Afternoon Tea

Summer is finally getting close. Here in Cape Town, it has been raining a lot… and while I understand that rain is good and healthy and we need it… I’m also just ready for it to stop!

Mostly, this is because I know that the rains stopping are a sure sign that summer is arriving. and I can’t wait for summer! The gloom, the cold, the overcast skies, and now the rain here in Cape Town, have become daunting and old, and I’m ready to move on to new things!

That is why I was so pleased to see sunshine this weekend. It was still a bit cool, but as long as there are semi-clear skies and sunshine, that matters little.

To celebrate the beautiful weather and (almost) cloud-free mountain, we had afternoon tea at Kirstenbosch gardens this afternoon. As much time as I’ve spent in Cape Town, and somehow I had never been to Kirstenbosch, so this was really a treat! It was a perfect day for it as I sat with Lisa, Amy, Jess and Greg and took in the day’s final rays of sun, watched adorable children take turns rolling down the hill, and snapped a few photos.

All in all, a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon/evening.

Journeying Beyond "Hope"

Today we journeyed beyond Hope. (The sign leaving Hope, Arizona says “Your Now Beyond Hope” – yes, that is their typo, not mine, lol.)

Last night we camped in Hope, Arizona – a town of about 20 people that allowed for yet another great cross-cultural experience for Gregg.

It was REALLY hot out there. Even the breeze we initially hoped for we regretted as it felt like a hot hair dryer blowing past us. The amount of water that was necessarily consumed was obnoxious – I wasn’t even biking (though the van is hot too!) and I probably drank a couple gallons throughout the day. We took a break, then, in the middle of the day to cool off in a park in Wickenburg. Next to the park was a pool, which many of the team got in to cool off. By many of the team, I must include myself… though my initial intention was just to put my feet in. My great trust in Jesse meant I didn’t even resist when he threatened to pull me in. As I thought he was kidding, he thought I’d resist, and the combination of these things resulted in my falling in and being asked by a lifeguard to get out of the pool because they don’t allow folks to wear “that kind of shirt” in the pool. (Please note: I was wearing a gray cotton t-shirt, haha).

Much of the team was shuttled ahead to Phoenix to take care of bike repairs, etc before the shops closed. That left Matthew (who is out for a couple of days b/c of his knees) and I to follow up as the support team. We had a great time in the van. Between our random music selections, our misguided directions, and our great ability to disagree and have fun doing it, it was fantastic. I love that there is someone on the team I can have that kind of relationship with… the kind of relationship that allows us to push each other and disagree (or play devils advocate even when we don’t just for the sake of learning and growth). It was awesome… and though I are tired at the end of the long day, I’m glad we got to spend the time together.

Today made me think about how much I am missing by not being out on the road with the bikers. I would never wish for anything to happen to the bikers to keep them from being able to ride, but it sure has been nice to have that time to get to know the folks who have spent time in the van. It also feels great to be a week in and still think (know) that everyone on the team is awesome. Its crazy it has only been one week… and I’m glad we have 6 to go!

Peace-filled Night

Thunderstorms. Oh, how I love thunderstorms!

The flashing bright night sky of lightning, the sound of nature as thunder roars, and the freshness of the water that pours down. The life that will spring up as a result of the much-needed nurturing of the land... the smell of that fresh rain, new life... Ideally, I would love to curl up under a light blanket with a chic-flick and a couple good friends, free from worries and work and the stresses of class, work, papers and sermons waiting to be prepared. I guess we can't have it all!

Tonight is a perfect night for this kind of peaceful reflective mood, though. Especially after the great (crazy!) day! I went to a great lecture, had a great meeting, enjoyed the (brief) company of friends I rarely get to see... and then of course had a lovely time at Dignity Diner, even if I had to be late!

Dignity Diner... it never ceases to amaze me how great that community is. They always pull through. We were short volunteers tonight, so a couple regulars jumped up and asked if they could help. Then they put everything away in a timely fashion too... and did so with smiles and grace and genuine joy in the opportunity to help out. Bible Study was AWESOME- TEN people! One of my regulars wasn't there, and another left b/c he wasn't comfortable with the big group. Of those ten- only four had EVER come before! Praise God for new voices - and they were more than willing to share! I believe it was a fruitful conversation, and am definitely better for it.

As sad as I am to be leaving in a couple of weeks, I hope the great conversation we had tonight can be the light I need to make the best of the two weeks we do have left together. I also continue to pray for an unknown person to step up and fill this role... its heartbreaking to think of how far I've come, and that it is going to cease to exist as soon as I leave...

Under the Weather

It is a special kind of frustration that I feel when I am sick. Helpless, even to myself, I drag when I am ill. Fortunately for modern medications, my new-found virus (flu, I think) is being held off for now. But it sure made for a couple of long, unproductive days this weekend.

I wonder what it is that has made my immune system so weak as to get sick after only two weeks from the last time I caught something? Last time it was combined with jet-lag, and as such knocked me out for an entire week. I was thankful for it, though, for since I had time off from classes, I was able to take the time I needed to rest- physically, emotionally, spiritually. It was great.

