Monday, March 26, 2012

Table Talk - "Did I really just say that?"




"The Baileys lost five chickens this week," I relayed to Jeff after church today, referring to the misfortune of a family in our church. He looked up from the basketball game he was watching with Tyler and Marcus and asked, "Coyotes?" "Yes," I replied, "They think it was coyotes."

Marcus remarked from the couch: "Karyn, did you ever think a few years ago you'd be saying that?"

"Saying what?" I asked, not quite understanding what he was getting at. "About the Baileys' chickens?"

"Yeah," he said, and then he repeated me: "The Baileys lost five chickens this week." He gave the sentence just a twinge of a twang.

I got it...and I laughed. He was right. Five years ago, I would never have said that sentence in reference to any family in my church. What a contrast moving here! I suddenly pictured myself in a gingham apron settin' Sunday dinner on the table and callin' up everyone to the table for fried chicken, ham, collard greens and deviled eggs, saying in that same matter-of-fact tone, "The Baileys lost five chickens this week."

Oh, the charms of country life! It's a whole new world. Sometimes I wonder why I still bother wearing high-heels and a smart skirt to church...I look at myself in the mirror and think, "Do I even fit in?" But I go ahead and wear it because I like it and it makes me feel good...a little bit of city class in the country cool.

Day before yesterday I was driving with two of my kids into Portland when I exclaimed about a twisted, broken guardrail along the highway that had been damaged from a car accident, which had apparently been there a week or so, and then freaked out about all the coyotes in the field, which were really decoys (good ones, too, because they totally fooled me!). Justin said, "Mom, you haven't been out of Newberg for awhile, have you?"

Wow, is it that obvious?

So, I'm doing a big-city injection this week to innoculate me against my small-town syndrome!

After dropping Justin off in Portland to start his trip to southern Cal, Kate and I went shopping for clothes and make-up and then groceries at my favorite Whole Foods store. Next day--yesterday--it was Kate I was driving in to Portland to catch a plane to Denver and then I picked Anna up from campus and we went to a hip food cart in a funky food-cart park for a greasy gourmet burger and then to Stumptown for a classic Portland coffee. Today Jeff and I headed back in to Portland this afternoon to see a movie. And tomorrow I'll be back in Portland yet again to take Anna back to school and pick up Kate from the airport. Hopefully all that will cure me for awhile!

(But I really was concerned about the Baileys' chickens!)

I haven't done "Table Talk" for quite awhile...sometimes life gets in the way. But we still pack our dining room table with people every Sunday for a big dinner. Today we celebrated Jeff's birthday. In our family, if it's your birthday you get to choose the menu, and I have extended our family tradition to include our PBC gang who join us every weekend. Last week we celebrated two birthdays for John and Lucas. John chose bacon-wrapped steak and cheesecake. Since Lucas is from Brazil, we gave the menu a Brazilian twist by serving authentic Brazilian cheese bread and dark, rich coffee that I had brought home from Brazil, and I made a caramel banana cheesecake (Brazilians eat bananas with just about every meal, both savory and sweet, for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert). Today, Jeff chose his favorite: Traditional roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, carrots sauteed in a splash of sweet pomegranate vinegar, lots of butter and pearl onions, salad with bleu cheese (his Danish heritage comes out in his love for strong bleu cheese), and perfect, puffy Yorkshire pudding. Dessert was a mocha layer cake. Everything was delicious!

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Table Talk - "Did I really just say that?"



"The Baileys lost five chickens this week," I relayed to Jeff after church today, referring to the misfortune of a family in our church. He looked up from the basketball game he was watching with Tyler and Marcus and asked, "Coyotes?" "Yes," I replied, "They think it was coyotes."

Marcus remarked from the couch: "Karyn, did you ever think a few years ago you'd be saying that?"

"Saying what?" I asked, not quite understanding what he was getting at. "About the Baileys' chickens?"

"Yeah," he said, and then he repeated me: "The Baileys lost five chickens this week." He gave the sentence just a twinge of a twang.

I got it...and I laughed. He was right. Five years ago, I would never have said that sentence in reference to any family in my church. What a contrast moving here! I suddenly pictured myself in a gingham apron settin' Sunday dinner on the table and callin' up everyone to the table for fried chicken, ham, collard greens and deviled eggs, saying in that same matter-of-fact tone, "The Baileys lost five chickens this week."

