped; that's just the way it goes sometimes.

We are doing okay. No, Bri is not happy at her school, and I may end up homeschooling her...but I'll worry about that tomorrow. Our last moments were spent kicking through the water at the beach near our home. It began raining on us and we raced back to the car wet and sandy, and cruised through the streets of Chennai one more time. I can't get the pictures to load up for some reason. Guess I'll have to get Judy to email me the pictures. The two weeks went way too fast. I wonder who will come and visit us next? The last week of October we'll be gone...Fannie, are you coming for Christmas?

FUN, FUN, FUN

2008-08-01T06:06:00.000-07:00

Synchronized swimming in the back yard........

Dorothy sporting her new frock (swarma) from a shopping spree

Ashley styling in a new top from Aunt Dorothy
St. Thomas basilica (from the Storyteller's tour)......

Chatting in front of the Wharf Restaurant

Temple shots outside of Temple Bay Resort....

Temple Bay Resort....

Our day couldn't have been better. We started with breakfast at LeMeridien and Dorothy and I had our eyebrows threaded. She was skeptical at first, but it went well, and we were both pleased with the outcome. Now we are at Temple Bay, eating dinner after having watched fireworks explode in the sky at a catered function near The Wharf. We sat in The Wharf restaurant watching white capped waves roll in, feeling the musky warm air as it caused the palms to dip and sway and bobbed our heads to faint echoes of Ray Charles coming across the sound system. Vendan drove so fast weaving through blockades getting us here, we finally had a chance to S L O W down.

This place is so nice, so calming. We strolled the beach, vendors hit us up, but we left all of our rupees back in the cottage...shucks. John swam in the infinity pool, Judy, Dorothy and I found our way to the fish pond to have our "happy feet" treatment. How can I begin to describe the feeling of seeing a swarm of fish surrounding you, and attacking your feet and legs. I was the first one in...Screams eeked from my throat...wow. It tickled, I panicked. Dorothy put her legs in...what a squeemish chick she was...so what do you think of the pictures!!! Judy can't wait to show her biology class these shots. Tomorrow morning Bree goes in.

Last night we went on a guided tour by "Story Trails". We visited a temple in Chennai. I can't remember the name of it, and heard stories of Hinduism. We went to the church where they have a piece of the original spear that was used to kill Thomas, the apostle. This is the way the storytellers told us the story...Thomas was there, had been there about 15 years or so and had favor with the king. Christianity was growing and this caused great anger among many Hindu there. He was killed with a lance thrown into his back. They buried his body and I think they said it was the Portugese who built a church over the top of it. Later the body was exhumed and moved I think to Spain. (all that remains in Chennai are a bone chip from the hand and a piece of the spear). The English later built a huge beautiful church building over the site. So there are like 3 places in the world where churches/basilicas have been built over apostle's bodies. Rome, Mylapore (Chennai), and I think the third one was in Spain.

We drove through the streets in rush hour traffic in a rickshaw. Yes many of these carts run on propane gas..nothing like getting high on propane fumes and smog filtering into your lungs...probably a lot like the air in Bejing right now with the Olympics looming ahead next week...(ha). The city tour culminated with eating at a vegan restaurant where we had a sampler platter of south Indian food. It's amazing the way they use spices, hot, sweet...cool yogurts... It was a good day.

As happy as I am with my sisters being here, I am already anticipating this sinking in my heart when they leave next week. I'm not ready to deal with that, to let go. Everything seems surreal. Time seems to be moving so fast. I spend so much time remembering "when" we did this or that 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 years ago. Time seems to stand still, but this old "clay body" seems to be aging...

It began raining as we finished our dinner at The Wharf, and we rode back to our seaside cottages in golf carts. (This driver could almost challenge Vendan the way he raced and swerved on the winding sidewalks). I can still hear Judy expressing wonder at the effect of those devastated by the Tsunami just a few short years ago as we had looked out into the bay earlier that day. Yes, many, many lives were lost in Chennai as well as other places. But the trance of that thought was abruptly ended when I heard Judy exclaim about bugs in her room. (No way!!!) Yeah, way...so they have called for an exterminator. John crashed hours ago, and of course Bree ran off to be in their room and see the bugs since that is where all the excitement is. (John and I are just boring deadbeats I guess who go to bed way too early). Well, Bree came back and reported that four men arrived to spray the bugs and to change a light bulb...I'm gonna leave that one alone. Ha. But get this...I wasn't going to even go into it, but I guess I will. John's company threw a "FAMILY DAY" party for the their employees last Saturday. I hated that my sisters missed it by two days, it just couldn't be helped. Anyway, all I could say was WOW... unbelievable, like totally professional with the dancing, pyroglyphics (?), and the fashion show they put on portraying the garb of each state of India was breathtaking. Be that as it may, as John swam around in the pool earlier today, he told me that he had met a Bollywood producer/choreographer, and as they chatted, he mentioned the fact that he had choreographed the dances for the Family Day affair thrown by the company...Oh yeah, one of his good friends worked for this same company...Oh yeah, come to find out that John has been training his very same "good friend" at work. How wierd is that. We really do live in a "small world".

We hit the mall earlier this week, and only made it to two stores before we had to race out and get Bree from school. Be sure to ask Dorothy about her jewelry. You know she's definitely into jewelry...rubies, tiger eyes. Judy didn't do too badly either. But the point I was making is...as slow as mom was when it comes to shopping...Dorothy is a chip off the old block. We had so much fun. The store owners had tea brought in, chairs brought in for us and anything we could think of that we wanted, if he didn't have it, his side-kick ran out the door to another spot in the mall where it was, and brought it back. This was crazy, but we had a great time, and that is all that mattered. We have two more shopping excursions set for next week, and tomorrow we head on to Pondicherry after viewing a few of the temples here. Time for this day to come to a close...I've gotta crash too.

MY SISTERS ARE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU JESUS for letting my sisters make it to Chennai. Yes, Dorothy and Judy braved storms and flight delays and layovers and plane switch-0vers to come and see me in Chennai. I am SOOOOO happy. I got them h0me, they slept ALL DAY...They were supposed to come through Paris on Delta, but ended up on British Airways through Heathrow a day later ...but they made it. We are just chillin'... we went to the Asiana for dinner at the Wild Fire. We were going to Farmhouse, it was closed for an hour, headed to Lydie's, she was closed....headed to LeMeridian...and Rajah (John's driver) said it would take 2 hours in rush hour traffic...so we just went around the corner to Asiana. They have great Thai food...well that restaurant was closed on Mondays. Seems like a bad omen to me, nothing was giving way...so we just went to Wild Fire, the other restaurant there. It was a beautiful dinner, and we had fun sampling each others food. Dorothy took pictures of the appetizers and desserts. I feel like a stuffed potato. After a good stiff drink of south Indian Coffee (boy will that put hair on your chest), I think I've got my second wind.

Judy says: "I'm still sleepy with jet lag, ask me about India tomorrow. I'm a stuffed potato tonight"...
Dorothy says...: Dorothy is out. I tried to wake her, but she has crashed. So much for staying up all night and watching movies and talking.

We broke into a rendition of several gospel hymns on the way home from dinner. (Totally freaked Rajah out as he was trying to maneuver through traffic, but hey...you know the Spence girls can sing at the drop of a hat...Papa would be proud of that. It was a good day, just wait until you see what I've got planned for them this week...hang on. Oh, so you want to know a little bit more before you check back? Okay, we are going to Temple Bay for the night and we are going to have the happy feet treatment where you put your feet in water and fish come up and eat the dead skin and crud off of your bunions and calluses. Well, you know John with his athlete's feet has already refused to take the treatment. I'm sure he'd be drawing back a nub after the fish got through nibbling on him. Judy said it would be payback for all the fishing he has done...give the fish a chance to get even with him. HA.

