A wave slips around my toes, the kiss of cold foam stirring the sand, revealing a glint of pearly pink. I bend and pick up the shell, just a fragment, the swirled design cut short by ragged edges. It’s been crushed by the waves, ground by the sand, yet I admire it and slip it into my bucket with the others I’ve collected.
The bright bottom of the plastic castle-shaped bucket is filled with shell pieces of all shapes and sizes, the few rare purples standing out in dark contrast to the pale tans and pinks. All of them are beautiful. All of them give a glimpse of the once-whole home that was so carefully built to house the various creatures. I’ll make something pretty with these pieces… I’ll make them into a whole.
It occurred to me that we are like those shells. The world has crushed us and battered us. Perhaps we have a few sharp edges, or ragged tears. We’ve given part of ourselves to the world, and contributed to its change, perhaps just as subtly as the few grains of sand each shell adds to the beach around it. We’re broken, and lie in the midst of the busy world, sometimes feeling useless and forgotten, buried in the sands of time.
Then He comes. Our Heavenly Father scoops us up, just like I picked up that broken shell. He sees a reflection of Himself as the Creator in the colors that curl across the hard surface, in the emotions that swirl in our hearts. He sees what we once were, what we would have been had we not been marred by the sin of the world. He knows what we will be, when we are whole once again--perfect and untarnished.
Most of all, He loves. He sees beauty in our broken offerings, lifts us in His hands, and puts us safely into His kingdom, His castle. He has chosen us. We have accepted Him. Nothing we can do can change the way He sees us, because He sees us whole, redeemed, His own precious shell. His child.
These are my reflections today, as I wandered the beaches. My family is vacationing for a glorious week. I’ve been in a lot of pain and nausea, but still I find grace. I have time to relax (as much as possible) and read, book after book. I can gaze out the window and watch the sunset over the waves right from my bed. Even now as I type I see the golden-crested waves slowly giving way to the deep blue of dusk. The royal blue that fills my soul and touches my heart with a beauty only a Creator could give.
This week I listen to my nieces giggle over the wonders of the ocean, and reach for lots of wet hugs and sandy snuggles. My family gathers together, playing games, talking walks, being together. My sister and I lie awake, pain chasing the sleep far from our eyes, and we talk and giggle long into the wee hours of the mornings.
All of us crowd together to peer at the odd spectacle of a piranha stretched dying on the shore, far from his native waters, showing sharp lines of jagged teeth as he gasps for breath. We rush to the window to spot the huge crabs that line the beach, count the seventeen pelicans that fly above, or squint to catch a glimpse of the otters that play just below the water’s surface.
Yes, there are times I can’t walk much because I feel too sick, or times I can’t play much because it hurts too bad. But even in those times I know beauty and love, from my family and from God. And, as I watch the sun dance on the tips of the waves like glittering paths of live embers, I know all is well. For broken as I am, I’m secure in the Creator’s hand. He sees beauty, and I love in return.
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Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Fish!!
I did it! I made it through the first year of the interpreting program still alive and with okay grades in all my classes. ;-) It feels so nice to have it done. This summer I’ll be working hard to improve my interpreting even more so I’m ready to meet the challenge of the second year head on.
My finals went pretty well, thanks to everyone’s prayers. By the last day of my busiest week, I was definitely worn out and not at my highest potential, but even so made it through with an okay grade. Now my classmates and I are celebrating with a couple of parties this week. Then it’s back to practicing every day!
As though the word is out that I’m done with school, I’m already starting to get more editing and critiquing projects again, and even got my first paid one! This summer I’ll be dusting off a lot of my old stories and a few poems and submitting them to magazines, as well as doing some new writing. My goal is to finish editing the postcard project, also, and have that ready for the editor at least by the end of the summer.
This week I got referred to pain management classes and to another kind of sleep clinic. They will both start next month and be weekly appointments for a few weeks. I’m sure they will cover a lot of information I know, but hopefully I’ll learn some new things as well, and can take some steps to get healthier this summer so I’ll be more equipped for school next fall. The next term in October will probably be the most challenging yet. I’m hoping someone will actually diagnose me with something. It seems odd to me that my doctor is referring me to this stuff but hasn’t done much to verify what is causing the pain and sleep problems.
The end of this month my family is going to the beach. All of us are going together this time--my parents, two sisters, brother-in-law, and my three nieces. It’ll be fun! I plan to do some reading and writing as well as lots of playing with the little ones.
*”Fish” is the mouth-shape made while signing FINISH. It’s become a joke among my classmates and one of our teachers so now it’s not uncommon to hear someone to ask in English “You fish?” instead of “Are you finished?” or to actually sign FISH instead of FINISH. LOL
My finals went pretty well, thanks to everyone’s prayers. By the last day of my busiest week, I was definitely worn out and not at my highest potential, but even so made it through with an okay grade. Now my classmates and I are celebrating with a couple of parties this week. Then it’s back to practicing every day!
As though the word is out that I’m done with school, I’m already starting to get more editing and critiquing projects again, and even got my first paid one! This summer I’ll be dusting off a lot of my old stories and a few poems and submitting them to magazines, as well as doing some new writing. My goal is to finish editing the postcard project, also, and have that ready for the editor at least by the end of the summer.
This week I got referred to pain management classes and to another kind of sleep clinic. They will both start next month and be weekly appointments for a few weeks. I’m sure they will cover a lot of information I know, but hopefully I’ll learn some new things as well, and can take some steps to get healthier this summer so I’ll be more equipped for school next fall. The next term in October will probably be the most challenging yet. I’m hoping someone will actually diagnose me with something. It seems odd to me that my doctor is referring me to this stuff but hasn’t done much to verify what is causing the pain and sleep problems.
The end of this month my family is going to the beach. All of us are going together this time--my parents, two sisters, brother-in-law, and my three nieces. It’ll be fun! I plan to do some reading and writing as well as lots of playing with the little ones.
*”Fish” is the mouth-shape made while signing FINISH. It’s become a joke among my classmates and one of our teachers so now it’s not uncommon to hear someone to ask in English “You fish?” instead of “Are you finished?” or to actually sign FISH instead of FINISH. LOL
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Learning to Live
I’m still learning how to live. Learning how to not get mad when my body doesn’t let me be me. There are days I can do it… days I accept that I can’t do everything. The days I make the most of what I can do, and know that even if I can’t do it today, I might be able to do more tomorrow, or next week, and if I can't, then that's okay, too.
Then there are the days I forget. The days I make plans to live my life the way I want to live. To do things and go places! Then just as I’m walking out the door, it slaps me in the face. Maybe it’s pain, maybe it’s nausea, maybe it’s the overwhelming fatigue that saps every bit of energy. Or maybe it’s just remembering. Remembering that I can’t do things because I want to do things, or even because I need to do things. Remembering that I can only do things if I can do things.
I’ve been focusing too much on what I can’t do. This week I was trying to think about all the things I can still do. But seems like that backfires. I start forgetting that I have to be careful… I overdo it or make grand plans only to get sick or realize I can’t after all.
Last week one of my teachers suggested I go volunteer at a camp for Deaf Blind adults in Seattle this summer. It’s a wonderful experience and they desperately need more volunteers, she explained. I asked my language tutor about it during group tutoring, and he too raved about how fun it was, and how it would build our skills while helping others. “It would be a great experience for you all,” he told us, looking at my classmates.
Then came the slap.
“But Amy,” he looked at me, “I don’t think you could do it. It’s long hours, hard work. It would be too much for you, I think.”
I got mad then. Not mad at him--it was sweet of him to be watching out for me--but mad that I need to be watched out for. Mad that I can’t do what I want to do…even what I need to do to build my skills. My learning disabilities mean I need even more practice and work than the teachers recommend, but my health means some days I can’t even manage the minimum requirements.
So here I am again, back where I started. Learning to accept the life I’ve been dealt. Learning to live life to the fullest when full isn’t always very big. But most of all I need to remember the things I’ve already learned. The things like how God will use my health problems to make me lean on Him. How He’ll use them for His glory, to let me encourage others because I can understand a little of what they go through. And how when I do succeed, everyone knows it’s because of Him, not because of me.
I recently wrote a short story with this same lesson: When a Lifetime Comes. It’s a lesson that keeps coming back for those of us with health problems, one that somehow never fully gets learned. But step by step, we grow a little more every day, becoming more like the person God is molding us to be.
Life isn’t about how much you can do. Life is about how you do what you do… how you choose to live the life you have. May I have the grace to live completely.
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Then there are the days I forget. The days I make plans to live my life the way I want to live. To do things and go places! Then just as I’m walking out the door, it slaps me in the face. Maybe it’s pain, maybe it’s nausea, maybe it’s the overwhelming fatigue that saps every bit of energy. Or maybe it’s just remembering. Remembering that I can’t do things because I want to do things, or even because I need to do things. Remembering that I can only do things if I can do things.
I’ve been focusing too much on what I can’t do. This week I was trying to think about all the things I can still do. But seems like that backfires. I start forgetting that I have to be careful… I overdo it or make grand plans only to get sick or realize I can’t after all.