Oh, the charms of country life! It's a whole new world. Sometimes I wonder why I still bother wearing high-heels and a smart skirt to church...I look at myself in the mirror and think, "Do I even fit in?" But I go ahead and wear it because I like it and it makes me feel good...a little bit of city class in the country cool.

Day before yesterday I was driving with two of my kids into Portland when I exclaimed about a twisted, broken guardrail along the highway that had been damaged from a car accident, which had apparently been there a week or so, and then freaked out about all the coyotes in the field, which were really decoys (good ones, too, because they totally fooled me!). Justin said, "Mom, you haven't been out of Newberg for awhile, have you?"

Wow, is it that obvious?

So, I'm doing a big-city injection this week to innoculate me against my small-town syndrome!

After dropping Justin off in Portland to start his trip to southern Cal, Kate and I went shopping for clothes and make-up and then groceries at my favorite Whole Foods store. Next day--yesterday--it was Kate I was driving in to Portland to catch a plane to Denver and then I picked Anna up from campus and we went to a hip food cart in a funky food-cart park for a greasy gourmet burger and then to Stumptown for a classic Portland coffee. Today Jeff and I headed back in to Portland this afternoon to see a movie. And tomorrow I'll be back in Portland yet again to take Anna back to school and pick up Kate from the airport. Hopefully all that will cure me for awhile!

(But I really was concerned about the Baileys' chickens!)

I haven't done a "Table Talk" for quite awhile...sometimes life gets in the way.  But we still pack our dining room table every Sunday for a big dinner.  Today we celebrated Jeff's birthday. In our family, if it's your birthday you get to choose the menu, and I have extended our family tradition to include our PBC gang who join us every weekend. Last week we celebrated two birthdays for John and Lucas.  John chose bacon-wrapped steak and cheesecake. Since Lucas is from Brazil, we gave the menu a Brazilian twist by serving authentic Brazilian cheese bread and dark, rich coffee that I had brought home from Brazil, and I made a caramel banana cheesecake (Brazilians eat bananas with just about every meal, both savory and sweet, for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert). Today, Jeff chose his favorite: Traditional roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, carrots sauteed in a splash of sweet pomegranate vinegar, lots of butter and pearl onions, salad with bleu cheese (his Danish heritage comes out in his love for strong bleu cheese), and perfect, puffy Yorkshire pudding.   Dessert was a mocha layer cake.   Everything was delicious!

Monday, March 19, 2012

A Fading Tan




Coming home from a long trip can be difficult.

There's jet lag combined with plain old fatigue from traveling 30 hours straight, including an 11-hour lay-over, a 3-hour layover, and a 10-hour all-night flight.

There's the dismal weather that greets you when you return to winter after a southern hemisphere summer.

There's the unpleasant surprise of a 4-pound weight gain (and I even jogged every single day of my trip!).

There's all the unpacking and the piles of laundry to be done.

There is mail, newspapers and messages to catch up on.

There is an empty fridge to re-stock.

There is a job to go back to (I've always thought it would be such a wonderful luxury to return from a trip and not have to go to work for two or three days).

There are church and ministry issues waiting to be resolved.

There is the mundane routine of life after the excitement of exotic places.

There is the drop in euphoria that comes from the high of good ministry.

There is the very full calendar demanding your immediate attention and attendance.

There is the fading tan.

I've experienced every single one of these in the last few days since returning home.  It took me two days to unpack my suitcase and do laundry.  I was scheduled to work the very day I returned, after 30 hours of travel.  I had to go grocery shopping and start cooking again, after 10 days of having my meals prepared for and cleaned up after me.  We've only had one day of sun since returning and it wasn't even a warm day.  I had an all-day woman's conference to attend on the weekend, when I should have been catching up at home.  I'm still struggling to stay awake past 9 p.m.

And today my tanned skin started to flake.

It was helpful to blog and upload my pictures.  Just looking at them made me feel the warmth of the sun, taste the dark Brazilian coffee, and remember the wonderful people all over again.

Although it's nice to come home, sometimes it's hard to re-enter the home routine.  But I've decided it's much better to come home with the wistful feeling that you wish you could have stayed a few more days than to come home feeling like you were dying for the trip to end.  When you stay too long, you begin counting down the days left in your visit and find yourself tiring of the food, the weather, the people and the accommodations.

