Post Wall
When I lived in eastern Germany in the early 1990s, my friends lamented their high school requirement to learn Russian. They all felt that English would have been much more useful, and English classes were all the rage. Jonathan landed a job teaching English and Spanish that allowed us to extend our stay in Germany by an entire semester.
This morning, as I drove my son David to a youth event at church, he started reminiscing about his early days in Ukraine. For "summer camp" during his stay in the orphanage, a large number of young children were driven in buses to Germany for gymnastics camp, complete with home stays with German families. I asked David how he had communicated with his German mom and dad.
"They spoke Russian!"
Serendipity
David chose the verse for his 8th grade class by opening the Bible and plunking his finger down. The method worked, and the other students liked his suggestion:
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.
- Psalm 126:2-3
Changing Seasons
Many aspects of life in Chicago differ greatly from those in southern Texas, where I grew up. This week is a case in point, as I study the weather reports carefully for a forecast of our first freeze. Few things in nature are so definite as the 32-degree mark. Once it arrives, most of the plants in my yard and garden are done for.
And from a practical angle, the day before that first freeze requires about an hour's work to pull all the tomatoes out of the garden. They will ripen inside, so saving even the green ones is worth the effort. Some years, we've even saved a formerly very-green garden tomato to eat on Christmas Day!
Delay
That blasted tooth fairy! She made Peter wait several days with his tooth under his pillow. Finally, she came last night. I bet she feels really guilty!
Generational Difference
When my generation turned 16 years old, we applied for our driver's license on that very day. Children today wait sometimes for several years after their 16th birthday to do the same thing. I saw an article somewhere that the difference is the ready communication they get from cell phones. It also mentioned the cost of the electronic gadgets, which takes away money from driving/cars. All I know is that there's a definite difference from 40 years ago.
Subculture of the Cheer Bow
A few days ago, Rachel and Sarah told me they needed a $20 check for new cheerleading bows for their hair. It's homecoming week, which means lots of extras at school. These new bows are partially a fundraiser for breast cancer research, so they are pink and decorated with the looped ribbon symbol for that cause.
This morning, Sarah told us the story behind the new bows. Rachel's friend Brianna, also a cheerleader, is best friends with Erica, a cheerleader as well. Erica's little sister is best friends with a girl whose mother made the cheer bows.
Sarah didn't even blink as she told us who had made the bows.
Transformation
In a past life, I was a night owl. Motherhood has changed me to an early bird.