HEAD SLAM

2008-07-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

Last night I got a call from John and went out on the deck and jumped in my wicker swing that hangs by a thick metal chain from the ceiling.. I got one big push off, and KABOOM...the screw in the cement holding the thick metal chain gave way, and I crashed to the floor with the heavy metal chain whacking me in the head...I was on the phone with John and screamed...and he had hung up seconds before it happened. I sat there dazed, waiting to see if blood would gush forward. Thank God that didn't happen, but I couldn't get off the floor. The girls didn't hear me scream, they were sitting in my bed watching BABE...(I love that movie)...Bottom line, my head feels so sore. I'm getting another ice pack, took a mega dose of Advil, and I am going back to bed.

NO 4TH JULY BANG HERE...

2008-07-05T14:59:00.001-07:00

Look closely at this picture, look very closely. Do you see any fireworks going off...Nope. Actually, this is a panoramic view of the city of Chennai from the top of St. Thomas Mount which I wrote about awhile back. In fact I took the picture about a month ago. I was reading the local paper today, "The Hindu", and wow -- the title of the article is: "Life of St. Thomas to be captured on silver Screen".....Yes, they are gonna make a movie about Thomas here...."Thomas is believed to have brought Christianity to India, founding 7 churches in Kerala before before being martyred in Mylapore in 72 AD." I wonder will it be in Tamil or will they have the English version as well.

Anyway, back to the 4th...well John had to go to work and Briana had to go to school. No, Ash and I did not get any barbeque ribs, but watermelon abounds here. I really miss seeing the fireworks. From the news it looks like there's "fire-a-plenty" in California right now...Yep, I miss home.

Bree was furious...no 4th of July day off? She just couldn't understand why they wouldn't celebrate that date here (go figure)...and in her rebellious mode she refused to wear her uniform to school, opting rather to wear some bizarre outfit in protest. Being the ever attentive mother that I am, I just said..."Fine with me, kiddo". I just told her to be sure to give me a call if there was a problem, and have a nice day. ha.

Well, I forgot to mention that we did get our VONAGE GOING. Thank you to Rich and Stephanie for making it happen. Thank you Ted for telling me to get a fast ethernet switch, which is why it didn't happen sooner...I just need an EASY BUTTON for life here. Now, if only customs would release my two digital converter boxes so I could watch tv, I would almost feel like being "home" when I walk into this house. They are holding my ozonator that I ordered from ebay as well. I'll let you know when I get that again and will update my "What's Marsha Up to Now" blog when I continue body ozonating. See Judy/Fannie to call me, ya'll.

IT WENT LIKE THIS...

2008-06-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

I don't know where to start, so I'll start on the end and work my way backwards...If you read Bree's blog, then you may already know this, yes she spilled the beans on the Shark's Bay Hilton Hotel. Nobody told us that this was going to be a place for all happy topless sunbathers when I booked this package. Thank you, Cox and Kings...I walked in our room, it was so nice, looked out of the window, and my mouth dropped open. What!!!! Yes, topless sunbathers. I grabbed the phone and called Ashley and Bri's room (It was so nice to have them out of my room for the whole trip...) anyway, I called Ashley and told her, tell Bree that women are topless here and don't go into shock, it's just a boob, and we (women) all have breasts (some of us one, some of us two). I guess the style is to have the pierced stomach jewelry going on, and tatoos everywhere. I didn't spot any nipple rings. Geez.... I don't want you to get the idea this was a nudist colony. No, that wasn't the case, but many women chose to go topless, and if my $$ was right I would have gone elsewhere, but by the end of the trip, we were cutting it close $$ if you know what I mean.

This is a place frequented mostly by Europeans, Swedish, French; not many Americans come here. I tried to explain to Bree about the different cultures, whether it's men peeing in the streets of India or bare-breasted women roasting in the sun in Sharm el Sheik, she has been exposed to quite a few different cultures. There were little girls, oh 8, 9, 10 years old, topless with their mothers. Little tykes scamping about bottomless, muslim women swimming in the pool in black long sleeve shirts and leggings...it was just one strange, huge cultural melting pot sitting there as I stared out of my window at the watering hole. Needless to say, there were waiters oggling the topless girls, tripping with drinks in hand, not watching where they were going.

Well, John and I went to the shore of the Red Sea to scope out the area for snorkeling, and low and behold, there was a topless, buxom Grandma coming towards us wanting to talk about the beautiful fish in the coral reef, camera in hand. Ya know, I just pointed out to her the most beautiful blue and yellow fish I had ever seen right near my feet in the water, and she chatted on about all of the beautiful fish she had pictures of.

Snorkeling was AWESOME, such beautiful sea life. Later I saw the signs warning or sharks there and the rip tide, swim at your own risk. No, I would not have gotten in the water if I had seen that first. Duh, I didn't even associate the hotel's name (Shark's Bay) with danger snorkeling there.

Enough said about that...let me tell you what it was like to climb Mt. Sinai. We left our hotel at about 11:00 p.m. heading three hours north to the mountain. There were many check points along the way, we had to show our passports constantly, all guards are armed. I decided to just "be cool" and roll with the flow. The guide let us know not many Americans come here...hmmm. I asked him had he ever been to America; he let me know rather snippily how difficult it was for anyone from Egypt to get a Visa to get in. OKAY...I had taken some herbs that unfortuneately had the effect of constantly having to go to the restroom, and I forgot to tell you, YOU HAVE TO PAY TO PEE HERE. They have you over a barrel. (I made constant stops, and these latrines were so filthy, I should have just gone behind a rock somewhere, really). We got to the bottom of the mountain, got our guide and I knew to get a camel, I didn't have the energy to walk that far up. Our guide, Mahammed was kind. We each had an escort to pull our camels or whack them in the rear which caused them to jolt forward in the pitch black night, or stumble close to the edge of the cliff on the trail. I asked Mahammed how many people had fallen over the cliff on this hike. He said he would tell us when we got down in the morning....(his silence spoke volumes to me).

FOR ME THIS TREK WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE EVENT. It got really cold climbing the mountain. It was pitch black, save for the bright stars twinkling above, and as we rounded the curve of the trail, the FULL MOON glowed so brightly, it was almost like receiving a kiss from God. It was so serne, so peaceful. Thoughts of Moses raced through my mind, thoughts of God actually coming to this mount to communicate with him...AWESOME. Well the camels could only go so far, and then we had to hit it on foot. SUNRISE THERE WAS BEAUTIFUL. Yes, I tripped and fell twice, twisted my ankle, but not badly. One lady had an asthma attack, and Ashley ran to help her with Frankencense essential oils we had purchased in Cairo to clear her sinuses. She spoke broken English and Spanish, and it seemed like people were just standing around her watching her gasp and cry. She kept crying "Don't let me die on this mountain"...I was too weak to go to the top, and Ashley had stayed with me. John and Briana went to the very top. People were singing up there to God and reading their Bibles. One girl fell near John, and broke her foot. John told me later she didn't have $$ to get a camel down, and he paid the guide to find a camel and take her down. Johnnie is a good boy...(Don't get me wrong, I kept a close eye on him when we were in the pool area at the hotel, ha. Reminds me of our 10th anniversary in Cancun with Dorothy and Perry, but that is another story). The walk down was hard, and we had to get a camel for Bree, she was getting dizzy. Needless to say we cancelled the bedouin lunch. I was over ambitious in planning, and YES, I am still sore today from this trek.

THERE IS SO MUCH TO TELL. I loved the NILE cruise. We met such friendly people. The food was good. Our group was small, and some were from Chennai. We had a good friend from Austrailia on the Cruise. (HI ROBIN). She was just so very knowledgeable, she reminds me of my sister, Joanne. We had such fun laughing at the belly dancer stories. John was too tired to come watch that evening, but boy did we have a good time.