I wasn't tired of any of those things and instead found myself experiencing the wistfulness of a "too soon" end to our trip when boarding the plane home.  But that's a good thing.  That wistfulness becomes an appetizer or teaser that whets my appetite for the next trip.

And if I wasn't planning another visit, many others are planning it for me!  My dear 93-year-old pastor asked me about my trip and I gave him a report that pleased him.  Then he asked if I would be willing to go again, and I said, "Of course!"  I told him that we were asked to come again in a year, but it was a very expensive trip so we would probably go only every other year or maybe even every third year.  He squinted his bright blue eyes and leaned forward to look at me intently and said, "Never say no to an invitation.  If you've been asked to go every year, then God will provide."  I thought I had given a practical and wise reply, but to my pastor I had just limited God!  I quickly recanted and told him I would most certainly believe God to supply the resources for a trip anywhere and any time He pleased.  His gentle rebuke actually excited me!  Maybe I'd get to go sooner rather than later!

So though the color on my skin is starting to fade, the call on my life is stirred by faith!  Instead of tanning oil, I'm applying anointing oil...in preparation for the day when I'll follow the Son to another exotic location in another beautiful nation, to minister to His precious people whenever and wherever He desires.

{But I'm still sad I'm losing my tan!}

Friday, March 16, 2012

Destination Wedding in the Caribbean



Jeff and I will be celebrating 25 years of marriage this August.  We have no money for a big trip, but we have had the special privilege of ministering in Brazil...at the beach, no less!  And, because we were ministering at a marriage retreat, the whole weekend was romantic and marriage focused.  I told Jeff I was very happy that this trip took place in our 25th year of marriage; I couldn't have asked for a better celebration.



There is nothing like waking up in the morning to the sun streaming down in all its summer, subtropical glory.  I could hardly contain my anticipation as I jumped out of bed and dug out my running clothes from my suitcase.  Within minutes I was at the beach, trudging through the hot, loose sand to the cooler, damp, hard-packed sand by the water.  I gasped in delight...literally, right out loud!  The view before me was like right out of a movie---blue ocean, white sand, a red and white striped umbrella, surfers, rock formations, quirky beach houses, coastal grasses blooming with purple flowers, and the bright sun and balmy breeze caressing my bare shoulders.  I started running towards the rock formation.  I didn't care about distance or time, I just wanted to run and breathe in that marvelous air.  I explored the rock formation, climbing up to admire the view of a bay and a city on the other side.  I slipped off my flip-flops and waded into the frothy waves that lapped around my legs, deliciously cool and pleasantly warm all at the same time.  I could feel my skin soaking up the sun and knew I was going to go home with a tan!  Finally, I felt that time was up so I headed back to the hotel as families began setting up their spots on the beach with coolers, towels, umbrellas and lawnchairs.  I showered away the salt of the sea and dressed in a sundress and went to breakfast with Jeff.  The hotel's restaurant was outdoors in a very large gazebo with open sides to let the sea breeze flow through.  We filled our plates with fresh fruit, eggs, Brazilian cheese bread and coffee and sat down with our friends to plan our day.  Oh, yes...what great plans:  All morning at the pool, a late lunch at a seafood restaurant with an ocean view, a nap in the hotel room during the heat of the day, and then dinner followed by the first session of the marriage retreat.

I went back to my room and changed into my bathing suit.  I haven't worn a two-piece in public in a very long time.  My 46-year-old body just doesn't rock a bikini (and never has, actually!).  So I also wore a wrap and a little cover-up.  My friend and I set up our lounge chairs pool side angled towards the sun and spread out our towels and started slathering on the sunscreen...50 SPF for my face now that I've developed hyperpigmentation on my cheeks, forehead and around my eyes.  Then I tentatively removed my cover-up, still keeping on my wrap-around skirt bottom.  But as I secretly watched the women around me through my sunglasses, I noticed that here in Brazil, all the bathing suits are thongs.  Suddenly I realized I was very modestly attired.  Off came my wrap and I stretched out full length on my lawn chair and tanned in my two-piece for the first time in years!  Oh, yeah!  What a babe!


