Delights!

As I sit here eating what is probably my eighth piece of chocolate today, in honor of fat Tuesday, with my feet tapping to the rhythm of Celtic violins, download inspired by my latest book, I can’t help but thank God for the delights of the day. There was nothing extraordinary about today’s happenings, no defining moment, not even a word to be remembered for years to come, or weeks for that matter. No it was simply, the ease and comfort to sit back and look at those things which where always there. Those things that most people, including me, just don’t have time to ponder or to enjoy. My day started out as it always does, with the disbelief that it was time to actually get out of bed. I did my morning workout, read the bible over a bowl of PB oatmeal, went through my prayer basket, and then decided it was time to exchange the sweatpants in for a jeans and a yellow polo. I don’t know if its b/c I love yellow or that my prayers were exceptionally good today, but I found with feelings complete satisfaction and delight as I found myself watching these little birds out my window. Opening my widow to these little birds, with bright yellow chests, and to a rush of cool air, one could not help but sense that spring was trying awaken. The bleakness of the gray sky was almost lost behind evergreens which dripped with melting snow and to church bells that rang in the afternoon. The annoyance of winter and spring battling over the day was soon lost in the wonder of the beautiful icicles it left behind. Its days like this I just wish I could curl up in a cabin somewhere far away from city streets and bustling people. With hot chocolate in hand and a blanket in reach, I would be delighted to be in the audience as God once again cues spring on to what Shakespeare referred to as ‘the stage’. The only thing would add to it would be a person to share the ‘awe’ with (cuz I like to snuggleJ).

Sliding into happy moments

Well coming back from teaching today the snow was coming down pretty thick, as it has been for the past two weeks. Well, it was definitely getting the best of the bus I was riding. We got almost to the top of the hill and could go no further. So, the bus driver had no choice but to let us slide all the way back down. Well, you know me, I wasn't sitting calmly in my seat thinking what fun. No, I was praying Lord please don't let us crash and catch and fire. This thought definitely made me start looking for safety features and emergency exits. It's kinda like when you fly you really don't care about the safety instructions at the beginning of the flight until you hit some really bad turbulence. Well, just when I decided that I was going to have to throw the fire extinguisher throw the back window in case of a fire, due to the lack of any opening windows, we made it to the bottom safely. Well, we made it up the second time with a gunned engine and lots of prayer. Due to our little adventure, we missed my connecting bus by 3 minutes. I looked at the bus routes for a good 5 minutes, determining that the next bus did come for another 40 minutes. Well, I set out for the restaurant across the street hoping to find someone to prove me stupid at reading signs and that the bus was coming sooner, but to no avail. So, I sat down and waited. There were only three of us in this restaurant: me, the women on the bus with me, and a man with his dog. Trying to be true to my budget for the first time in a week, I said no to tea. Well, I must have looked pretty disheartened. The waitress came over with not only tea but chocolate cookies too! They were from the old man with the dog, who was already on his second beer. Afterwards, I said thanks and told him my name. I wanted to say God Bless, but I don't know the word for 'bless' and just saying 'God' I figured wasn't the best. God definitely gave me unexpected delights!

Attack of the KILLER MOLD!!!

On Friday, Feb 6, 2009 the war began. I pulled out a shirt only to find little black dots on the top. As I proceeded to pull out the rest of my clothes, I was noticing more black dots. After all my clothes had been pulled out, what was revealed to be was a black wall of mold. I continued to pull out clothes with black mold behind them until got to the bottom rack. The mold wasn't behind them anymore! It killed two pairs of my shoes! Well, Terri was coming over for a B-day sleepover and mold was not invited to the party. So we moved it next store thankfully. After some heavy duty spray, the hero of this story, showed up on scene, the mold was killed. So we thought... We'll as luck would have it I came down with a head cold and there were guest arriving to stay in the room I was in. So, I move to Daniel's house for a couple of nights where I got to enjoy his mother-in-law WONDERFUL cooking! I was moved back here yesterday, and when I entered my room I could still smell mold. So I climbed the shelves only to find the 4 inch gap between the wall unit and ceiling covered in mold. Back into the guest bedroom I moved. So with some help from Jola, a ladder, and our trusty spray, we went to work. You can't breathe in the spray, get it on your skin or on your clothes. Once it's sprayed you have to wait a good 24 hours before you can go back in the room. And because of the nature of black mold I have to wash ALL my clothes and sheets. So, two pairs of shoes, one pair of pants, a pink spot on Jola's pants, dried out hands, and 5 days later, the mold is dead. I think....

Daily #9

So for the longest time I thought every one's 'flush' buttons were broken (like the cracked in half). Come to find out, they are actually two different buttons all together. Who would have guessed? Obviously not this person. Well, the big button is for a big flush and the small one is for a small flush. I know, great logic. Or to be more scientific about it one is about 2.2 gal and the other just 1 gal. This system is know as the 'dual flush system'. I think this lands some where between America's system and Mexico's "if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down" system.

Top Things I want to do in CZ

1. Hike Halicky Sneznik
2. Canoe the Berounka River
3. Go to Podyji National Park
4. Go to Lednice Chateau
5. Go to the Highlander's Festival - in Jablunkov, 7th - 9th Aug.
6. See Pracvcicka Brana (Land Bridge)
7. Go in a Cave!
8. Learn to make Czech soup!
9. Go to a futbol game!
10. See the bears at Cesky Krumlov Castle
11. Have a beer at the Plzen Brewery
12. Go to Terezin Concentration Camp
13. See the rocks at Cesky Raj
14. Go to Triple-boundary

Daily Discovery #6-8

Discovery #6

The first five books of the Czech Bible (the Torah) are called 1 Moses, 2 Moses, etc.

Discovery #7

To signal you are done eating here you have to put your fork and your knife parallel to each other. If your knife blade points away from the fork it means you didn't like the food; If points inward to the fork it means you like it.

Discovery #8

The age of consent here is not 18, but 15!!!