random happenings

a number of things have happened in the last week or so, that i'd like to write about. they don't have a particular theme or order, so here they are as they come to mind.

- i made pumpkin pie twice. two pies each time. from scratch. mmm... very tasty! got to eat some myself, as well as share with kids and staff at the office, teammates, and a friend.

- i washed a 'load of laundry' .. by hand. this is something many romanians as part of their regular routine. i had washed an article of clothing periodically by hand, but never a whole load. it takes lots of energy! the rinsing and wringing out at the end sure can make one's hands tired and sore. and arms too. i'm glad that i have friends with washers, but it's good to experience this a bit.

- it snowed! just enough to dust the ground in the early morning, disappearing by mid morning. but nice that there is some actual winter and cold weather.

- we started doing a bit of waltzing with our kids (because there was the possibility of a dance performance. we are forgoing this one, but still plan to do something in the future). some of them already knew a little bit, and one in particular knows what he's doing, in terms of the basic step. he's graceful and quite light on his feet. nice to get to do a bit of dancing too. tomorrow we'll watch some videos from youtube and practice some more. hopefully i can find some slower music!

- watched 'a christmas story' this past weekend for the first time all the way through. my roommate has quoted a few things to me from it periodically, so it was nice to finally see where the quotes come from. it's not my favorite movie, and it's a bit weird, but certainly has some funny parts in it. and glad that i've finally seen it (more than the bits and pieces as i looked at what was on tv during the christmas season in years past).

- led team prayer. and used music to do it. listened to and sang worship songs, with specific people and places and requests in mind. haven't done that in a while, but i was amazed at the way it was so easily and quickly prayer and concentrated focus on God and what He's doing. glad that there are so many ways to pray .. and that we have a God who really does hear and respond.

a bit of sunshine

i've been surprised lately at how important sunshine can be. i returned from my trip to a week of cloudly, chilly days, and by the end of it my spirits were rather down. and it took lots of energy to get of bed in the mornings. then one day there were blue skies. it was amazing! i got out of bed a bit more easily, i could breathe more easily, i looked up periodically .. i felt refreshed somehow. it's been alternating the past couple of weeks .. some days there's bright sunshine and blue skies, and other days it's cloudy without any sun to be seen. i've been enjoying the sunshine whenever it makes an appearance.

to add insult to injury (meant in a not mad way), when i talked with my sister on sunday, she commented that her legs hurt. i asked why .. because she and her husband participated in an ultimate frisbee game the day before and she got sunburned on her neck and shoulders and back of her legs. somehow.. i didn't feel sorry for her. it's gonna be a while before i get a sunburn again. many many moons. ah well. there are things to enjoy here too .. like warm blankets and hot tea in the evenings and radiators that work and fun hats and scarves and wool sweaters and squash soup.