Holy buckets, it's hot down here

We finally made it to Haiti and to the clinic in Jacmel.  It only took two major airline planes, 2 very small planes, and 23 people crammed in a tap-tap (truck with a top) and two small trucks, but we made it.  We unpacked all the medication we packed, had our first rice and bean meal and already celebrated two birthdays.

It's not yet 9:00, and I AM BEAT.  Good night - more tomorrow.

At the Port-au-Prince airport, waiting for the small planes to Jacmel

Erosion on the mountains

Barb and Kate's birthday "cake"

John, Jeff and Sharon eating okra and piccli at Son-Son's

Here we go...

We're off to Haiti.

We're flying to Miami Sunday morning, Port-au-Prince Monday morning and then taking a small plane over the mountains to Jacmel.  The only reason I'm not REALLY nervous is because John has done this so many times and he has all the little things covered (like finding the money belt and passport holders, going to the bank and getting a huge wad of singles and fives to give out and getting little keychain flashlights so we can find our way to the bathroom at night...).  I still haven't packed and am worried about finding the charger for my camera.

For the record, we will have someone staying here and 2-3 other people coming in at various times to tend to the dogs.  If you are of the burglar persuasion and like to break into homes while the residents are out of town, stay away or be prepared to meet a few new friends, a couple nosey and retired neighbors who have nothing better to do than to watch our house, and 2 very vicious pugs.  I mean it.  They will rip your arm off.  The pugs - not the neighbors.  Well ok, maybe the neighbors too.

Feel free to follow along...
www.fotcoh.org

Mom 2.0

Today is my mother-in-law’s birthday.  I’m not sure how old she would be today – late 70’s?  Early 80’s?  I’ve never known anyone for such a short time that made such a huge impact on my life.

 The obvious thing is that she raised John to be the man I feel for.  But for 6 months, from September 1983 to February 1984, she became my friend. 

I hadn’t known her but for a few weeks when John and I got engaged.  She made me feel so comfortable, I didn’t have any fears about temporarily moving in with John and his parents while looking for a job and a place of my own in the unfamiliar territory of Chicago suburbia.  I lived there for close to 2 months.  Dorothy and I would get up and have breakfast with John before he left for work.  Then we would lounge around for a few hours, look through wedding magazines, talk and watch Oprah.  On those mornings, I told her things I never told my best friends.  Then we might go out to lunch and/or shopping, and I sort of looked for a job.  We ate out every night.  After I found a job and got an apartment, Dorothy and I shopped for a bedroom set for me and John - their wedding present to us.  I will never forget her rolling around on the water bed while we were filling it for the first time, trying to get the air bubbles out.  Oh to have a video camera…

Dorothy was the person that introduced me to the profession of purchasing.  When I knew her, she had been a buyer before getting laid off.  Are you kidding me?!  People get PAID for BUYING things?!  Why didn’t anyone mention this glorious job to me while I was in college??!! 

I miss her.  I’ve said it for over 25 years and I will say it again – I truly believe that God gave us those precious few months together because without them, I would have missed out on a big piece of who John is.  But sometimes it’s hard not to think about her without feeling cheated of time with her - for me and John, for Jim and Hannah, for Diane and Mike.   She died very suddenly, a few months before we were married.  I still can't help but feel she should have at least been at that ceremony. She would have been the ultimate Grandma.  I’m sure she would have spoiled our kids  ROTTEN.  Hannah has been told many times that she is just like her.  It would have been nice for her to see that for herself. 

Mrs. K., I only knew you for a few months.  I can only imagine how your children grieve, and only hope I can impact someone's life the way you did mine.

When did I know I loved John

That question was asked of me today.  That's a tough one.  I knew when I fell in lust with him (I know that will completely gross out anyone under the age of 30 who would happen to read this).  That was when I was still living with my old boyfriend and his family.  Ironically my boyfriend's father got me the job where I worked for John,  I then became friends with him, fell in love and married him.   And I have to say the last 26 years have been pretty good.


When do you really fall in love with someone?  in my humble opinion--


When they are one of your best friends (but ladies, you will ALWAYS need your girlfriends.  Always.)
When you miss them, but are confident enough to know that they can have a good time without you - and when the feeling is mutual.  Time apart can be good.
When you just know when to give in, and when to stand your ground.
When you agree on the not-so-little things...  food, music, TV shows, movies...
When you want to tend to their needs when they are sick (And guys - it means A LOT when you hold a girl's hair when she gets sick.  Hopefully this will only occur when she has the flu.  I'm just saying.)
When you start completing each other's sentences.
When being around them feels more natural than not.


That's it.  That's all I got.  Maybe it will help,


but probably not.

Sorry I doubted you

These are two things that I was positive we did not need, but John insisted.  I'm Sorry, Honey.  I'll never doubt you again.

Oh Blago. You are so entertaining.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-august-23-2010/rod-blagojevich

I wish

there could be a global game of freeze tag.  Time would stand still, for everything and everyone but me, of course.  I would sleep for a whole day.  I would read books.  I would ride my bike as far as I could peddle.  I would download 100 new songs.  I would write letters on actual paper. I would pray.  I would finally print 5 years worth of photos and put them in scrapbooks.  I would go through the stuff I took when Mom moved off the farm and linger over the papers in her handwriting.  Then I would go give John a hug and that would break the spell.  The special people in my life would receive the letters I had written to them on actual paper and they would know how much they mean to me.