Going into the tombs and temples were simply amazing. I love ancient history, and didn't get to do any research prior to the trip because I was just too busy. I ran and got volume 1 from Will Durant's History of Civilization, my Bible, the complete works of Josephus, books on Egypt which I had bought there. I read of the Rosetta stone, what triggered the French explorers to go and map out Luxor and Karnack, what they found in the early 1800's. So I am thinking, 50 years later or so, we were having our civil war, and they are just digging these temples out then, as old as they are, like no one remembered they were there? How did all of this get swallowed up by the desert? I want to read more about Carter (CURSE OF THE MUMMY) who unearthed Tut's tomb. OH THE TREASURES THAT WE SAW IN THE MUSEUM OF ANTIQUITY...I wanted to know who was in power when Moses was placed into the Nile? Which king ruled when JOSEPH came to Egypt. I saw scratchings of Greek in some of the temples where the early Christians were hiding, I tried to freel their angst, anxiety, courage. This was my trip of a lifetime.

I am so thankful I felt good enough to take this trip with my family. It basically went without a hitch. I am sick of charter planes. We flew so much...Chennai to Bombay(Mumbai), to Cairo, to Aswan, to Abu Simbel, back to Aswan, to Luxor, to Cairo, to Sharm el Sheik, back to Cario, to Mumbai and back home to CHENNAI. Next time, a simple cruise will be just fine I think...

Ashley let me know that I'm writing too much about Bree in the blog and not enough about her, so let me shift gears and talk about A*S*H*L*E*Y.....Ashley had a great time. From an African American point of view, we were loved. I'm telling you, it was amazing. Cries from men "COUSIN"...Ha. Yes, Egyptian people are very attractive and Ashley was elated (and Bree) to have so much positive attention showered on them. You have so many cultures that have ruled in Egypt...Nubians, Greeks, French, Romans...Arab/Muslim influence which took over after Christianity had a foothold there...(I've gotta read through my history books to get it all right). But don't get me wrong, this is a tourist economy in Egypt, and it didn't take John long to come up with the diddy, Egypt, "means He gyped you"....We got taken several times, but it wasn't that big of a deal. There is much love and kindness shown to us in Egypt. Go, if you can...go.

IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES...

2008-06-22T01:02:00.000-07:00

Actually, it really was the best of times. I am so exhausted. I'll put more stories up tomorrow, just wanted to get the pictures up today. Wished I could put all 200 of them on, but I'll figure it out later. It was really, really so amazing, spiritual, awsome.

Stay tuned.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CAN GET A PRAYER THROUGH...

2008-06-11T02:31:00.000-07:00

REMEMBER ME...(AND MY FAMILY). I hate flying, but Lord knows I need to get out of here for a while. Lilly is going to be on her own for several days, but the gardener will take good care of her for us (She just turned 3 yesterday). This has been the craziest week. Bri's school didn't start Monday. We got there and were told to go home, come back Wednesday. It was problems with the high gas prices...no riots broke out...so, "WHAT THE PROBLEM IS?" (movie: National Security). This may sound crazy, but John is a movie buff. He's seen hundreds, and our favorite movies, well we've got them memorized. Anyway, are we the only ones who talk like this, when ever a situation calls for it, he quotes the line from the movie, and I have to guess or finish the sentence. Does that make sense? Like if he breaks into a rendition of: "I GOT NO PLACE LEFT TO GO!!!" How many of you would say, "Aha, Officer and a Gentleman". Well, trust me, my obsessive, impulsive guy once we get on the plane, will then run down every airplane memory movie...Here's another test..."I'll have the GAFILTA FISH"... Did you get it? Did you yell RUSH HOUR 2??? It's not just movies, it could be anything. Last Sunday, in the car John started obsessing on the word GRASS... How many ways could he use the phrase "grass"...then it started again...the GRASSY knoll....Teddy PenderGRASS....it goes on with a few others that I just can't mention. Anyway, I guess we are wierd. We were laughing so hard, our driver thought we were cracked.

I guess in closing I'll tell you how awful I felt for Bri this morning. You know Bri has a full, thick head of hair, and like me we sometimes get this slight mustache going. Well, I recall from days back that friends had used hot wax to remove the hair, and since threading was so painful for her, I throught, okay let's get our eyebrows done and facial hair removed before the trip/school encounter. Well, the wax broke Bri's face out, it even pulled a small area of skin off her upper lip which showed a scar this morning. To go to school the first day with your face broken out and and a scar on your lip...Bri was such a tropper, she didn't seem too upset. I felt awful. I used bad judgment in letting her get the hot wax. Oh well, I tried to make it up to her and boy did I cook today. Yeah, one last great meal before we get on this plane. My special crock pot chicken with the lipton onion soup and secret spices, my peach cobbler...you know I think this is the best one I have ever made. It is simply delicious, I can't stop eating it, greens and Bri's favorite corn pudding. And this Indian bread called "alabar paratha", yummo....Anyway, one last good meal from mom before take off. (You know I made an awsome banana pudding the other day. Mom would have been proud of me, Papa too.)Vendan will go get her in a few minutes. Hope she had a good first day...our bags are packed and we'll be ready to go...

Okay, back to playing the crazy game, what did Mr. T do before he got on a plane?

COUNTDOWN TO EGYPTIAN ESCAPE

2008-06-06T03:23:00.000-07:00

Well, we got Bri enrolled in school today. No, she didn't wear the funky green hat, although she has become an avid hat collector as of lately. This was the most difficult feat I have encountered since I have been here. Did I have a melt down...yes. But rather than deal on wasting my energy fuming...I am just gonna exhale, release that negative fury and think happy thoughts.

ISN'T IT GREAT ABOUT BARACK!!! I download Randi Rhodes every day and Keith Olbermann and Hardball everyday on Itunes, check Drudgereport every morning...(Hi Shelly...I know you do too) ..so I am keeping up with our American politics...and so is the rest of the world. I bought some cheap snorkeling gear yesterday to practice in the pool with the girls and John. I started packing. Well, we were charged an additional $200 a piece for gas increase in the air faire. (I'm sure they'll find something else to tack on to this trip before we get off of the ground, John has already contemplated canceling the trip at least once...). Let's just say, this is another learning experience booking a trip through Cox and Kings...bottom line, never again.

Oh yeah....what do you visualize when you hear the phrase: "drives like a bat out of hell"? Meet Vendan: my driver. Okay, he has slowed down since he got that speeding ticket the other day, and he is a lot more cautious now, despite the girls egging him on and applauding when he busts a move, weaves, and practically has the car flying on a two-wheel turn. (you know I am exaggerating...right?). John is still mercilessly teasing him about his motorcycle accident, which we never got the full details on...it went something like this: John asked Vendan to put his seatbelt on, and Vendan complained about his shoulder hurting, then John said, "Oh, did you have an accident on your motorcycle..." Yeah, that chesire grin glared back from the rearview mirror. (John is so intuitive, it's scary). Vendan is going to come to the house every day and walk Lilly and make sure she is being fed and the house is not ransacked and all of that good stuff. Vendan is going to take Bri to school every day and pick her up for me...and Vendan helps me out running to the store for me, dragging in electrician friends, and peering over the shoulder of anyone coming onto the property, making sure we are not taken for a ride. It's funny, when anyone comes to visit, the gardner, his wife, the security gaurds, Lilly..they all surround them. It's really kinda funny.

Yes, we definitely need to get away, I just hope I've got this planned fairly well and don't run into any serious problems...Did I mention that Bri's teacher was furious that Bri would miss the first week and a half of school? She'll get over it, Bri will get caught up (cough/cough), such is life.