Last week one of my teachers suggested I go volunteer at a camp for Deaf Blind adults in Seattle this summer. It’s a wonderful experience and they desperately need more volunteers, she explained. I asked my language tutor about it during group tutoring, and he too raved about how fun it was, and how it would build our skills while helping others. “It would be a great experience for you all,” he told us, looking at my classmates.
Then came the slap.
“But Amy,” he looked at me, “I don’t think you could do it. It’s long hours, hard work. It would be too much for you, I think.”
I got mad then. Not mad at him--it was sweet of him to be watching out for me--but mad that I need to be watched out for. Mad that I can’t do what I want to do…even what I need to do to build my skills. My learning disabilities mean I need even more practice and work than the teachers recommend, but my health means some days I can’t even manage the minimum requirements.
So here I am again, back where I started. Learning to accept the life I’ve been dealt. Learning to live life to the fullest when full isn’t always very big. But most of all I need to remember the things I’ve already learned. The things like how God will use my health problems to make me lean on Him. How He’ll use them for His glory, to let me encourage others because I can understand a little of what they go through. And how when I do succeed, everyone knows it’s because of Him, not because of me.
I recently wrote a short story with this same lesson: When a Lifetime Comes. It’s a lesson that keeps coming back for those of us with health problems, one that somehow never fully gets learned. But step by step, we grow a little more every day, becoming more like the person God is molding us to be.
Life isn’t about how much you can do. Life is about how you do what you do… how you choose to live the life you have. May I have the grace to live completely.
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Thursday, February 07, 2008
I knew I wasn't Normal
Between my conglomerate of odd health problems, my unique visual-related learning problems, and my quirky personality, I've always known that I'm not normal. In fact, I rather take pride in it. After all, God calls us to be peculiar people, right?
When I was about 13, I went through an extensive three-year vision therapy program that resulted in me being able to write, strengthened my reading, and let me get at least a little closer to where I should be in spelling. My current problems with sign language, especially fingerspelling, seemed to be resulting from the same visual issues (basically my eyes and brain don't work together so well), so I went back for more vision perception tests.
I got the test results back today. I'm low in several things, including visual discrimination. But the most notable "significant deficit" is in the test of visual sequential memory. I was in the 0.1 percentile.
In other words, there's pretty much no one else quite as bad at it as I am. :-p
This means when I see a word fingerspelled, even if I do manage to differentiate the similar handshapes, I'm likely to not have the faintest memory of what they were by the time we get to the end of the word. The eye doctor told me that picking the profession I did means I must be a "glutton for punishment". All I say is it's a good thing I didn't pick interpreting or I woulda quit a long time ago.
So what's this mean? Leaning on God and a whole lotta hard work. It worked 13 years ago for my reading and writing (and look where I am now!). I have faith it'll work this time. And if it doesn't, then I know God'll have something even better planned.
BTW, I got interviewed by Lynda Schab with FaithReaders (sister site of FaithWriters) and the interview was posted yesterday. You can read it here, if you'd like: http://www.faithreaders.com/featured-author.php
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When I was about 13, I went through an extensive three-year vision therapy program that resulted in me being able to write, strengthened my reading, and let me get at least a little closer to where I should be in spelling. My current problems with sign language, especially fingerspelling, seemed to be resulting from the same visual issues (basically my eyes and brain don't work together so well), so I went back for more vision perception tests.
I got the test results back today. I'm low in several things, including visual discrimination. But the most notable "significant deficit" is in the test of visual sequential memory. I was in the 0.1 percentile.
In other words, there's pretty much no one else quite as bad at it as I am. :-p
This means when I see a word fingerspelled, even if I do manage to differentiate the similar handshapes, I'm likely to not have the faintest memory of what they were by the time we get to the end of the word. The eye doctor told me that picking the profession I did means I must be a "glutton for punishment". All I say is it's a good thing I didn't pick interpreting or I woulda quit a long time ago.
So what's this mean? Leaning on God and a whole lotta hard work. It worked 13 years ago for my reading and writing (and look where I am now!). I have faith it'll work this time. And if it doesn't, then I know God'll have something even better planned.
BTW, I got interviewed by Lynda Schab with FaithReaders (sister site of FaithWriters) and the interview was posted yesterday. You can read it here, if you'd like: http://www.faithreaders.com/featured-author.php
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Saturday, January 12, 2008
Running on Empty
Hello, blogasphere. I haven’t been around much, but yes, I’m still in existence (note I didn’t say still alive--that’s debatable). I’ve had a few blog posts I was planning to write, but I haven’t had enough energy to get through the day, much less enough left over for writing blogs.
Basically my biggest problem is that I’m not sleeping (no, it’s not stress or worry). I’ve had some sleep trouble for years, but the last couple months it’s getting worse to the point that I’m only getting a few hours of restless and interrupted sleep each night, and natural herbs and supplements don’t help much. I think it may be a low thyroid (I have many other symptoms that match that), and my doctor is doing testing on January 21st.
I called my doctor’s office to make an appointment yesterday. Of course they asked why, and as I was explaining my lack of sleep and other symptoms, I made the mistake of mentioning heart palpitations. The receptionist immediately transferred me to the urgent care advice nurse whereupon I waited on hold for about a half an hour. Finally the nurse answered and asked more questions and then said someone would call me back later.
Hours later another receptionist from the doctor’s office called and said, “I got your message about calling the advice nurse about your heart palpitations, but we’re going to go ahead and just have you make an appointment with the doctor.” Hello people, that’s what I called for in the first place…I could have done that with the first guy and had it all done in five minutes. LOL. Don’t you love doctor offices? I’ve had more than my fair share experience with them, that’s for sure.
I’ve had some health problems since I was born, but they got much worse in 2000. Since then it’s been one thing after another. Many of the issues have been mostly resolved by a naturopath doctor, but a few months later something entirely different will pop up. It seems my body is simply unable to run well. Anyone know of any good body shops? I could use a new one. haha
On a brighter note, I’m excited about my school schedule for this term. As I explained a few blog posts ago, all my classes right now are repeat classes. I signed up for an ASL class and Interpreting Process II. It turned out that the process class is going to be too much of a waste of time repeating reading and bookwork that I did great on the first time around. My teacher suggested that I just practice interpreting on my own, so that’s what I’ll do. She even agreed to meet with me occasionally to give me feedback on interpreting. This will be a much better use of time for me, and will work out well considering my health struggles at the moment (especially since this class required me to get up around 5:00 AM to get there on time--long commute).
I’ve also been doing a lot lately to prepare for next summer’s FaithWriter’s conference. I’ve gotten two agents signed up to come, and have one to three interested in coming next year. This will be a wonderful bonus for our writers, and will likely draw even more attendees. I guess it can be really hard to get agents to come to a small, new conference, so God has really blessed us.
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Basically my biggest problem is that I’m not sleeping (no, it’s not stress or worry). I’ve had some sleep trouble for years, but the last couple months it’s getting worse to the point that I’m only getting a few hours of restless and interrupted sleep each night, and natural herbs and supplements don’t help much. I think it may be a low thyroid (I have many other symptoms that match that), and my doctor is doing testing on January 21st.
I called my doctor’s office to make an appointment yesterday. Of course they asked why, and as I was explaining my lack of sleep and other symptoms, I made the mistake of mentioning heart palpitations. The receptionist immediately transferred me to the urgent care advice nurse whereupon I waited on hold for about a half an hour. Finally the nurse answered and asked more questions and then said someone would call me back later.
Hours later another receptionist from the doctor’s office called and said, “I got your message about calling the advice nurse about your heart palpitations, but we’re going to go ahead and just have you make an appointment with the doctor.” Hello people, that’s what I called for in the first place…I could have done that with the first guy and had it all done in five minutes. LOL. Don’t you love doctor offices? I’ve had more than my fair share experience with them, that’s for sure.
I’ve had some health problems since I was born, but they got much worse in 2000. Since then it’s been one thing after another. Many of the issues have been mostly resolved by a naturopath doctor, but a few months later something entirely different will pop up. It seems my body is simply unable to run well. Anyone know of any good body shops? I could use a new one. haha
On a brighter note, I’m excited about my school schedule for this term. As I explained a few blog posts ago, all my classes right now are repeat classes. I signed up for an ASL class and Interpreting Process II. It turned out that the process class is going to be too much of a waste of time repeating reading and bookwork that I did great on the first time around. My teacher suggested that I just practice interpreting on my own, so that’s what I’ll do. She even agreed to meet with me occasionally to give me feedback on interpreting. This will be a much better use of time for me, and will work out well considering my health struggles at the moment (especially since this class required me to get up around 5:00 AM to get there on time--long commute).
I’ve also been doing a lot lately to prepare for next summer’s FaithWriter’s conference. I’ve gotten two agents signed up to come, and have one to three interested in coming next year. This will be a wonderful bonus for our writers, and will likely draw even more attendees. I guess it can be really hard to get agents to come to a small, new conference, so God has really blessed us.