We spent a couple hours suntanning and dipping in the pool, visiting with the other ladies in a friendly mixture of Portuguese, English and sign language.  It was wonderfully relaxing.  When my nose began to feel the effects of too much sun, we all agreed we'd had enough and headed back to our rooms to get ready for lunch.  Shower #2 to rinse off the chlorine.  The best thing about the hot and humid weather is what it does to my hair...turns it into a curly mop that requires nothing of me in the way of styling.  In fact, to style it would only make it a mess as the moisture would win and I would be left to deal with the fall-out.  So, I rubbed in an anti-frizz mousse and then scrunched my hair and walked out into the sunshine where the heat and air finished it off quickly and effortlessly.

Lunch was fun.  By now we had gathered quite a few more couples who were attending the retreat.  We ate at a restaurant that was open to the sea below.  We dined on fish and sipped a delicious drink of fresh pineapple juice blended with mint and whipped until a creamy foam formed on top of the juice.  So refreshing!  Then there were always those little cups of espresso to finish off the meal.





After lunch everyone headed back to the hotel for an afternoon rest in the cool, air-conditioned darkness of their rooms.  Not me.  I begged Jeff to go for a walk on the beach.  The Brazilians thought I was odd...go to the beach in the heat of the day?  But Jeff was a good sport, so we walked to the beach together...and discovered it almost empty, very warm, and with sand so hot we had to quickly run across it to the wet and cool sand by the water.  All the colorful umbrellas were gone...packed up by the families who wanted to get their children out of the intense sun.  Jeff and I decided we'd only walk to the rocks and back.  We understood now why our Brazilian friends thought we were strange for wanting to go to the beach at this time of day.  It was hot!  The only people in the water were surfers.  We watched them for a bit, took a lot of pictures, and then plunged our hot, sweaty bodies into the salty sea.  So refreshing!  It was easy to go deeper and deeper when the water was so warm.  Our icy Pacific ocean makes even dipping just feet in the water almost too much to bear, but this was wonderful.  It was so much fun to wait for a big wave and then lift your feet up and let it carry you back to the beach.  We played for awhile and then decided we'd probably be wise to get out of the sun, as it was only our first day.  So we joined the rest of the smart Brazilians in their cool, dark hotel rooms and discovered that it is just as relaxing to rest in the dark as it is to lay out in the sun.  Shower #3 to wash off the sand and salt and then get ready for dinner.





After dinner we transitioned from laid-back mode to ministry mode.  We pulled out our notes and read over them, gathered up our supplies, and then headed to the meeting room.  The little courtyard in the hotel was filled with excited, laughing couples taking pictures in front of the gorgeous flowers with the lovely pastel sunset filling the evening with soft color and warmth.  There was an atmosphere of anticipation that made everyone feel happy.  We gathered together in the meeting room and had a blast playing a marriage game and watching some funny pictures of ourselves with our friends when we were young and skinny.  Jeff spoke first and built a good rapport right away.  After the meeting there were cookies and cake and more coffee.  The only thing we complained about when we crawled into bed that night was the sand in the sheets!  It had been an amazing day.

Next morning, I hit the beach running again...and then quickly showered and went to breakfast because we had a full day of meetings.  We had great sessions and more great food.  I got to experience drinking "mate" (pronounced "mah-tay") in a traditional gourd with a fancy sipping straw...communal style!  For those of you who know me, you know I never drink after anyone, let alone everyone!  But, hey, I wanted to experience the culture of Brazil as authentically as I could, so I shared the mate and was accepted into the social circle (with pictures to prove it!).


After the meetings, we spent the afternoon by the pool...even Jeff joined me this time.  We sat on the little bar stools in the water and ate ice cream bars...such interesting flavors!  Mine was made from frozen sweetened condensed milk, smooth and creamy and sweet.  Jeff's was lemon, which was refreshing.  After we'd been in the water and the sun long enough, we headed back to the room to dress in our Caribbean costumes.  When we opened the door, there was a surprise waiting for us.  Our bed had been neatly made up with rose petals scattered over the sheets, candles, chocolates, massage oil, and love letters to each other that we had written earlier.  What fun!  As we were admiring the goodies, we could hear a lot of laughter outside our room in the courtyard.  We peeked out the window and saw everyone dressed up in bright and vivid colors!  We quickly put on our own costumes and joined the others.  We actually held our sessions all dressed up like that!  My message, titled, "The Vow," ended with a renewal of our wedding vows.  It was actually quite fun, exciting, and meaningful to be all dressed up, repeating our vows.  I told them they had just had a "destination wedding" in the Caribbean.  How cool is that?  After the session, we took hundreds of pictures, and then everyone headed to the dinner party.  Two couples had transformed the hotel restaurant into an intimate, brightly colored "tent" with vibrant fabric drapes and balloon-sculpture palm trees.  There were door prizes and much laughter all around as everyone celebrated together, and then from there we caravaned down to the beach where a bonfire had been lit and tiki torches and palm branches made a circle for us to sit in.  Under the light of the moon in the warm, summer night, couples took turns standing in front of the fire telling the story of how they met.  More laughter.  A couple girls and I waded into the silvery-black water, holding our Caribbean skirts up high as we ran away from the big waves.  Finally, the fire began to die and we all walked back to the hotel talking in whispers so as not to disturb the other guests.  What a wonderful evening!