A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND THAT

2008-06-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

I CAN'T BELIEVE WE ARE INTO JUNE. WE WENT TO SEE INDIANA JONES AND THE CRYSTAL SKULL LAST NIGHT. LET ME JUST SAY I WAS AN INDIANA JONES FREAK. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK WAS MY FAVORITE MOVIE WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, AND I THINK I'VE SEEN IT A THOUSAND TIMES. I HAVE IT ALL MEMORIZED. THE FIRST TIME I SAW IT, I WAS SO OVERWHELMED AND EXCITED AND WILD THAT THE PEOPLE SITTING NEXT TO ME TOLD ME TO...(WHAT'S A NICE WAY TO SAY THIS...) CALM DOWN, YEAH.
WELL, THIS WAS LIKE A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE, KINDA LIKE THE BRADY BUNCH REUNION...CORNY BEYOND BELIEF, BUT STILL...I HAD A GOOD TIME. THE KIDS? BRIANA WHINED ABOUT HOW BORING IT WAS...ASHLEY...WELL NO COMMENT, SHE'S STILL MAD ABOUT A CONFRONTATION WE HAD EARLIER IN THE DAY (SHE'LL GET OVER IT)...
JOHN GAVE A LESSON YESTERDAY ON LOVE. EVERY FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH HE GETS TO BRING A SERMON/LESSON ON WHATEVER HE WANTS. HE'S REALLY GROWN SPIRITUALLY A LOT. AS MUCH AS I GRIPE ABOUT THINGS, I AM GLAD TO SEE HIS GROWTH.
I STILL DON'T HAVE THE INTERNET SET UP ON MY MAIN COMPUTER WHICH I WILL HAVE MY VONAGE ON, AND TODAY I'M DETERMINED TO GET 'ER DONE. I HAD ALL MY FAMILY'S NUMBERS ON SPEED DIAL, AND THEN A LOT OF NUMBERS STARTED CHANGING...SO JUDY'S IS THE FIRST NUMBER I'VE GOT MEMORIZED...ANYWAY WE WENT TO A COOL RESTAURANT CALLED 601 WITH MY FRIEND DANIE, FRIDAY...(DANIE IS REALLY SPECIAL. SHE HAS WRITTEN A BOOK ON EXPAT LIVING (THE EXPAT ARC) THAT EVERYONE TAKING ON AN ASSIGNMENT LIKE THIS SHOULD READ -- I WILL LIST HER BLOG IN MY BLOG-HANG-OUT-SPOT. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME I SAW BRIANA REALLY HAPPY EATING A HAMBURGER THAT WAS THE SIZE OF HER HEAD...(maybe not that large).
I AM GETTING OFF TOPIC AGAIN...YEAH, I TALKED TO JUDY FRIDAY. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I SPOKE WITH ANY OF MY FAMILY -- ANYONE FROM HOME-- SINCE COMING HERE MARCH 29TH, 2008. DO YOU KNOW WHAT A MELT DOWN THAT WAS FOR ME... I HAD TRIED SEVERAL TIMES AT OTHER FRIENDS HOUSES, BUT COULDN'T GET THROUGH, BUT FINALLY...JUDY ANSWERED THE PHONE. THANKS A BUNCH, DANIE. YOU REALLY MADE MY DAY!!

I DON'T WANNA ...

2008-05-29T06:50:00.000-07:00

Today I am in a ...bad mood. There are other words to describe it. I don't wanna: 1) get out of bed, 2) learn the metric system...I tell the guy I want a pound of bacon and he looks at me like I'm crazy...3) I go to get a shower curtain the other day, I need 7 feet 3 inches minimum...I don't wanna think metric and translate numbers...4) I don't wanna get on the treadmill to see how many kilometers I've walked, 5) figure out how many rupees to the dollar and put the 15 percent gratuity on it and figure out this money system, 6) I don't wanna. Why can't everything just be the NORMAL AMERICAN WAY.... Duhh Marsha...get over it, you are in India.
Bri wailed all day long about going home. She is so depressed. I know she just needs to meet other kids. We've been watching a lot of movies. I am thankful that my DVD player works without exploding. I joined the Overseas Women's Club, and I think once Bri is in school, she will be fine. I met a young girl at the OWC meeting who asked if Ashley could come visit her, so I sent Ashley out today. She had a great time. Yeah, we all need to get out of this house. John's England trip got cancelled. I think he didn't really want to go anyway. Then I started having problems with the travel agent on our trip to Egypt.. THANK YOU STEPHANIE FOR GETTING ME THROUGH THAT HURDLE. What next?
Our food shipment arrived today, all 18 boxes. The kids dove straight into the Little Debbie's and corn curls. Bri and Ash went through that box of Captain Crunch like nobody's business. I miss my family. THANKS MELVOY for getting the special foods/meds to us. I've been waking up at night having anxiety attacks. I probably need to up my thyroid dosage. I've been putting off getting another blood test run, and maybe I will in a few months. Sometimes it's better not knowing stuff, you just worry and panic and end up sitting in doctor's offices while they run a bunch more tests...and all that worry usually is for nothing. I guess life is what it is. I know what to do, it is just "doing it". God has been very good to me, I just need to focus on the good. We are so blessed, just looking at so many destitute around me focuses me. I am trying to live each day like it were my last, that's the best mindset. Do the best I can today.
I feel better already. I think I will meditate on some scriptures and head to bed soon. If I could just get this crazy Vonage up here, I'd be okay. I need to hear some people's voices. I miss you all.

BRI GOES TO THE 6TH GRADE!!!

2008-05-27T02:13:00.000-07:00

OH HAPPY DAY, BRIANA PASSED HER TEST TO GO INTO THE 6TH GRADE...Don't get me wrong, I knew my "babycakes" would be just fine...but still...I'm very happy she passed the test. Bri has been kinda lazy, just hit and miss with her studying. The one thing you notice right away being in India is the PUSH for education excellence, PUSH, PUSH ...who won the national spelling bee in the states? An Indian kid...Yeah, they definitely have the "eye of the tiger" when it comes to competition in education, and these American kids better get with the program. Yeah, the first day of school is June 9th, and I guess Bri will get a good two days in before we take off on vacation, but I will get her caught up. I had to promise guitar lessons for drilling her in math, and this time MOM IS SERIOUS. I THINK I WILL ALSO ENROLL BRI IN HINDI CLASSES. That is the national language of India. (She will fight that kicking and screaming, but I'm gonna win that battle also. Hehehehe.) In the American school (which she was not able to enroll in...she would have been forced to take a foreign language, I think French or Spanish... Oh well, I think Hindi is more difficult, and our security guards all speak Hindi, so TA-DA, she can get great practice.

Oh yeah, I can't forget...today my PUMPKIN turns 46, HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRANKIE!

THE EGYPT PLAN

2008-05-22T22:51:00.000-07:00

HERE'S OUR EGYPTIAN ITINERARY PLAN...I REALLY NEED SOMETHING TO GET MY MIND OFF OF CRAZINESS, LIKE BUSTING A MOVE TO A FRIEND'S HOUSE TO SAVE ALL OF MY FROZEN GOODS WHEN THESE ELECTRICIANS GET HERE..SO HERE IS THE PLAN...JOHN DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE TRIP. HE SAYS HE DOESN'T WANT TO KNOW, HE'S JUST GETTING ON A PLANE. BOY DO I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR HIM.

DAY 1: FLY FROM CHENNAI TO MUMBAI (BOMBAY) AND FROM THERE WE ARRIVE IN CAIRO, YES WE HIT THE GROUND RUNNING... HEAD TO THE PYRAMIDS AND THE SPHINX...(GOTTA GET BRI AND ASHLEY TO DO A LITTLE STUDYING WHY THE NOSE IS CHIPPED OFF, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN...) VISIT A PAPYRUS FACTORY, PERFUME FACTORY (JOHN IS INTO COLOGNE) AND A JEWELLRY SHOP....(CAN A GIRL GET TOO MUCH JEWELRY.. NAAAHHH).