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Friday, December 14, 2007
Radio interview!
This morning Glenn Hascall, host of KHYM radio in Kansas, and a FaithWriter friend, did a short interview with me over the phone about Peculiar People. It was pretty cool. Of course, after the fact I always think of all the things I should’ve, could’ve, would’ve said differently, but especially for a first radio interview I think it turned out well. I was glad it wasn’t live and could be edited a bit. ;-)
I was so glad Glenn offered this opportunity, and he’s even given me a copy of the clip to archive on our website. The piece will be broadcast on Friday, Dec 14th sometime between 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM Central time. You can listen live online at the link above. Later I’ll post the archive on the PeP website.
I’ve been looking forward to the interview all week. It was really funny because Tuesday I woke up all in a panic, sure I had missed the interview. Then I realized that the interview was on Thursday and I was fine after all. I still wasn’t quite sure what day it really was and panicked all over again deciding I’d missed my final exam for school. But no…the exam was on Wednesday. Finally I realized it was indeed only Tuesday morning and all I needed to do that morning was order carpet for one of Dad’s houses. Heh.
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I was so glad Glenn offered this opportunity, and he’s even given me a copy of the clip to archive on our website. The piece will be broadcast on Friday, Dec 14th sometime between 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM Central time. You can listen live online at the link above. Later I’ll post the archive on the PeP website.
I’ve been looking forward to the interview all week. It was really funny because Tuesday I woke up all in a panic, sure I had missed the interview. Then I realized that the interview was on Thursday and I was fine after all. I still wasn’t quite sure what day it really was and panicked all over again deciding I’d missed my final exam for school. But no…the exam was on Wednesday. Finally I realized it was indeed only Tuesday morning and all I needed to do that morning was order carpet for one of Dad’s houses. Heh.
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Monday, October 22, 2007
Book Release--Struggle Creek!
Whoo Hoo! After a year and a half of work, Peculiar People's first novel is finally in print and available to buy! Check out Struggle Creek at the Xulon Press bookstore, or order it directly from a contributing author in your area. (for some reason they've listed only me as the author, but hopefully that'll be fixed by tomorrow)
This unique novel was written by twenty-seven authors. It's a mystery story about a small Tennessee town. Each author wrote a chapter from the viewpoint of a different town member, but all the chapters tie together to make one novel. Come join the lives of the children who stumbled upon a strange dome in the woods, the new Deaf boy who's found himself caught smack in the middle of a dangerous mystery, the sheriff who is trying desperately to keep his town safe, and the actors trying to give the town hope. These are just a few of the delightful Struggle Creek residents who may seem a little familiar to those who know the authors, since we've given the characters a touch of ourselves.
PeP will be having an online book dedication prayer time on Friday, October 26th at 5:00 PM Pacific time (8:00 PM Eastern time, Saturday 10:00 AM Sydney time). If you are interested in joining us for that, just make sure I have your MSN instant messaging contact information.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Surgical success!
Chrissy from Australia’s surgery was a success! She had it last week and within a day or two she was up and walking around with much more ease and less pain than before the surgery. Praise God! There is still a chance of blood clots to be praying against, but so far everything is going wonderfully smoothly.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Seven, Eight...Up, Down...what's the difference, anyway?
The first couple weeks of school I was feeling pretty on top of my game. I can tell a huge difference between my signing skills, both receptive and expressive, compared to the beginning of the year last year and this year. I still have a long ways to go, but defiantly getting there, and my tutor has commented on the big improvement in my receptive fingerspelling and numbers. Because of my vision-related learning problems, receptive fingerspelling and numbers will always be one of my biggest challenges (I can even fingerspell a word back to you, with all the letters right, and sometimes still have no clue what the word is).
Well, today my private tutoring didn’t go so well. In ASL, 7 and 8 are very similar and even those who do not have dyslexic tendencies can easily mix them up. Last week I thought I had finally gotten a grip on them. This morning, however, I think I put down 7 every single time my tutor signed 8...the whole hour. By the end of the time he was chuckling at me (in a nice way) because I was so annoyed at myself.
A lot of my new classmates are feeling overwhelmed, too. Maybe I should take some of my own advice I’m giving them, and push through it. Things will get better. There are always good days and bad days. ;-)
I’m so glad I’m only taking two classes this term. I’m not sure how I’ll manage when my load gets heavier, but maybe some of the other stuff will lessen? Besides school, I’m trying to juggle coordinating the FW writing conferences, coordinating three (count ‘em, three!) different Peculiar People projects, plus a little bit of office work to pay the bills.
It’s actually kind of bad timing for both my interpreting career and my writing career to be taking off at the same time, but if I slow down on either of them then I will loose ground. At least it’s (mostly) fun and exciting stuff that’s all happening, if hard work.
Speaking of fun and exciting things happening, keep your eye out for some great Peculiar People news later this week!
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Well, today my private tutoring didn’t go so well. In ASL, 7 and 8 are very similar and even those who do not have dyslexic tendencies can easily mix them up. Last week I thought I had finally gotten a grip on them. This morning, however, I think I put down 7 every single time my tutor signed 8...the whole hour. By the end of the time he was chuckling at me (in a nice way) because I was so annoyed at myself.
A lot of my new classmates are feeling overwhelmed, too. Maybe I should take some of my own advice I’m giving them, and push through it. Things will get better. There are always good days and bad days. ;-)
I’m so glad I’m only taking two classes this term. I’m not sure how I’ll manage when my load gets heavier, but maybe some of the other stuff will lessen? Besides school, I’m trying to juggle coordinating the FW writing conferences, coordinating three (count ‘em, three!) different Peculiar People projects, plus a little bit of office work to pay the bills.
It’s actually kind of bad timing for both my interpreting career and my writing career to be taking off at the same time, but if I slow down on either of them then I will loose ground. At least it’s (mostly) fun and exciting stuff that’s all happening, if hard work.
Speaking of fun and exciting things happening, keep your eye out for some great Peculiar People news later this week!
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Monday, September 24, 2007
In Limbo
Today was the first day of the Fall term. I guess I never got around to blogging last year about the fact that I decided to add a year to my schooling. It was kind of a stressful time and I didn’t blog much then. I think most of you know anyway, but when I reached the third term of my first year in the interpreting program, I realized that I wasn’t ready. The first two terms are more how to interpret, and the third term you really get into the interpreting itself. I was still struggling too much with the language and wasn’t ready to focus on interpreting.
My grades were all fine at that point, so technically I could have kept pushing through. But after spending much of the first couple weeks of the term in tears because I was so frustrated and stressed, I spoke to my teachers to see if it would be possible to retake a few of the first year classes before continuing on with the harder interpreting classes.
They agreed to let me. As far as I know, I’m the first person to voluntarily drop back and retake classes in this program. A lot of people fail out and retake, and it’s common to have three years before you graduate the program. Most of those retake second year classes, though. I felt it would be better to get a stronger foundation of the language down first, so that I could better learn and focus on the interpreting part of it.
While it was a hard decision at first, especially to think of leaving my classmates, who are a second family, I’m really glad I am doing it this way. I continued with half the classes that third semester and then have worked hard all summer. My skills have improved a lot, and I’m looking forward to seeing them improve even more this next year.
It was kinda odd going back to the ASL class I’ve already taken. I’m surrounded by 23 other students who are scared, nervous, and feeling overwhelmed with the immersions into signing. They talk about being nervous at Deaf events, and scared of presenting things in front of the class…
I listen, and I remember so well those feelings, but no longer struggle so much with them. But I’m but weak in ASL grammar and the use of the language just the same as them. I feel a little stuck between two worlds--one foot in the first year and one foot in the second year. One annoying thing (lol) is that I don’t have a good answer for a simple question I get asked constantly--“What year are you?” Everyone in the Deaf Community is familiar with the program I’m in, and knows it’s a two year program. It’s a simple question that, from me, requires either a long answer or a incomplete answer. Oh well.
My decision to voluntarily retake some classes will perhaps result in more students following my example as needed. It’s rather exciting to think that my decision may result in more interpreters with better skills. One of my classmates was also struggling, though her grades were okay. After seeing my decision, she decided to follow suite. She told me that it helped her to see how well it was working for me, and to see that I still was included fully in the second year group.
Besides the slight feeling of being in limbo, today went well. The students were nice, and I have some close friends from during the summer or past classes in the class. The second year students, last year’s family, have classes right after ours. We share a lunch break, so I was able to hang out with them for about 45 minutes.
My grades were all fine at that point, so technically I could have kept pushing through. But after spending much of the first couple weeks of the term in tears because I was so frustrated and stressed, I spoke to my teachers to see if it would be possible to retake a few of the first year classes before continuing on with the harder interpreting classes.
They agreed to let me. As far as I know, I’m the first person to voluntarily drop back and retake classes in this program. A lot of people fail out and retake, and it’s common to have three years before you graduate the program. Most of those retake second year classes, though. I felt it would be better to get a stronger foundation of the language down first, so that I could better learn and focus on the interpreting part of it.