This time, I don't feel so fortunate. Not only do I not have time to rest, I'm in crunch mode as a result of taking an entire week off before. Of course, it isn't just the cold I had last time, but more like a flu, bringing with it all kinds of aches and pains, a fever, severe congestion and a deep, painful cough, which in turn is giving me the wonderful "joy" of a sore throat. If I'm not better in a couple of days, I suppose I should find a doctor, for it has crossed my mind that it might be something more like Bronchitis- in which case an antibiotic might do me some good.

Its really too bad to be sick, on many levels. Not just in that whinny "I don't want to be sick again" kind of way, but in light of time and my ability to actually care for myself right now. I was perhaps even thankful for the opportunity to be under the weather last time, for it provided the opportunity I needed to rest and the excuse I was looking for not to go out into the cold, wet weather. But to do it twice would put me pretty far behind... and its too early in the semester for that!

Thats why today is different. Not only do I desperately need higher energy levels to get a ridiculous amount of work done this week (my J-term paper is due Friday!!), but I also LOVE this FREEZING cold weather we're having right now, and I would love to be out appreciating it! I almost feel guilty to say that I am enjoying this weather- a dry, windy cold with highs in negative digits (well, it did get to 0F today), with the wind chill making it "feel like" anywhere from -20 to -30F... but while it is cold and windy, it is also dry with snow on the ground and the sun shinning! Of course I wouldn't want such weather day in and out, but since I am one of very few people who does appreciate the beauty of days like this (air doesn't get any more fresh or crisp than in this kind of cold!), I would like to appreciate them when the come. On the other side, it also scares me when its this cold, and I hold up in prayer those who are homeless or without heat... it is far too cold for anyone to spend significant amounts of time outside and be able to survive in it. (Free time or not, since I'm sick I will NOT be going out in it and risking making whatever I have worse...)

Funny to think of how I'm struggling with being sick now after talking about how I was thankful for it last time, as I'm also beginning to "brew" ideas for a sermon I'm preaching in a couple of weeks on changes in our personal lives: "From Thorns to Thanks." Hmmm. Perhaps for today, I should focus more on the sermon I need to have completed by this coming weekend- a sermon based on John Wesley's "The More Excellent Way" - surely there is a more excellent way to live than allowing the flu to overcome me... right? (Perhaps I should tell my professor that... and in turn I should spend my time in a more excellent way than in writing a 30-page paper for him!!!)

Cold weather. Lots of floating viruses. Papers to be writing. Yes... the semester has officially begun!

A Piece of Cake

Its cold outside. Today, I am reminded of one of my favorite things to do when I was little and it was too cold to go outside. Usually, these days came with lots of snow, so my siblings would often go out and play in it- most frequently by sledding. Though this is an activity I enjoy now, it was far from my first choice when I was young.

I used to stay inside in our warm apartment and spend the afternoon baking with Mom. I may have said this before- Mom isn't much of a cook. But she can sure bake! So we would stay inside and make too many batches of all of our favorite kinds of cookies, only to freeze them so we'd have them for the weeks to come.

Today, it is cold and I don't want to be out in the wind and snow. So I'm staying inside to bake. Straying from our tradition of cookies I'm experimenting to make the BEST chocolate cake recipe into cupcakes. I've wanted to bake for some time now, but with no one around to eat the product for me, I've held off. But tonight, these chocolaty treats will be perfect for Bible Study at church- when I finally do venture out again today.

It is a good day to stay inside. While I have much work to do, I am thankful for the opportunity to take part in and reflect upon an old tradition. Perhaps I'll even end it with a cup of hot cocoa, just like we always had when everyone came together, snow-covered and freezing from a long day of sledding and snowman building.

70 degree weather change in one day!

I'm literally FREEZING COLD, and shivering from head to toe. But at least I can feel my toes now, and they don't feel like they are going to burn off. This is different from 20 minutes ago.

First things first- why does the weather in the Midwest continue to surprise me after so many years!?!? When Ali and I left for the gym at 9:30 this morning, it was 48F outside. When I came home and checked the weather at 11pm, we'd been in the middle of a blizzard for a few hours, and it was -is!- 4F, -19F with the wind chill. That's a 70 degree F difference!!! BRRR!!!!

Then, on the way home tonight, I had to wait for TWENTY FIVE MINUTES for a train at Howard! Crazy train issues that are unacceptable led to this (of which I won't go into excessive detail here), but all I know is it was absolutely unacceptable! That is dangerously cold, and I was seriously concerned as I waddled to the train when it finally came. Waddled, that is, because the front half of my feet were literally so cold they were burning and it hurt to walk. And for the record- I was dressed appropriately with thick socks and my boots on. It was just that cold.

*sigh* A long (but good! until the end) day. I'm going to stay curled up with layers of clothes and blankets until I'm warm, then off to bed. I hope you all are staying warm tonight! Say an extra prayer for the homeless tonight, that they make it safely to warming centers in this dangerous weather.