DAY 2: ON TO ASWAN...JUMP ON ANOTHER PLANE AND FLY TO ABU SIMBEL TOUR (NEFERTARI)...NOW DON'T ANYBODY TELL JOHN ABOUT THIS, HE THINKS HE'S JUST GONNA BE ON A TOUR BUS OR SOMETHING...THEN WE BOARD THE NILE FOR A CRUISE....ASWAN TOUR.

DAY 3...CRUISIN' ...ON TO KOM OMBO (THE HOME OF SOBEK, THE CROCODILE god.)...THEN ON TO EDFU...(THIS PLACE IS LISTED IN THE "501 MUST-V ISIT DESTINATIONS BOOK"...AS WELL AS THE PYRAMIDS AND SPHINX AND MT. SINAI...SO GEEZ, LOUISE...LET ME GO SEE IT, RIGHT...I MUST SEE IT.

DAY 4: WE ARE STILL CRUSIN'...WHO WAS IT THAT SANG THAT CRUISE SONG? MARVIN GAYE?? YOU KNOW, "BABY LET'S CRUISE, AWAY FROM HEEEEERRRREE..." TODAY WE SHOULD REACH LUXOR. NO, WE ARE NOT DOING THE HOT AIR BALOON RIDE HERE BECAUSE OF BRIANA. WE WENT UP IN A HOT AIR BALOON IN SEDONA ARIZONA ONCE, AND BRI RUINED THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE...I'LL JUST LEAVE IT THERE. ANYWAYS, WE SHOULD VISIT THE TEMPLE OF QUEEN HATSCHEPSUT, THE COLOSSI OF MEMNON, AND THE TEMPLE OF AMENHOTEP III. I HAVE TO GOT TO START READING UP ON ALL THESE PLACES, GET THE KIDS READIN' TOO, YA KNOW.

DAY 5: ON TO CAIRO, SOUND AND LIGHT SHOW AT THE GIZA PYRAMINDS...SEEMS LIKE THERE WAS A SCENE HERE WITH JAMES BOND. DON'T YOU REMEMBER "JAWS" COMING OUT WHEN THE LASER LIGHTS WENT OUT AND BITING SOMEONE IN THE NECK? WHERE ARE MY JAMES BOND FANS??? I'M REALLY CONFUSED TOO. WE MIGHT BE FLYING TO SHARM EL SHEIK, WHATEVER.

DAY 6: ON TO SHARM EL SHEIK...THIS CITY IS ON THE RED SEA. SOME OF THE BEST DEEP SEA DIVING IS HERE, JAQUE COUSTEAU WOULD ALWAYS DIVE HERE. WELL, WE AIN'T DIVING, BUT SNORKELING HERE IS AWESOME, AND I'M GONNA BE READY. I THINK WE WILL JUST HANG ON THE BEACH SNORKEL, CHILL...I HAVEN'T TOLD JOHN YET, BUT WE HAVE TO GET UP AT 1:00 A.M. AND HEAD FOR MOUNT SINAI...AN UNBELIEVABLE DREAM.

DAY 7. SUNRISE TOUR OF MOUNT SINAI. WE HAVE TO GO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BECAUSE IT WILL BE GETTING REALLY, REALLY HOT THERE AS WELL. THIS IS WHERE MOSES RECEIVED THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW AWSOME THIS WILL BE, SO AWSOME. NEVER IN MY LIFE DID I THINK I WOULD BE SETTING FOOT IN AFRICA, NEVER DID I THINK I COULD SWIM IN THE RED SEA...UNBELIEVABLE. HERE IS SOME MORE INFO ABOUT THIS TOUR:

On this sunrise tour you have the chance to watch the sun rise over the Sinai Mountains. The descent is not too steep however there are about five hundred or so steps at the very summit. Legend has it that you will be retracing the footsteps of Moses who climbed Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments.
On your journey back down the mountain you will stop at St Catherine's Monastery, situated at the base of the mountain. Built between 527 and 565 AD, it is believed to be built around Moses' Burning Bush. The monastery is named after St Catherine who was tortured and beheaded for her Christian beliefs. During your visit you will see chapel Greek orthodox church, the icons of worship and the famous Mosaic of Transfiguration.

WE SHOULD GET BACK IN THE AFTERNOON TO CHILL OUT, MAYBE RIDE 4 WHEELS INTO THE DESERT...

DAY 8: JOHN IS IN FOR IT AGAIN...HA. HERE IS THE JEEP SAFARI, SNORKEL, CAMEL RIDE AND BEDOUIN LUNCH...HE MIGHT NOT GO IF I TOLD HIM HE HAD TO GO ON A 2 HOUR CAMEL RIDE INTO THE DESERT...

Start your day with a 2 hour jeep safari on the 240 kilometer trip from Sharm to the amazing colored canyon. Keep your eyes open for the local wildlife including Nubian Ibex, Red Foxes and Striped Hyenas.
Snorkeling the gardens of reef at the Blue Hole, arguably Egypt's most famous dive spot where a shaft a meter under the water's surface plunges to the depth of around 80 meters. You will have around 30 minutes of snorkeling.
Take a camel ride through the Egyptian desert before enjoying a traditional Bedouin lunch. The camel ride lasts for approximately 1.5 hours.
Travel to the Bedouin village of Dahab for an afternoon of shopping delights. Here you will find a large selection of souvenirs such as papyrus prints, brass lamps, jewelry, perfumes, leathers and inlaid boxes, all at prices generally cheaper than in Sharm el Sheikh. You will have 45 minutes to 1 hour to search out a bargain.

DAY 9: FLY BACK TO CAIRO, ON TO THE EGYPTIAN MUSEUM OF ANTIQUITIES THEN TO KHAN EL KHALILI MARKET (BOY, JUST LET ME GET TO SHOPPING AND BARGAINING OVER PRICES)...CHILL OUT...THEN ON TO THE AIRPORT...

DAY 10: FLY HOME....(IT'S FUNNY TO START CALLING THIS PLACE HOME, BUT I GUESS IT IS NOW. (VEE-DAY COO POPE-A) THAT'S THE PHONETIC SPELLIING FOR, TO GO HOME. TAMIL IS A VERY DIFFICULT LANGUAGE. ONE DAY I MAY TAKE A CLASS TO SPEAK IT BETTER, BUT RIGHT NOW, I'M DOING OKAY.

JOHN GETS TO REST ONE DAY...THEN HE'S OFF TO ENGLAND.

SO, LORD'S WILL, THAT IS OUR SUMMER PLAN...THEN JUDY AND DOROTHY WILL COME VISIT ME...RIGHT??

IT'S ALL WHITE...JAMES BROWN, WE STILL NEED YOU

2008-05-21T22:34:00.000-07:00

IT'S HOT-HOT-HOT HERE, AND I JUST DON'T MEAN THE WEATHER...I GOT MAD READING THE NEWSPAPER YESTERDAY. THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN THE INDIAN EXPRESS, MAY 21, 2008, "FRONT PAGE", ON RACISM IN INDIA. QUOTE: "IT'S ALL WHITE: TWO BLACK MEMBERS OF THIS CHEERLEADING TEAM WERE ALLEGEDLY ASKED TO LEAVE THE STADIUM IN MOHALI...DARK GIRLS OF PUNJAB TEAM WERE ORDERED OFF FIELD IN APRIL..." THESE BLACK CHEERLEADERS WERE ON A SQUAD FROM LONDON (ELLISHA NEWTON AND SHERINNE ANDERSON). QUOTE: "SHERINNE AND ELLESHA TOLD ME [JORGE ALDANA, THEIR DIRECTOR] THAT A GUY FROM WIZCRAFT HAD FORBIDDEN THEM FROM ENTERING THE GROUND. THEY (WIEPL) SAID PEOPLE DON'T LIKE DARK GIRLS HERE." THE ARTLICLE GOES ON..."ALL THEY WANT IS BIGOTRY, LIGHT-SKINNED BRIDES IN MATRIMONIAL ADS, FAIRNESS CREAMS, CASTE-BASED APARTHEID, THE FINANCIAL MUSCLES OF THE BCCI (whatever that is) TO SWEAR 'TERI MAA KI' AND 'MONKEY' IN THE SAME BREATH, AND EXPLANATIONS DESIGNED TO INTERPRET RACIST BEHAVIOR BY INDIANS AS ANYTHING BUT THAT"...
YEAH, I'M SEEING RED. I THINK I WILL GO SWIM A FEW LAPS.
THE ELECTRICIANS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE AGAIN TOMORROW TO GET THE AIR CONDITIONERS "STRAIGHT", AND THE POWER MAY BE OFF FOR TWO DAYS. GUESS WE MAY BE HEADING FOR A HOTEL.