While it was a hard decision at first, especially to think of leaving my classmates, who are a second family, I’m really glad I am doing it this way. I continued with half the classes that third semester and then have worked hard all summer. My skills have improved a lot, and I’m looking forward to seeing them improve even more this next year.
It was kinda odd going back to the ASL class I’ve already taken. I’m surrounded by 23 other students who are scared, nervous, and feeling overwhelmed with the immersions into signing. They talk about being nervous at Deaf events, and scared of presenting things in front of the class…
I listen, and I remember so well those feelings, but no longer struggle so much with them. But I’m but weak in ASL grammar and the use of the language just the same as them. I feel a little stuck between two worlds--one foot in the first year and one foot in the second year. One annoying thing (lol) is that I don’t have a good answer for a simple question I get asked constantly--“What year are you?” Everyone in the Deaf Community is familiar with the program I’m in, and knows it’s a two year program. It’s a simple question that, from me, requires either a long answer or a incomplete answer. Oh well.
My decision to voluntarily retake some classes will perhaps result in more students following my example as needed. It’s rather exciting to think that my decision may result in more interpreters with better skills. One of my classmates was also struggling, though her grades were okay. After seeing my decision, she decided to follow suite. She told me that it helped her to see how well it was working for me, and to see that I still was included fully in the second year group.
Besides the slight feeling of being in limbo, today went well. The students were nice, and I have some close friends from during the summer or past classes in the class. The second year students, last year’s family, have classes right after ours. We share a lunch break, so I was able to hang out with them for about 45 minutes.
I’ve been home for a week now, and a busy week it’s been, for sure! I tried to concentrate on getting rested up and ready for school. On Monday after my flight, I slept and rested all day and hung out with family. My family keeps mentioning how quiet it was while I was gone. ;-) They missed me a lot, and of course, I missed them, too.
On Tuesday I called up a friend I met a few months ago who will be a classmate this year to see if she wanted to work on fingerspelling with me. Breezy is really an answer to prayer. She lives about ten minutes from me (surprising, considering that our school is an hour drive away), she’s around my age, a Christian, and has free enough of a schedule that she’s been able to meet me at the last minute to practice signing quite often through the summer.
On Wednesday the language tutor managed to work me into his schedule. During much of the summer I would leave my tutoring sessions very discouraged because I was struggling so much. The last couple ones before I left for Australia were going much better, so I was hoping that I hadn’t lost too much during the month of little to no practice. My tutor actually said that it wasn’t obvious I hadn’t been practicing and commented on how much I’d improved since he started working with me.
On Thursdays whoever can from my class last year meets together for dinner and signing time. I’m impressed that we’ve been able to keep that up over the whole summer. It’s been really great for practice, and nice to keep in touch with friends, too.
Saturday I went to a Deaf Expo. That was awesome. Over two thousand people showed up throughout the day. There were 80 different booths offering various products or serviced of interest to the Deaf--everything from video relay services, to T-shirts with signing graphics, to free videos of the Gospels translated into ASL, to adoption agencies.
There was also a stage with productions going on all day. One of my teachers, Patrick Fischer, did some dramatic storytelling--he’s a professional actor as well as an ASL teacher. The performances were anything from the adoption agency explaining the details of adopting Deaf children, to fun things like Patrick and a magic show.
There were a ton of people there I knew from class, church, and other Deaf events. It was great just hanging out all day, browsing the booths, watching the performances, and chatting.
On Sunday my family went out to lunch together, and had a lovely time. Then in the evening we had a FaithWriters cyber party. We had 15 people chatting on instant messaging! How fun! Confusing for those not used to it, though. ;-)
On Tuesday I called up a friend I met a few months ago who will be a classmate this year to see if she wanted to work on fingerspelling with me. Breezy is really an answer to prayer. She lives about ten minutes from me (surprising, considering that our school is an hour drive away), she’s around my age, a Christian, and has free enough of a schedule that she’s been able to meet me at the last minute to practice signing quite often through the summer.
On Wednesday the language tutor managed to work me into his schedule. During much of the summer I would leave my tutoring sessions very discouraged because I was struggling so much. The last couple ones before I left for Australia were going much better, so I was hoping that I hadn’t lost too much during the month of little to no practice. My tutor actually said that it wasn’t obvious I hadn’t been practicing and commented on how much I’d improved since he started working with me.
On Thursdays whoever can from my class last year meets together for dinner and signing time. I’m impressed that we’ve been able to keep that up over the whole summer. It’s been really great for practice, and nice to keep in touch with friends, too.
Saturday I went to a Deaf Expo. That was awesome. Over two thousand people showed up throughout the day. There were 80 different booths offering various products or serviced of interest to the Deaf--everything from video relay services, to T-shirts with signing graphics, to free videos of the Gospels translated into ASL, to adoption agencies.
There was also a stage with productions going on all day. One of my teachers, Patrick Fischer, did some dramatic storytelling--he’s a professional actor as well as an ASL teacher. The performances were anything from the adoption agency explaining the details of adopting Deaf children, to fun things like Patrick and a magic show.
There were a ton of people there I knew from class, church, and other Deaf events. It was great just hanging out all day, browsing the booths, watching the performances, and chatting.
On Sunday my family went out to lunch together, and had a lovely time. Then in the evening we had a FaithWriters cyber party. We had 15 people chatting on instant messaging! How fun! Confusing for those not used to it, though. ;-)
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Air Clinic
It started the day before my flight. I had abdominal pain that just seemed to get worse throughout the day. It occurred to me that a 13 hour flight over the mostly empty Pacific Ocean wasn’t exactly the most opportune place to have appendicitis. Visions ran through my head of those Readers Digest stories about a poor doctor doing emergency surgery on a suddenly dying patient. You know the ones--when the surgical equipment consists of a pocket knife and a drinking straw, and vodka doubles as antiseptic and anesthesia. Only nowadays I suppose it would have to be a plastic knife that did the honors.
Of course, my gut pain was only indigestion that was mostly gone the next day, but the whole thought process turned out to be sort of eerie foreshadowing.
About a third of the way into the flight, the call came over the sound system, as though right out of my dreams: “Would any medical personnel that happen to be on the flight please come to row 22?” I sent up a prayer for those involved, and then attached my rubber neck. For the next few minutes, any passenger who rose to stretch their legs or go to the loo was subject to Sticky-beak Amy’s scrutinizing gaze.
An older lady rose and headed toward the front of the plane. Ah ha, perhaps this was a nurse or doctor. A few minutes later she came back again, murmuring something about stretching her legs. Then a young distinguished-looking man, perhaps of Indian decent, rose from the seat directly in front of me. I assessed him. Yes, I could easily picture him a doctor. Then he turned to his friend. “Row 22, was it?”
Bingo.
It was quite some time before he came back again. I dozed with one eye open so as not to miss it. When he finally appeared, he started to slip into his seat without a word. Then, lucky me (good thing I’m not a cat), he stopped and faced his friend--and by default me. “She’s pretty sick. We’re going to land early,” he explained. “We’re gonna try to put down in Hawaii.”
We all stared at him.
He laughed. “No, really, she has a fever. I gave her an Advil.”
Nothing major. Good. So that was that.
At least for the moment. Several hours later I opened my eyes to find him once again returning to his seat. “This is becoming a regular free clinic,” he said wryly. “That guy passed out.”
For the entire rest of the flight, the poor doctor was in an out of his seat, attending his patients, often summoned by a pointed glance from a flight attendant. I’m not sure whether it was just the two sick people, or whether there were more. Or perhaps I was mistaken and there was only one, I’m not sure. At one point I saw the flight attendants giving oxygen to the lady.
About an hour away from our landing in California, an announcement came once again over the loud speaker. “Hello, this is the crew captain. We have a medical situation that is rapidly becoming an emergency. We’re going to land a little early and try to get into a closer gate. Please ensure that the aisles are clear and remain in your seats until the EMTs can come take out the patient.”
I exchanged glances with the man next to me. The crew captain’s voice sounded downright shaken.
The doctor in front of us was explaining to his friend that he’d once had a patient with the same symptoms as this person. He thought the person would be fine and was going to send them home when they keeled over and died, right on his medical table.
When we arrived, I was able to see that the lady, though surrounded by EMTs, was able to exit the plane on foot. I pray she recovers quickly. I hope the generous doctor has an uneventful rest of his journey.
Of course, my gut pain was only indigestion that was mostly gone the next day, but the whole thought process turned out to be sort of eerie foreshadowing.
About a third of the way into the flight, the call came over the sound system, as though right out of my dreams: “Would any medical personnel that happen to be on the flight please come to row 22?” I sent up a prayer for those involved, and then attached my rubber neck. For the next few minutes, any passenger who rose to stretch their legs or go to the loo was subject to Sticky-beak Amy’s scrutinizing gaze.
An older lady rose and headed toward the front of the plane. Ah ha, perhaps this was a nurse or doctor. A few minutes later she came back again, murmuring something about stretching her legs. Then a young distinguished-looking man, perhaps of Indian decent, rose from the seat directly in front of me. I assessed him. Yes, I could easily picture him a doctor. Then he turned to his friend. “Row 22, was it?”