Last morning to run on the beach.  I felt a little wistful about that...I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye.  Our last morning session was a lot of fun.  The topic was sex.  Uh-huh.  Everybody's favorite!  The guys went to a room next door and the girls stayed put.  What fun we had hootin' and hollerin' back and forth between the walls!  Then we gathered back together for the wrap-up time...more prophetic ministry, more pictures, thank-you's, gifts, laughter, and even tears as couple after couple declared their love for each other.

Speaking on "sex" with Debbie translating!  Lots of laughter!

Encouraged and blessed, we shared one last lunch together before packing up.  Those who had to leave left after lunch, but a few of us got to enjoy one more afternoon at the pool before hitting the road.  How refreshing and relaxing it was to soak and sun one more time after a busy time of ministry.  I couldn't help daydreaming about what it would be like to stay a whole week.  But all good things come to an end...that better things might take place!  So we loaded the car and drove away---to the next experience!


Thursday, March 15, 2012

My blog is in Portuguese!



I logged on to make a blog entry and everything is in Portuguese!  I've had to fumble my way through the various pages to get to the "new post" page so I can make an entry.  It's pretty fitting, though, as I've been fumbling my way through life these past few days since arriving in Brazil to speak at a marriage retreat.  I speak a little bit of French and a little less of Spanish, but absolutely no Portuguese, which is the language spoken in Brazil (not Brazilian, in case you were wondering!).  I didn't even know how to say "Hi" or "God bless you" or "Where's the bathroom?"  But in a few short days I know Portuguese so well that I can actually make people laugh!  Okay, so they're laughing at my attempts to speak Portuguese!  But Brazilians really are fun-loving and joyful people.  I've noticed they also really enjoy playing charades.  It seems everyone wants to play the game with me.  They're also great kissers.  Usually at a marriage retreat the husband and wife are encouraged to do a little kissing, but I must have been translated incorrectly because they are kissing each other and us!  I'll have to check my Portuguese dictationary again and see what I said wrong!

All jokes aside, we are having a wonderful trip.  What a beautiful place Brazil is.  The scenery is stunning, the weather is hot and sunny, the food is great, and again, the people are friendly and warm.  We arrived after an all-night flight at what would be 5:30 a.m. our time.  I packed up my Cabin Cuddler blanket, memory foam eye mask and TravelRest pillow and opened my window shade to wake myself up with sunlight.  I looked down at miles and miles of green and red...lush green foliage and deep red soil.  We walked off the plane and were hit by a blast of warm, humid air...even at that early morning hour.  We spent a very long time in customs and finally were released into the Brazilian world.  We had to catch a shuttle bus to another airport and by the time we got there we were feeling a bit hungry.  I told Jeff we should watch what the locals were eating and then eat the same thing, since we couldn't read the menu.  Everyone was coming to the seating area with a tray holding a tiny cup of dark espresso and a little round bun.  So we pointed to the items we wanted and handed over our money and then sat down for our snack.  The espresso was rich and delicious and the little bun was baked with cheese...slightly crisp on the outside and slightly gooey on the inside.  They were great!



We hopped on our last plane (3 in all) and arrived at our friends' city just in time for dinner...a most interesting (and delicious) experience!  It's called "barbeque" by the Brazilians, and it is an all-you-can-eat meat buffet.  The waiters arrive at your table one after another, all carrying long skewers of roasted meat....beef, chicken, pork, ostrich, buffalo, lamb...all different cuts, different marinades, and different flavors.  Amazing...especially for my meat-lover husband!