I'M EXHAUSTED

2008-05-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

JOHN HAD ME DOWNLOAD PRINCE'S GREATEST HITS, SO ...PURPLE RAIN HAS BEEN POURING THROUGH MY HEAD. I'M EXHAUSTED, 11 YEARS OF OUR LIFE POURED OUT OF THE SEA CRATE INTO THIS HOUSE...AND IT'S FINALLY COMING TOGETHER. I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN STAND IT RIGHT NOW. MY BREAKING POINT CAME WHEN I FOUND A BOX THAT I OPENED AND DISCOVERED IT WAS A BOX FROM MY MOTHER'S HOUSE, LIKE A TIME CAPSULE FROM RIGHT BEFORE SHE DIED...A LOT OF MEDICAL THINGS...A LOT OF PAIN.
IT FEELS GOOD TO HAVE A LOT OF PERSONAL "STUFF" AROUND AGAIN. IT'S FUNNY HOW WE BOND WITH THINGS...PICTURES, PILLOWS, FAVORITE MUGS...IT FEELS GOOD. I'M REALLY SLEEPY..."I ONLY WANT TO SEE YOU LAUGHING IN THE PURPLE RAIN..."

THE DAY HAS FINALLY COME...

2008-05-14T04:45:00.000-07:00

Well,
The moment of truth has finally come. Our FURNITURE will be delivered tomorrow. I'm at a loss for words...tears welled up in my eyes, my heart began pounding...LORD, JUST LET ME SLEEP ON MY TEMPERPEDIC MATTRESS ONE MORE TIME...Do you know how bad it can be sleeping on an air mattress for weeks? After my hip popped out, it never healed properly on that crazy bed. John would get up, I would roll to the center...
The electrician is here trying to wire the house so that the tv's will work. Stephanie (truly an angel in disguise) came to my rescue. I totally crashed and burned this week. We got the email stating that Briana would not be admitted to the American International School, and I exploded. Naturally Bri watched me explode and you know that the "apple doesn't fall too far from the tree"...well BRI exploeded. She wanted to go home...I told her I didn't blame her. She ran to her room, threw all of her clothes into her suitcase ...it went downhill from there. We had both worked ourselves up into a tizzy and Stephanie rescued me. She took me to lunch, calmed me down, showed me another international school, took me to the OWC meeting as her guest (Overseas Women's Club). It's going to be all right.

PERRY IS A SUPERSTAR******

2008-05-11T05:12:00.000-07:00

Anybody that knows Perry knows that he has a heart of gold. He's always got a twinkle in his eye, and will let you know in a second "don't let the grey hair fool you"... Well, my sister Dorothy emailed me with Perry's latest accomplishments, and I just had to share them with you.

Here goes:

"Perry got inducted into the Lakeland College Hall of Fame for his outstanding record with basketball. He was the first All- American recipient at Lakeland in 1973. I took pictures of his banner with Sweet Pea, 1973 on it. He received a plaque and he'll have his name carved into the wall of the gym there. It was a nice banquet, and I'm very proud of him. He scored over 1500 points in one season with an average of 26 points per game. "

---Dorothy----

We're proud of you too, Perry. Lord knows if Dorothy could just step off the plane with a pan of your BBQ ribs, I'd be in hog heaven...but I understand. Just send a picture or two of the banquet and that will suffice.

FEELING KIND OF SALTY...

2008-05-10T03:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday,
I cooked breakfast for John and the girls (as usual). I laid out slices of bread, buttered them up, fried them in a pan, did the oatmeal, egg thing. Anyway, I guess one of my daughters, who shall remain nameless, entered the kitchen later straightening up a little. Unbeknownst to me she threw extra bread that had been taken out of the package and not put back in the wrapper into the garbage can.
Well, the maid came in to clean, looked into the trash can and called me..."Madame, look madam" as she reached into the trash can. "This bread, waste Madame...my children..." I felt the sting...I felty "salty". I immediately went to the refrigerator and gave her the rest of the loaf of bread. I sat it on the counter top. Later in the morning after she left, I saw that she had put the bread back into the refrigerator. I went to talk to my daughter about this...about the food prices going up everywhere, about the hungry children here in India...about waste. Can't we all hear this saying from our mothers..."clean your plate, there are children starving in Africa.."
In times like these, there are children starving everywhere, including the good ol' USA.
Anyway, the point was made.

Today we went out for breakfast, got there too late, and had to wait for lunch. That's the thing about India, no later Saturday breakfasts here, they shut down at about 10:00 a.m. So, to kill time me and the girls went to this parlor and had our eyebrows "threaded". OH MY GOSH!!! I was tearing up from the pain. Don't get me wrong, my brows looked great when they finished, but it was like someone grabbing the tweezers and pulling out 20 hairs at one time.

Last night John told us he is going to England to be in a forum and speak around 40 minutes. I can't believe it...I'm so proud of him. (I wanna go too...but that ain't happenin'). Life is moving so fast for us. We have booked out trip to Egypt for June 12th, and I will fill you all in with the details later. Gotta go now, Ash wants to go work out. We joined this cool spa at the Asiana Hotel. (The things I do to keep these kids happy).

A SHOUT OUT TO JERRY AND ROLLAND

2008-05-07T23:56:00.000-07:00

JUST A SHOUT OUT TODAY TO MY BROTHER-IN-LAW JERRY. WHAT'S UP JERRY. TELL PERSEPHONE HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I CAN IMAGINE HOW YOU GUYS FEEL WITH YOUR LITTLE ONE ABOUT TO FLY THE COOP. THEN AGAIN, MAYBE YOU BOTH WILL BE SINGING..."OH HAPPY DAY"...(UNTIL IT COMES TIME TO PAY THAT TUITION BILL. )

AND...HERE'S A SHOUT OUT TO ROLLAND. MISS YOU ALL A BUNCH. TELL SYLVIA TO EMAIL ME SOMETIME!!! IT'S GETTING A LITTLE BETTER HERE, BUT THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME.

A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING...

2008-05-04T07:35:00.000-07:00

It's getting late, but I wanted to bring everyone up to date on a few things. Kelly told me WENDY is gonna be in the film with Joyce as well. WOW. This is great, it's a wonder you girls can get any work done these days with all the excitement going on.

Bree got baptized last week...John preached again today...this weekend we went to St. Thomas Mount... This is where the apostle THOMAS was murdered in a cave. They still have some of his bones here, and in 1986 the Pope came to bless them...It was a very moving experience to be there, visualizing Thomas's anguish. I'm posting pictures from the area, as well as the promised pictures of John's vehicle. They put flowers on it and even a bow. I'm hoping one of my sisters will make it over in JULY...stand by for further updates. Oh yeah, found another great, reasonable restaurant. Our furniture should be here on the 7th, then it will have to clear customs. I CAN'T WAIT.

SOUTH INDIA NEEDS A JAMES BROWN...