Bingo.
It was quite some time before he came back again. I dozed with one eye open so as not to miss it. When he finally appeared, he started to slip into his seat without a word. Then, lucky me (good thing I’m not a cat), he stopped and faced his friend--and by default me. “She’s pretty sick. We’re going to land early,” he explained. “We’re gonna try to put down in Hawaii.”
We all stared at him.
He laughed. “No, really, she has a fever. I gave her an Advil.”
Nothing major. Good. So that was that.
At least for the moment. Several hours later I opened my eyes to find him once again returning to his seat. “This is becoming a regular free clinic,” he said wryly. “That guy passed out.”
For the entire rest of the flight, the poor doctor was in an out of his seat, attending his patients, often summoned by a pointed glance from a flight attendant. I’m not sure whether it was just the two sick people, or whether there were more. Or perhaps I was mistaken and there was only one, I’m not sure. At one point I saw the flight attendants giving oxygen to the lady.
About an hour away from our landing in California, an announcement came once again over the loud speaker. “Hello, this is the crew captain. We have a medical situation that is rapidly becoming an emergency. We’re going to land a little early and try to get into a closer gate. Please ensure that the aisles are clear and remain in your seats until the EMTs can come take out the patient.”
I exchanged glances with the man next to me. The crew captain’s voice sounded downright shaken.
The doctor in front of us was explaining to his friend that he’d once had a patient with the same symptoms as this person. He thought the person would be fine and was going to send them home when they keeled over and died, right on his medical table.
When we arrived, I was able to see that the lady, though surrounded by EMTs, was able to exit the plane on foot. I pray she recovers quickly. I hope the generous doctor has an uneventful rest of his journey.
Back Home
For my last night in Australia, Norm and Chrissy took me to their favorite restaurant, a military club. It was a lovely dinner with chatting and teasing, and the gentle music of a live pianist in the background. 
When we arrived back home, there was a small wrapped present on the front entry, addressed to me. I guessed who it was from, and couldn’t hide my pleased grin as I ripped open the envelope. The card was signed by each of the ladies from the nearby church’s women’s Bible study. These ladies have adopted Chrissy, and now me.
The gift was a mug adorned with Numbers “May the Lord bless you and keep you…” It will be a wonderful reminder of the love and care these women extended Chrissy and I.
The morning of the flight, I did the last bit of packing, then Chrissy, Norm, and I prayed together. At the airport we checked my bag and then lingered over a hot drink. Chrissy cried when I left for the gate. (Aunty Chrissy and Uncle Norm, I’ll miss you!) At least I will see them in two years, Lord willing, when they come to the US FW conference and do some sightseeing. Then a few years after that I plan to return to Australia for a Down Under FW conference.
Unlike my spacious flight to Australia, the return flight was completely full. My back problems and to the discomfort of the cramped seating area, so I only dozed now and then. As I’m writing this during my five hour California layover, I haven’t had more than a few cats naps for about 24 hours. I caught another cat nap on the waiting chairs here in the airport, too. But I probably will have been awake for about 33 hours before I’m able to get substantial sleep.
One benefit to a crowded plane, at least to an outgoing person like me, is that I have seat-mates to chat with. Across the aisle on my left was a family with an adorable year old baby. All the babies on the flight were remarkably good for how long of a flight it was. My seat-mate directly next to me was an Australian who was moving to London, with a sightseeing stop-over in New York. This is his first time in the US. Five years ago he returned to Australia after living in London for five years, so he was excited to be going back and connecting with his friends again. In the window seat, another young Australian man was headed back to his home of two years in Seattle, Washington.
I’ve dedicated a separate post to the adventures on the plane itself. ;-) Only a few more hours now, and I’ll be home!
P.S. I’m home! I was tired enough that I slept during most of the two and a half hour flight from California, but I’m still about to fall into the laptop, so g’bye for now.
When we arrived back home, there was a small wrapped present on the front entry, addressed to me. I guessed who it was from, and couldn’t hide my pleased grin as I ripped open the envelope. The card was signed by each of the ladies from the nearby church’s women’s Bible study. These ladies have adopted Chrissy, and now me.The gift was a mug adorned with Numbers “May the Lord bless you and keep you…” It will be a wonderful reminder of the love and care these women extended Chrissy and I.
The morning of the flight, I did the last bit of packing, then Chrissy, Norm, and I prayed together. At the airport we checked my bag and then lingered over a hot drink. Chrissy cried when I left for the gate. (Aunty Chrissy and Uncle Norm, I’ll miss you!) At least I will see them in two years, Lord willing, when they come to the US FW conference and do some sightseeing. Then a few years after that I plan to return to Australia for a Down Under FW conference.
Unlike my spacious flight to Australia, the return flight was completely full. My back problems and to the discomfort of the cramped seating area, so I only dozed now and then. As I’m writing this during my five hour California layover, I haven’t had more than a few cats naps for about 24 hours. I caught another cat nap on the waiting chairs here in the airport, too. But I probably will have been awake for about 33 hours before I’m able to get substantial sleep.
One benefit to a crowded plane, at least to an outgoing person like me, is that I have seat-mates to chat with. Across the aisle on my left was a family with an adorable year old baby. All the babies on the flight were remarkably good for how long of a flight it was. My seat-mate directly next to me was an Australian who was moving to London, with a sightseeing stop-over in New York. This is his first time in the US. Five years ago he returned to Australia after living in London for five years, so he was excited to be going back and connecting with his friends again. In the window seat, another young Australian man was headed back to his home of two years in Seattle, Washington.
I’ve dedicated a separate post to the adventures on the plane itself. ;-) Only a few more hours now, and I’ll be home!
P.S. I’m home! I was tired enough that I slept during most of the two and a half hour flight from California, but I’m still about to fall into the laptop, so g’bye for now.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Down Ender
One day left in Australia. This month went by in a blur. All week Chrissy and I have lamented--this is the last week. There’s so much I didn’t do…not only a couple of places here in the Sydney area we’d hoped to visit, but there are a few housework things I didn’t get to--back cupboards to scrub out, and last mop of the floor… Now I'm trying to get myself packed, Norm is packing for his two-week trip, and we're making sure things are ready for Chrissy to be on her own for two weeks. Visit, don’t be over yet!!
This week I’ve lingered over things, soaking it in, enjoying it. I listen extra closely to the Aussie accents, trying to absorb a little more of the drawl, the Down Under expressions. My eyes spot the brightly-coloured birds, and listen for their sounds that soon will fade from memory. Most of all, I enjoy Aunt Chrissy and Uncle Norm; their light banter and chuckles, the way Chrissy and I can talk FaithWriters and know that the other really understands, Chrissy's hearty laughter as she reads something funny on the message boards...
On Monday Deb Porter (from FW--the one who came home with me from the conference) and her daughter Kylie came to visit. It was a great time, and lovely to meet Kylie, who I’ve heard so much about. The time went too quickly, and I look forward to the second FW conference next summer, when we can once again catch up.
Several times this week Linda dropped by for a visit. She’s the leader of the Bible study that met here a couple of weeks ago--from the church that found out from a friend of a friend (times 4+-) that Chrissy was housebound. This group of ladies have swept us up with love and concern and blessed us so deeply. They will be checking daily on Chrissy while Norm is away, and Deb will come one day, too.
In the middle of the week, Linda brought another Bible study member to meet Chrissy. Lee-Ann wasn’t able to come to the meeting here last week, but will be one of the ones checking on Chrissy next week. She, too, was wonderfully sweet. Both Linda and Lee-Ann do a little writing, so of course we talked about FaithWriters. Linda joined last week, and it didn’t take much to get Lee-Ann totally excited about joining. She practically bounced out the door, eager to get home and sign up and start a challenge story right away.
This morning I woke to an email from Lee-Ann, offering to take me to see The Blue Mountains--one of the places we’d planned to go but weren’t able to make. It didn’t work for me to go today, but it was so sweet of her to offer.
I so wish I could take this group of ladies home with me. Chrissy is wishing she’d met them sooner. In a few months she and Norm will be moving quite a bit north in Australia. But several of these ladies reminded us that God puts people in our lives for special reasons, and for special--sometimes short--seasons. They’ll be here to step in when they are desperately needed--while Norm is on his business trip.
Tomorrow Chrissy and Norm will be going in the morning to help her parents as they prepare to move into assisted living. Meanwhile, I’ll pack (and sleep in a little ;-) ). In the evening, we’re going to their favorite restaurant for my last evening here. Then I fly out early Sunday afternoon.
This week I’ve lingered over things, soaking it in, enjoying it. I listen extra closely to the Aussie accents, trying to absorb a little more of the drawl, the Down Under expressions. My eyes spot the brightly-coloured birds, and listen for their sounds that soon will fade from memory. Most of all, I enjoy Aunt Chrissy and Uncle Norm; their light banter and chuckles, the way Chrissy and I can talk FaithWriters and know that the other really understands, Chrissy's hearty laughter as she reads something funny on the message boards...