2008-04-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to go here...really, Ididn't. Lord knows, being a Sista from the US, aka African American...yes, this has to be said. Looking into the sea of faces in southern India (Chennai), there is a sea of black faces...yet looking at the bill boards, nobody is posted who is truly "BROWN"...nary a brown face on the television shows...all the palest hughes only allowed. Look at the billboards...same thing. Walking through the toy stores, looking at the dolls, nary a brown-skinned baby doll. Even Miss India Barbie, just a tinch darker than our white standard American Barbie...This reminds me of the Oprah show where the African-American child wants to buy the white doll when presented a choice of either black or white toys, ultimately feeling that the white doll was good, the black doll was bad.
Yes, I got ticked off after getting a massage the first week here, and being offered to get a facial to bleach my skin lighter. UNFREAKIN' BELIEVABLE...this is like America 50 years ago... INDIA NEEDS THEIR OWN JAMES BROWN...."SAY IT LOUD, I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD"...
There's nothing wrong with loving your white skin, but HONEY, why oh why do you hate your CHOCOLATE, CAFE OLAIT SKIN TONES.... WHO HAS YOU SO BRAINWASHED????
Yes, I wish Oprah could come here to help the Sista's out, because this deep rooted problem is beyond the pale...(no pun intended).
I'm still trying to figure out why we are getting starred at every time we leave the house; it is so annoying. We really try to blend in and not look too western, anyway they stare, probably trying to figure out what nationality we are. My advice, get a company to produce brown baby-dolls for a brown population and let your children know, yes it's okay to love your brown skin. All of God's children are beautiful.
Speaking of James Brown, "I feel good -- dun-nuh-dun-nuh-dun-nuh-dunt"...my baby got baptized today in the Bay of Bengal. We were singing songs (don't get me wrong, I was a little leary someone would rush me from behind and plant a dagger between my shoulder blades)...I know it's not quite that bad to be Christian here; true enough one of the brothers at the congregation did lose a hand preaching out in the rural villages...but you never know) Yes, a true test of your faith...we are so used to our securities in the states...anyway, it was a good day.

OH MY ACHING BACK/HOLLYWOOD IN D-TOWN

2008-04-23T20:38:00.000-07:00

A STAR IS BORN

HOME-SWEET-HOME

What can I say...
Anybody who knows me knows I do this wierd swivel thing with my lower hip/back, and WHAM, my right hip pops out of socket. There we were jumping up and down in the pool, then Christine says, "do the frog jump now"...well, it didn't pop right then, but around 8:00 p.m. last night...(yeah, I had primed it up to pop at the precise moment we were leaving the restaurant)...I had to drop my purse and force Ashley to carry it. I am in such pain. It did n't go all the way out, just half way. I'm writhing in pain. This restaurant/dive was so cool. Lydie owns it. It's not really like your typical 5 star restaurant, much more down to earth (maybe a 3 star). All open air, several levels...totally exotic with beautifully carved furniture and silver, bamboo ceilings with silky, gold flected fabrics hanging from the roped rafters; fans and lights rigged, candles and incense glowing (whatever it takes to keep the mosquitoes at bay, including a few coils). There is a huge separate party area that is terraced down with maybe 10 tables built in from a schalacked three foot diameter tree, and you come to a level of huge woven baskets that like 4/5 people can lounge in, flanked with pillows and cushions. It's just the coolest pit ever. In fact there are two HUGE woven baskets. I had to practically drag BRIANA out of one after she dove in. Lydie wants to have a book club..."Like Oprah??" I exclaimed..."Not quite like Oprah's.." she informed me. I can't wait. I have such strong opinions about everything. Anyway, we will meet in the pit area.

She is the main chef/cook there. She is from Belgum also and is married an Indian guy. She is full of stories. It's hard to deny her artistic touch. When she was younger she illustrated a children's book as well. Actually, they both are great cooks. When you come to visit me, we will definitely hang out there one evening for a great meal. Anyways...I'm hobbling out of there as fast as I can to watch Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" that is supposed to be on HBO. Oh well, we get home, and I realize we missed it...got the time wrong. I fell asleep watching it when it first came out, so I've been meaning to see it again...not like I was bored to death the first time or anything...

I am making great progress swimming. The good thing is I did 5 laps. Yeah, I've been working on my form. I was bending my knees, couldn't get my head turned right to get enough air. I am so proud of myself. Yeah, I'll be ready to go snorkeling before you know it. Ashley is doing pretty good too. She is super buoyant. Hehehe. Christine says she has lazy arms, and she says I have lazy legs. Hmmm, I wonder why...IT COULDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS BAD HIP, YA THINK?

Yes, Ash and I are bonding in a great way...now I have got to get her going with her online classes.

HERE'S THE KICKER....JOYCE IS GONNA BE IN A FILM. I JUST GOT THE NEWS AND I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. I AM ECSTATIC ABOUT THIS....Why does everything good start happening when I leave somewhere. It was the same way in Atlanta. There we were reporting for this agency in this courthouse, and the day I take my permanent (maternity) leave - everything changes. Salaries shoot way up, the girls get hired by the government, etc. etc., Well, now that I'm here in Chennai...HOLLYWOOD DECIDES TO COME TO DECATUR FOR A MOVIE STARING MATT DAMAN AND and JOYCE G----. THEY NEED A REPORTER...THEY DREW LOTS AND IT FELL TO J-O-Y-C-E....Can't believe it. WOW. Okay, we have to get Joyce to do something special when the camera zooms in. How much fun can it be to just sit there with your hands on the keyboard. Yeah, what I think you ought to do is...just as the camera pans the courtroom, yell at the attorney.."CAN YOU SPEAK UP" or maybe if you yell out in a terse voice "SLOW DOWN"...maybe even shoot a dirty look or two towards the lense, that would make the movie really memorable, HEY JUST KEEPIN' IT REAL. You might even help this movie to be nominated for an Oscar. I'm telling you, Joyce, this is your big chance. Can't you see the Judges for the Oscar debating to give it to movie "X" or the movie with MATT DAMAN. Yep, the tipping point would come when someone would say..."Man, I just can't get over that scene with the cute reporter ranting, taking control of the courtroom". Let's give it to MATT and JOYCE.

This is great. What are you going to wear? Whad da ya think, maybe a few blonde highlights...(I'll give it a rest). But I am so happy about this. This is better than all the attention on the Slover trial.

Got the pictues of the girls up now (Bri showed me how to do it). Just ask as 5th grader I guess. No, I am not as smart as a 5th grader. Gotta go. Maybe if I play my cards right, Bri will show me how to put a video on my blog...

PICTURE UPDATE

2008-04-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

JOHNNIE-FANNIE-MELVOY-REE-BRITTANY

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS...

No, this is not John's new car yet. I have to find the camera and the USB cord thingy. Anyway, here are pix's from my famly and friends and church family. Love you guys...

I tried to get the pictures to come up from the courthouse, but couldn't get the .jpg stuff to load. I will have to get my scanner in a couple of months to load the group pictures of all the reporters. Those really came out nice. I miss you guys. You too TONYA, RENEA, JUDGE WHITE..EVERYBODY (See what happens when you start to mention names) I REALLY MISS ALL OF YOU. HUGS AND KISSES...marsha faye

WE GOT THE INTERNET!!!

2008-04-19T05:44:00.000-07:00

I am so happy, last night about 7:30 p.m. they came to install our internet. Finally, a chance to communicate with the world. So much has been going on. Last week John gave a sermon at church. It really was one of the best motivating lessons that he has given. Five people responded for baptism, and we went to the ocean to baptize them. One woman had a earing in her nose, and John squeezed her nose shut and shoved her under a wave. I couldn't belive it.

Our first shipment will be arriving next week. They said it was coming this week, but we have learned that yes, even in India, everything moves on CP time. Ha.