On Monday Deb Porter (from FW--the one who came home with me from the conference) and her daughter Kylie came to visit. It was a great time, and lovely to meet Kylie, who I’ve heard so much about. The time went too quickly, and I look forward to the second FW conference next summer, when we can once again catch up.
Several times this week Linda dropped by for a visit. She’s the leader of the Bible study that met here a couple of weeks ago--from the church that found out from a friend of a friend (times 4+-) that Chrissy was housebound. This group of ladies have swept us up with love and concern and blessed us so deeply. They will be checking daily on Chrissy while Norm is away, and Deb will come one day, too.
In the middle of the week, Linda brought another Bible study member to meet Chrissy. Lee-Ann wasn’t able to come to the meeting here last week, but will be one of the ones checking on Chrissy next week. She, too, was wonderfully sweet. Both Linda and Lee-Ann do a little writing, so of course we talked about FaithWriters. Linda joined last week, and it didn’t take much to get Lee-Ann totally excited about joining. She practically bounced out the door, eager to get home and sign up and start a challenge story right away.
This morning I woke to an email from Lee-Ann, offering to take me to see The Blue Mountains--one of the places we’d planned to go but weren’t able to make. It didn’t work for me to go today, but it was so sweet of her to offer.
I so wish I could take this group of ladies home with me. Chrissy is wishing she’d met them sooner. In a few months she and Norm will be moving quite a bit north in Australia. But several of these ladies reminded us that God puts people in our lives for special reasons, and for special--sometimes short--seasons. They’ll be here to step in when they are desperately needed--while Norm is on his business trip.
Tomorrow Chrissy and Norm will be going in the morning to help her parents as they prepare to move into assisted living. Meanwhile, I’ll pack (and sleep in a little ;-) ). In the evening, we’re going to their favorite restaurant for my last evening here. Then I fly out early Sunday afternoon.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Chocolate + Babies = Happy Amy
Today was a long, but good day. We left the house at 7:00 AM and returned about 8:30 PM. Chrissy and Norm’s youngest grandson is a month old and they haven’t yet been able to see him, so today we made the three-hour drive and got to visit their daughter, son-in-law, and the grandkids--three under the age of two-and-a-half! 
I got to hold baby Dylan most of the time we were there, and played peek-a-boo with the older two. :-D And their dad taught me how to do a Tim Tam Slam--haha. A Tim Tam is two chocolate biscuits with chocolate filling, dipped in a chocolate coating (with that much chocolate, obviously they are yummy!). To do a slam, one bites off a small bit of opposite diagonal corners, then dips one bitten end in hot chocolate while sucking on the other end. As soon as you get a bit of moisture through the cookie, you have to quickly stick the whole--now soggy and melted--thing in your mouth before it disintegrates into your drink. LOL! 
On the way back home, we went to Hunter Valley. I guess there are a bunch of world-famous wine companies there, but we just walked through the shops--everything from a shop filled with different kinds of olive oils, to gift shops, to lolly shops.
We took the back road home to try to avoid the highway jammed with everyone returning from a weekend away. However, the road was solid curves the whole two-and-a-half-hours, so especially after the long day, Chrissy was in pretty severe pain by the time we got home. My back wasn’t real happy, either. ;-)
But we’re back home now, writing and recovering nicely. ;-) I can’t believe that in one week I’ll be flying over the Pacific Ocean right now. Time has gone fast! I haven’t done hardly any sign language or math studying while I was here, so I guess I better get busy, lol.
I got to hold baby Dylan most of the time we were there, and played peek-a-boo with the older two. :-D And their dad taught me how to do a Tim Tam Slam--haha. A Tim Tam is two chocolate biscuits with chocolate filling, dipped in a chocolate coating (with that much chocolate, obviously they are yummy!). To do a slam, one bites off a small bit of opposite diagonal corners, then dips one bitten end in hot chocolate while sucking on the other end. As soon as you get a bit of moisture through the cookie, you have to quickly stick the whole--now soggy and melted--thing in your mouth before it disintegrates into your drink. LOL! On the way back home, we went to Hunter Valley. I guess there are a bunch of world-famous wine companies there, but we just walked through the shops--everything from a shop filled with different kinds of olive oils, to gift shops, to lolly shops.We took the back road home to try to avoid the highway jammed with everyone returning from a weekend away. However, the road was solid curves the whole two-and-a-half-hours, so especially after the long day, Chrissy was in pretty severe pain by the time we got home. My back wasn’t real happy, either. ;-)
But we’re back home now, writing and recovering nicely. ;-) I can’t believe that in one week I’ll be flying over the Pacific Ocean right now. Time has gone fast! I haven’t done hardly any sign language or math studying while I was here, so I guess I better get busy, lol.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Blessings
Last night a local church held their women’s small group at Chrissy’s house. A couple of women at that church found out that Chrissy was pretty much housebound from a friend of a friend of a friend who contacted a woman in that church who contacted the leader of this small group. She’s been to visit a couple of times and brought the small group over so Chrissy and I could attend.
What a blessing! It’s been a few years since I’ve been involved in a Bible study group and I’d forgotten how wonderful it is. The eclectic group of ladies were very open and very real. We worshiped a little and then the leader brought us into a discussion of how we have no condemnation in Christ, and how important it is to not waste our time beating ourselves up for this or that which we didn’t do or shouldn’t have done. Instead, we need to simply ask for forgiveness and move on in God’s grace. The discussion moved on to our focus in life--how we should be living for eternity rather than this lifetime on this world. Everything we do here should be preparing for eternity.
These ladies are going to jump in and help Chrissy after I leave. The day after I fly home, Norm is going to have to leave for TWO weeks, yikes. He got a promotion to Commanding Officer in the military, which is a great honor, but is required to have this two week training time in another city. We were quite worried about Chrissy being alone, but God is working things out. Another friend of Chrissy’s is going to make up a bunch of meals she’ll just be able to grab from the freezer and heat up, so with the Bible study ladies popping in to check on her, she should be okay.
Today Chrissy and I got to meet another FaithWriter friend for lunch. Chrissy had met Karen E. before, but it was my first time. It was a lovely lunch, and so nice to spend time in real life with our friend.
Yesterday I came down with a cold. Thankfully it’s not a terribly bad one, but still enough to make me want to be sleeping a bit more than usual. Between that, getting ready for the Bible study, and everything else, I got a little behind on dishes. Norm was out of town, so I was juggling dinner and hand-washing the rest of the dishes. Chrissy and Norm’s son, Ken, comes on Wednesday nights and he got off work early today. He jumped right in and helped with dinner and the dishes. It was so nice and now we’re all caught up.
Well, I’m actually letting myself write a story for the FW challenge this week, so I better go back to it and then get to bed. G’night, mates!
What a blessing! It’s been a few years since I’ve been involved in a Bible study group and I’d forgotten how wonderful it is. The eclectic group of ladies were very open and very real. We worshiped a little and then the leader brought us into a discussion of how we have no condemnation in Christ, and how important it is to not waste our time beating ourselves up for this or that which we didn’t do or shouldn’t have done. Instead, we need to simply ask for forgiveness and move on in God’s grace. The discussion moved on to our focus in life--how we should be living for eternity rather than this lifetime on this world. Everything we do here should be preparing for eternity.
These ladies are going to jump in and help Chrissy after I leave. The day after I fly home, Norm is going to have to leave for TWO weeks, yikes. He got a promotion to Commanding Officer in the military, which is a great honor, but is required to have this two week training time in another city. We were quite worried about Chrissy being alone, but God is working things out. Another friend of Chrissy’s is going to make up a bunch of meals she’ll just be able to grab from the freezer and heat up, so with the Bible study ladies popping in to check on her, she should be okay.
Today Chrissy and I got to meet another FaithWriter friend for lunch. Chrissy had met Karen E. before, but it was my first time. It was a lovely lunch, and so nice to spend time in real life with our friend.
Yesterday I came down with a cold. Thankfully it’s not a terribly bad one, but still enough to make me want to be sleeping a bit more than usual. Between that, getting ready for the Bible study, and everything else, I got a little behind on dishes. Norm was out of town, so I was juggling dinner and hand-washing the rest of the dishes. Chrissy and Norm’s son, Ken, comes on Wednesday nights and he got off work early today. He jumped right in and helped with dinner and the dishes. It was so nice and now we’re all caught up.Well, I’m actually letting myself write a story for the FW challenge this week, so I better go back to it and then get to bed. G’night, mates!
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Experiencing Australia
Well, I didn’t get to hold the koala after all, but I did get to pet one! The three of us went to Koala Park and saw all sorts of things. Koalas are nocturnal, so all of them were sleeping when we arrived. I guess there are about thirty of them allowed to roam freely through the park. A few of them are gathered to sleep in a certain area so one can easily be found and woken for petting times throughout the day. The marsupial was more interested in the eucalyptus leaves the ranger was bribing him awake with than us, and pretty much ignored the pats and flashing cameras.