I couldn't believe reading about the earthquake in Illinois. How scary...aftershocks??? How scary is that?? My sister Judy said she ended up on the floor from her bed. This morning we had a meeting on dealing with emergencies, how to travel, dealing with alerts. Let's just say, I hope my driver doesn't hit anybody and invoke and angry mob to storm our car...I'll just leave it there and say my daily prayers. This world is so different.

The girls and I have started an aqua aerobics class. Christine is a blast. She knows a little bit of everything, and I find myself picking my jaw up from the ground (or the bottom of the pool). She is definitely "straight up". She has lived 8 years in Hong Kong, all over the world (originally from Belgum) and has been here for four years. I'll take pictures later and post them of the girls in the water. No, you are not ready to see me in my swimsuit yet.

I'm trying to plan a summer vacation, and can't decide whether to go to Egypt or Singapore. I wanted to go to Bejing for the Olympics...but that ain't happening.

Oh yeah, John got a new vehicle this week, a 2008 Ford Festiva for work. Ashley and Bri were hanging on the doors throwing gang signs and acting crazy. I'll post those pictures maybe tomorrow.

NEW HOUSE, HERE WE COME!!

2008-04-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was unbelievable. Ashley was having too many reactions to the mold in the hotel, we had to get her out of here. We are forging ahead to get her into the house early, so we are renting furniture (2 more months until ours gets here). The kids had a great time at the pool yesterday. Lilly is doing great. The air quality is a lot better coming off of the ocean, the breeze was so nice. I really had a chance to relax. I had to start buying things all over that I know will be in our airshipment when that arrives in a couple of weeks. I hate having to buy towles when I've got a bunch of new towles en route.

Ashley says just grab some from the hotel. So much for the years of attending church and trying to instill some semblence of ..."thou shalt not steal"...

Her reply was, well, they will just put it on the hotel bill anyway. Hhmmmm...nahh.

Bri was better today, but the monotony of her incessant whining to go home is really getting to me. (Not really). She turns the tv chanel to the off station/broadcasting one with the stripes and fuzzy stuff and watches it to rebel. Not working kid. I know she is really homesick, and is doing better when her friends write and she blogs. This is a great spot to release tensions and craziness that is building up.

Well, John is as happy as a lark. (Glad somebody in our crew is). My bottom line, I see I'm going to have to learn Tamil a lot sooner than I thought. Not as many English speaking people in my circle. My driver knows a few words, everyone else -- nada. Okay, maybe they say "hello" ...and maybe I can say.. "vannakam (hello)" too. So we are tied. Gotta go, Bri wants to blog. Anything to make her happy ...the hoops I've been jumping through are ridiculous. But it is getting better

ARE WE THERE YET?

2008-03-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck. Today I’m sitting in a fancy-smancy lounge at the airport, waiting for our flight to be called. Now is as good a time as any to be reflecting over the blur of my life during the last 24 hours. Last night we had our final big send ARE off. All my brothers and sisters were there, family, close friends. I guess I’m all cried out. This may sound morbid…but farewells are so hard. To me this seemed like what my funeral would be like. All of us hugging and crying. Death is a separation of body and soul. So separating me from my family is kinda like dying a little. Don’t get me wrong…it takes my oldest brother, Howard, to interject the fact that …”we may never see each other again, many of us are old, sickly…etc.” Hey, the world could end tomorrow…might as well try and enjoy today. I still hear John’s voice saying, “Don’t be mad at me for taking Marsha away…”
Look at it this way, now you all have some place exciting to come to. IIINNNNDDDDDIIIIIIAAAAAA.

I’ve spent 19 years at the courthouse, and as thrilled as I am about not having to “work” anymore, I’m gonna miss all of these people, my work family. Kelly Jo and the girls…Whhhhaaa…..why is Johnnie taking me half way around the world….wwwhhhhyyyyyyyy. Okay, Joyce, as soon as you email me the pictures from work, I’m gonna post them. Tell Christina to email me Julie’s birthday picture with the sombrero and whip cream and I’ll post that too. Ha.

One more hour and we can board the plane. Lilly is mad at being locked in the crate. John is being obnoxious to the kids. We are just one big happy family waiting to bust a move into Chennai. Look out world…Believe it or not, Bri has not started her “are we there yet” kick. Here’s to our first day away from home. I never realized how bonded I was to that little bit of land or all of these people.

IT'S GOTTA GET BETTER

2008-03-20T01:22:00.000-07:00

It's 3:00 a.m. and I can't sleep...imagine that. Well, I'm up so I might as well blog. After three days of moving, the house should be empty today. We've got the flight booked, Baldwin Shuttle will get us to the airport next Friday. I keep roaming through the house. I forgot to move my pile of dirty laundry to take to the cleaners...well when I wasn't looking they packed it. I wanted to leave a bunch of mugs and stuff in the kitchen...well, I turned my back and they packed it...so much for John taking care of things while I was gone. (It's so much easier to blame him, ha). I guess you get the drift, the list could go on. At least John got rid of the garbage bags before that was loaded as well. A week ago we had dinner with his boss, and lo and behold, he gave us that admonition. Yeah, his garbage was packed and shipped for his overseas assignment as well.

But truthfully, I haven't had the mental ability to focus on detail. I still feel like I'm in shock, just moving on autopilot. We are taking Lilly, our dog. Found out yesterday there is another hoop to jump through to get her through customs. Well, I called the Indian embassy, waited on the phone about five minutes. Then the automated service disconnected the call, stating there was no one available to talk to me. This was around 3:00 p.m. Geez, Louise. I guess it was the wrong time of day for service. I'm hoping I won't have to make a mad dash to Chicago to procure this "no objection certificate". No, we are not having fun yet.

My daughter Bri's last day of school was today. Thought I would have to drag her from the building screaming and kicking, wailing in grief. (Her melt down occurred last week, and she went to talk to a counselor there). Her teacher did throw a party for her, and I have decided to let her blog and get email from her fellow students, really magnanimous of me. You just can't be too careful with kids on the internet. (I won't go into detail today with my older daughter's unfortunate escapades on line.) Anywy, I see now I've got to edit Bri's blog. Why do I feel like an abject failure? Her "expressions of creativity" leave me picking up my jaw off of the floor. Where does a little 5th grader get all of this stuff. Yeah, we've got our work cut out for us. I'll hook her blog up to mine once I figure out how to do this stuff.

All this dust settling throughout the house has me sneezing my head off. I can't breathe. My air purifier is packed and gone. I guess it will be time to bust a move to a hotel soon. John wants to do a whirlwind tour to say goodbye to kinfolk in Kentucky this weekend. Happy Easter, goodbye. Well I wanted to whiz down to Mississippi and Tennessee as well to get a hug from my elderly aunts and uncles, but I guess that is more than he can handle. Guess Ma Bell is the next best thing for me. Truthfully, I don't think I can take a great emotional blast anyway...just keep it quick and clean. Gotta watch my stress levels. Heaven knows I don't want John's blood pressure getting any higher. Yeah, it's gotta get better...and it will.

A WEEKEND OF LASTS...

2008-03-15T04:53:00.000-07:00

I'm laying here in my bed, staring out the window. I guess today is my weekend of lasts...Monday the movers come to take everything away. So, this is my last weekend of sleeping in this bed, in this bedroom, in this cute little log cabin in the woods...

John poured out his heart building this home for us. My Dad cut the road through a steep hill, dug the basement, cleared the lot. I never saw myself leaving here, yet life -- as we all know -- is full of surprises...but India???

Walking away from your "world" can be so scary. So much love and memories are in these four walls. I guess the bottom line though, home is where ever John is...and the girls too. And really, I won't miss the freezing winters and snow.

So there. Have I convinced you yet that I'm gonna be fine? Maybe if I say it enough, I'll convince myself too.