We each got a turn petting him and posing for pictures. He was quite wooly, similar to very short sheep’s wool, and a tad greasy feeling like that, also. It was quite soft. Pat, to answer your question about smell, I didn’t notice it, but someone else commented on the smell and the ranger said it was from the eucalyptus diet. So you were right that they smell a bit. ;-)
The Koala Park had a ton of other animals, such as dingos, peacocks, an echidna, kangaroos and wallabies, emus, kookaburras, and such. There was also a very disturbed wombat. Poor thing was pacing in an unvarying pattern in just a small section of his enclosure. He was still plodding blindly when we came back by on our way out, and I finally thought to throw him some of the Cheerio-like food we’d bought for the animals. The snack successfully broke the spell, and he paused to eat.
In one area we were allowed to go in and play with the grey kangaroos. They ate the cereal out of our hands and let us pet them. They are a bit wooly, too, and very soft. One kanga reached up and held onto my hand as he ate. His long nails were rather prickly, but it was worth it!
There were various birds such as roosters, chickens, and wild birds wandering around, too. One pea hen became enamored with Chrissy’s wheelchair, and followed us everywhere we went until we finally snuck out of the kangaroo enclosure without her. She managed to find us later, though. LOL!
After the park, we drove to a spot overlooking Sydney harbor’s North Head, and had a lovely picnic there. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have, because I was feeling pretty nasty for a few hours. After lunch I started feeling better after we got on a ferry across the harbor. It was quite lovely and I got to see the opera house quite close up. I got some great pictures of it, too, as you can see if you follow the link at the end of this post. When we passed through a smaller straight of the water, the waves picked up and the ferry rocked about in a delightful way--at least, I enjoyed it. ;-)
On the other end of the boat ride, we roamed through another open market in an area called The Rocks. I picked up some gifts for family, and we just wondered and looked. There were musicians and performers in that area, also. We stopped and watched a contortionist squeeze herself into a tiny glass box. She said she was the only street performer world-wide who could do that trick.
As we ferried back to Manly Harbor, I watched the sun setting above the bridge and opera house--a picture that has become rather a trademark of Australia. Somehow it really sunk in--I’m in Australia!!
We each got a turn petting him and posing for pictures. He was quite wooly, similar to very short sheep’s wool, and a tad greasy feeling like that, also. It was quite soft. Pat, to answer your question about smell, I didn’t notice it, but someone else commented on the smell and the ranger said it was from the eucalyptus diet. So you were right that they smell a bit. ;-)The Koala Park had a ton of other animals, such as dingos, peacocks, an echidna, kangaroos and wallabies, emus, kookaburras, and such. There was also a very disturbed wombat. Poor thing was pacing in an unvarying pattern in just a small section of his enclosure. He was still plodding blindly when we came back by on our way out, and I finally thought to throw him some of the Cheerio-like food we’d bought for the animals. The snack successfully broke the spell, and he paused to eat.
In one area we were allowed to go in and play with the grey kangaroos. They ate the cereal out of our hands and let us pet them. They are a bit wooly, too, and very soft. One kanga reached up and held onto my hand as he ate. His long nails were rather prickly, but it was worth it!There were various birds such as roosters, chickens, and wild birds wandering around, too. One pea hen became enamored with Chrissy’s wheelchair, and followed us everywhere we went until we finally snuck out of the kangaroo enclosure without her. She managed to find us later, though. LOL!After the park, we drove to a spot overlooking Sydney harbor’s North Head, and had a lovely picnic there. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have, because I was feeling pretty nasty for a few hours. After lunch I started feeling better after we got on a ferry across the harbor. It was quite lovely and I got to see the opera house quite close up. I got some great pictures of it, too, as you can see if you follow the link at the end of this post. When we passed through a smaller straight of the water, the waves picked up and the ferry rocked about in a delightful way--at least, I enjoyed it. ;-)
On the other end of the boat ride, we roamed through another open market in an area called The Rocks. I picked up some gifts for family, and we just wondered and looked. There were musicians and performers in that area, also. We stopped and watched a contortionist squeeze herself into a tiny glass box. She said she was the only street performer world-wide who could do that trick.
As we ferried back to Manly Harbor, I watched the sun setting above the bridge and opera house--a picture that has become rather a trademark of Australia. Somehow it really sunk in--I’m in Australia!!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Just a bit wonky
After I wrote the last blog post, we ate our dinner in the darkness of the backyard, under a full moon and the myriad of sparkling stars, which were slipped a little differently in the sky than I’m used to. As we ate, a dark shadow began nipping at the bottom of the moon.
I bent over the telescope, my dinner bowl in one hand, the other hand nudging the scope to follow the moon’s slow arch. The shadow bit deeper into the bright orb. Through the telescope’s magnification, the moon looked like a glowing ball that had been dipped into a puddle of ink. As the evening wore on, the shadow filled the moon, until at last the whole thing turned a dusky red. When I stepped back into the house, the edge of the ball was once again tinging a brilliant cream.
Last night we had a different sort of adventure. Norm was out of town with business, and I was washing up the dinner dishes as Chrissy finished a shower. Suddenly I heard not just a thump, but a whole series of huge thumps and bangs. I rushed for the bathroom and hollered through the door, “Did you fall?” A slight whimper answered me. “Can I come in?” I pushed open the door and found Chrissy sprawled on the floor in her pajamas, a dazed look splashed across her face.
Thankfully she was all right, though her back was jarred, and a large bruise has spread across her arm from her frantic attempts to keep her weight off her back as she slipped on the mat and fell. For some reason I was reminded of my days as an assistant figure skating teacher as I helped her up, showing her the easiest way to find her feet again.
Today Norm was back from his trip, and had the afternoon off work. Chrissy was feeling well enough to go out, so we went for a wander around Richmond Lagoon and then the Nepean River. I was glad Norm was there to push the wheelchair, because my back is still crying from getting used to pushing it on paved ground, and this was grass or gravel half the time.
I bent over the telescope, my dinner bowl in one hand, the other hand nudging the scope to follow the moon’s slow arch. The shadow bit deeper into the bright orb. Through the telescope’s magnification, the moon looked like a glowing ball that had been dipped into a puddle of ink. As the evening wore on, the shadow filled the moon, until at last the whole thing turned a dusky red. When I stepped back into the house, the edge of the ball was once again tinging a brilliant cream.
Last night we had a different sort of adventure. Norm was out of town with business, and I was washing up the dinner dishes as Chrissy finished a shower. Suddenly I heard not just a thump, but a whole series of huge thumps and bangs. I rushed for the bathroom and hollered through the door, “Did you fall?” A slight whimper answered me. “Can I come in?” I pushed open the door and found Chrissy sprawled on the floor in her pajamas, a dazed look splashed across her face.
Thankfully she was all right, though her back was jarred, and a large bruise has spread across her arm from her frantic attempts to keep her weight off her back as she slipped on the mat and fell. For some reason I was reminded of my days as an assistant figure skating teacher as I helped her up, showing her the easiest way to find her feet again.
Today Norm was back from his trip, and had the afternoon off work. Chrissy was feeling well enough to go out, so we went for a wander around Richmond Lagoon and then the Nepean River. I was glad Norm was there to push the wheelchair, because my back is still crying from getting used to pushing it on paved ground, and this was grass or gravel half the time.
(Norm says it's fashionable to take pics at a wonky angle like this. ;-) )
The sun sparkled merrily on the water, and birds swam and waddled about, looking for food and chatting to us and each other. As I spotted a couple of particularly large water birds, I asked, “What are those black swan-like things?”
“They are black swans.” Norm laughed.
Which would be why they looked rather like black swans. (What can I say? I’m used to white swans.) We even saw a pair with a family of fluffy grey signets.
Here's me infront of a wattle tree--they have tiny fluffy yellow blooms. The sun was rather bright in my eyes, so pardon my squint.
(Wattle it be)
On the way home, we stopped at Koorong, a large Christian bookstore that I hear about often on the FW message boards. A bit further down the road from there, we passed some military acreage. I was tickled pink to spot dozens of grey kangaroos grazing in the fields. One of them even jumped about a little for me.
Tomorrow we’re going to a Koala Park where I actually get to HOLD some koalas!!
P.S. Haha, check out a silly “Are you a Crazy-Creative Writer?” test I made for the fun of it: http://www.nerdtests.com/mq/take.php?id=29080
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Wheeling Around
We’re settling into a bit of a routine. Chrissy has her meds at 7:30 AM, so I serve eggs of some sort for breakfast. Then I do some cleaning or ironing and wash up the dishes. After lunch we often both lay down for a nap. We play around on FaithWriters off and on, and do a bit of writing in the afternoons.
Yesterday we got the wheelchair they’ve rented for a month, so today I drove the two of us to the post office and then to the mall. I find that I adjust quite quickly to driving on the other side of the road. Chrissy was so happy to get out of the house on a weekday. We got a drink and I had a couple of donuts. We went out to an outside balcony and sat in the sun to drink and eat our snack.
The wheelchair is heavier than I would have thought, so I have to be careful when getting it out of the back of the car. There are quite a few slopes in the mall, so my back was happy to have only a short outing. Haha, once the isle to get out of the checkout counter wasn’t wide enough for the chair and as I tried to get it back out, we got stuck. There wasn’t enough room to go forward or backward. Finally the man in the queue behind us had to actually lift up the back wheels of the chair and move it to a different angle so we could get out.
Before we left, I had a lovely surprise. The doorbell rang and a man handed me a box. It had my name on it! Turns out it was an “We miss you” teddy bear gift from my family. It’s so silky soft and cute.
Yesterday we got the wheelchair they’ve rented for a month, so today I drove the two of us to the post office and then to the mall. I find that I adjust quite quickly to driving on the other side of the road. Chrissy was so happy to get out of the house on a weekday. We got a drink and I had a couple of donuts. We went out to an outside balcony and sat in the sun to drink and eat our snack.
The wheelchair is heavier than I would have thought, so I have to be careful when getting it out of the back of the car. There are quite a few slopes in the mall, so my back was happy to have only a short outing. Haha, once the isle to get out of the checkout counter wasn’t wide enough for the chair and as I tried to get it back out, we got stuck. There wasn’t enough room to go forward or backward. Finally the man in the queue behind us had to actually lift up the back wheels of the chair and move it to a different angle so we could get out.
Before we left, I had a lovely surprise. The doorbell rang and a man handed me a box. It had my name on it! Turns out it was an “We miss you” teddy bear gift from my family. It’s so silky soft and cute.
Chrissy’s little Pomeranian dog, Tammy, has been quite wound up lately. She’s a tiny bit jealous of me and will try to push between me and Chrissy sometimes, LOL! Tammy does like me, though, and sometimes we play fight with my foot. But I got tired of sacrificing my toes and asked for a doggie toy for her, haha. So Norm came home last night with a bright pink smiley face with a tongue and pink rope pigtails. Tammy loves it and we all had a good tug of war fight last night with lots of growls and giggles and chuckles.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
A wee bit o' lollies
Yes, I know this blog title is mixing Scots and Aussie expressions--read on and you’ll see why. ;-)
This morning (it’s Sunday here), we went to a church that has a Deaf ministry. Because American Sign Language (ASL) and Australian Sign Language (Auslan) are each languages completely different from English and from each other, it was a bit of a challenge to communicate with the Deaf at that church. However, I learned the Auslan manual alphabet and a few signs before I came, and many of them knew a little of ASL fingerspelling, so we managed to communicate with only a little trouble. Australian and American Deaf culture seems very similar--I felt very comfortable chatting with them.
Those who don’t have an interest in signing, pardon me while I ramble for a minute--feel free to skip over the next two paragraphs. ;-)
I find the two-handed Auslan manual alphabet quite awkward, but I learned it pretty quickly. Of course, being able to do the alphabet in order and actually using it to spell or read a word are totally different things, but I actually did okay. Just a few of ASL and Auslan signs are the same, and quite a few are the same or similar sign but completely different meanings (which can be a bit confusing).
The two interpreters at the church were volunteer interpreters who didn’t have interpreting training. They did a lovely job. I found it interesting, but not surprising, that it seemed they were using the equivalent phenomenon to a mix of what we call Pidgin Sign Language and Signed Exact English-- which is ASL (or in this case Auslan) signs being used in an English grammatical structure. It’s a common contact language used by hearing or non-native signers who are not yet fluent in ASL.
The church was having a special celebration this morning--it was the twentieth anniversary of an American couple’s Aussie ministry in that church. At one point they set off a huge explosion of streamers. There was a Deaf and Blind lady who has a dog guide, and they actually had to take them out of the sanctuary before they could set off the streamers. I guess legally there can’t be any animals nearby when they set it off.
The guest speaker was from Scotland and he had a wonderful very strong accent. His sermon was on how all Christians are champions and we must never give up. We can’t be “to’l plonkers”, that is, losers, hehe.
After church we picked up Chrissy and went to the outdoors Heritage Market and wondered around the shops of homemade products and little knickknacks. This lovely water wheel is there, so we paused for a pic by it.
There is an Asian Noodle shop in the market that serves gluten free noodle dishes (Chrissy is a celiac). It was delicious! I got a egg noodles with chicken and vegetables, with a light hint of peanut sauce and coconut milk. The servings were huge and I barely made a dent in mine. Will have plenty leftover for lunch tomorrow! Norm was a “guts” and ate all his. ;-)
But best of all, lol, we found a lolly shop. Those who know me, tease me about how much candy I eat, so I had to get a pic in front of it. (I eat so much candy is that it’s one snack I can have without it making me sick--that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it! LOL!)
After we got home, Chrissy had a rest as she was quite worn out from walking, and was hurting a lot. Tomorrow we’re renting a wheelchair for a few months, so that will make going out easier on her. While she was resting, Norm took me for a short driving lesson so I could get used to driving on the “wrong” side of the road. It actually wasn’t too hard, and I adjusted quickly. Chrissy has a small car, so that helped. Now I’ll be able to take us places if we need to go out while Norm is out of town or at work.
Here’s a link to a few more pictures:
http://s46.photobucket.com/albums/f138/sparrowsflight/Amy%20Down%20Under/
This morning (it’s Sunday here), we went to a church that has a Deaf ministry. Because American Sign Language (ASL) and Australian Sign Language (Auslan) are each languages completely different from English and from each other, it was a bit of a challenge to communicate with the Deaf at that church. However, I learned the Auslan manual alphabet and a few signs before I came, and many of them knew a little of ASL fingerspelling, so we managed to communicate with only a little trouble. Australian and American Deaf culture seems very similar--I felt very comfortable chatting with them.
Those who don’t have an interest in signing, pardon me while I ramble for a minute--feel free to skip over the next two paragraphs. ;-)
I find the two-handed Auslan manual alphabet quite awkward, but I learned it pretty quickly. Of course, being able to do the alphabet in order and actually using it to spell or read a word are totally different things, but I actually did okay. Just a few of ASL and Auslan signs are the same, and quite a few are the same or similar sign but completely different meanings (which can be a bit confusing).
The two interpreters at the church were volunteer interpreters who didn’t have interpreting training. They did a lovely job. I found it interesting, but not surprising, that it seemed they were using the equivalent phenomenon to a mix of what we call Pidgin Sign Language and Signed Exact English-- which is ASL (or in this case Auslan) signs being used in an English grammatical structure. It’s a common contact language used by hearing or non-native signers who are not yet fluent in ASL.
The church was having a special celebration this morning--it was the twentieth anniversary of an American couple’s Aussie ministry in that church. At one point they set off a huge explosion of streamers. There was a Deaf and Blind lady who has a dog guide, and they actually had to take them out of the sanctuary before they could set off the streamers. I guess legally there can’t be any animals nearby when they set it off.
The guest speaker was from Scotland and he had a wonderful very strong accent. His sermon was on how all Christians are champions and we must never give up. We can’t be “to’l plonkers”, that is, losers, hehe.
After church we picked up Chrissy and went to the outdoors Heritage Market and wondered around the shops of homemade products and little knickknacks. This lovely water wheel is there, so we paused for a pic by it.
There were a number of musicians scattered around, and we stopped to watch and chat with an Aborigine, playing a didgeridoo. It makes a fascinating sound! A didgeridoo is the long wooden pipe with a bulb shape at the end, like you can see in the photo. The musician actually can breath in through his nose at the same time as he’s blowing on the didgeridoo, meaning he can play an unbroken stream of music.
The name of the instrument is an onomatopoeia. The traditional song played by has a melody that sounds like “didgeridoo.” He did all sorts of sounds with it, even telling stories with sound effects. He would tell us what the story was about, and then use hand motions with one hand while he played a melody with sound effects like a truck rumbling by, a horn, police siren, or animal sounds.
There is an Asian Noodle shop in the market that serves gluten free noodle dishes (Chrissy is a celiac). It was delicious! I got a egg noodles with chicken and vegetables, with a light hint of peanut sauce and coconut milk. The servings were huge and I barely made a dent in mine. Will have plenty leftover for lunch tomorrow! Norm was a “guts” and ate all his. ;-)But best of all, lol, we found a lolly shop. Those who know me, tease me about how much candy I eat, so I had to get a pic in front of it. (I eat so much candy is that it’s one snack I can have without it making me sick--that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it! LOL!)
After we got home, Chrissy had a rest as she was quite worn out from walking, and was hurting a lot. Tomorrow we’re renting a wheelchair for a few months, so that will make going out easier on her. While she was resting, Norm took me for a short driving lesson so I could get used to driving on the “wrong” side of the road. It actually wasn’t too hard, and I adjusted quickly. Chrissy has a small car, so that helped. Now I’ll be able to take us places if we need to go out while Norm is out of town or at work.Here’s a link to a few more pictures:
http://s46.photobucket.com/albums/f138/sparrowsflight/Amy%20Down%20Under/
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