Then we drove "home" and carried in our luggage and tucked ourselves into bed after 30 hours of travel.  The air conditioner slowly cooled us and soothed us into a very restful sleep.  And then bright and early, the exotic birds began their morning chorus.  I opened the shutters and let the warm sunshine spill into our room, then grabbed my camera and took pictures of the lush subtropical bushes and trees and flowers.  I looked for the birds that sounded like little squeaky-toys, but they were tucked away in the lush foliage, probably watching me!  I changed into shorts and running shoes and took off on my usual morning run, mentally marking landmarks so I wouldn't get lost in the twisty roads of the neighborhood.  There are some great hills here, and roads and sidewalks that are cobbled and rough...charming to look at but dangerous to run on.  Many times I had to slow down to a walk, but that was fine with me because I was able to enjoy the details of all the pretty yards and houses along the way.  Such beautiful gardening and such clean, tidy houses!  Freshly washed laundry drying in the warm breeze, ladies sweeping their sidewalks, kids walking to school, dogs barking furiously but wagging their tails at me, good smells of breakfast wafting to the street through the open kitchen windows.







After I'd worked up a pretty good sweat (not very difficult in the summer subtropical climate), I made my way back to our friends' house where we had a typical Brazilian breakfast of fresh fruit, like guava, papaya, mango, oranges, bananas and avocados, served with an assortment of breads and pastries from the local bakery and topped off with coffee.  Then we showered and dressed in light summer clothes and left for a nearby city for our first night of ministry.  We left early so we would have time to shop and have coffee.  Prices in Brazil are quite high.  Gas is $8 a gallon.  A small TV was going for $5,000.  A cute white cotton dress was $200.  I didn't buy anything, but it was fun to browse.  And dessert and coffee were a real treat...an airy chocolate cake rolled around sweet cream and strawberries and a light, creamy lemon pie that was silky smooth, sweet and refreshing.  Then we visited friends of our friends, who served us a beautiful fruit platter and cold drinks.  They spoke very good English, so conversation came quite easily.  We prayed with them before leaving for the church, and then got just a little bit lost and arrived just a little bit late.  No problem.  We were greeted enthusiastically with hugs and kisses and led to our seats.  We had a great night of ministry, speaking and praying for the people, then enjoyed a time of fellowship afterwards.  They served hot dogs, but not the way we do.  They dice their hot dogs and mix them into a savory sauce with other vegetables like corn and onion, then they spoon the mixture into hot dog buns and top it with crunchy shoestring potatoes.  Interesting!  Then it was an hour-and-a-half drive home and off to bed.  I made sure to open my bedroom window a bit so I would hear the birds better in the morning.  There is nothing like the sound of exotic bird calls to wake you up...best alarm ever!





Next morning I took my camera with me on my run and snapped pictures all along the way, hoping no one would see me and think me rude or even trespassing.  Taking pictures was a compliment...I thought their homes and neighborhood were stunning...but I had no way to express that, so I was discreet in my picture taking.  We had another yummy breakfast and lingered over coffee on our friends' airy patio, enjoying the breeze, the sun and the sound of water from the beautiful pond and waterfall our friend built, talking and laughing together.  Then we packed up our suitcases and hit the road to the beach where the marriage retreat was going to take place.



The beach town was cute...just like an American beach town only with a tropical twist.  We met up with our friends' group of leaders helping them with the retreat.  We found a fun little restaurant that served "pastels," which were pastry pockets stuffed with all kinds of good things both sweet and savory and then fried crisp.  I had a chicken and cheese pastel, topped with a zingy sauce, and then shared a dessert pastel...one melted chocolate with fresh strawberries (too sweet for me) and another was a mild, slightly creamy/slightly stringy white cheese melted together with sweet guava jam.  It was called "Romeo and Juliette" and it was delicious.  We ate on the patio, which was strung with lights to brighten the dark summer night.  So much laughter and fun!  Then we all trooped down to the moonlit beach and admired the full moon spilling silver light across the dark sea, making the white caps glow as they washed up on the shimmering sand.  Then we went back to the hotel and settled in for the night.

































I'm looking forward to the weekend.  I've so enjoyed all we've done and all we've seen and the people we've met, and I'm sure it's going to be a wonderful time at the retreat.  So, comfy in our little beach hotel room with its cool tile floors and blue and white walls, I'm settling in for the night under the light sheets, with a little bit of sand on my feet and the sent of fresh ocean air in my hair!

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Packing for a Journey



I'm busy packing tonight for my upcoming trip to Brazil.  I love packing.  I love the anticipation of the trip.  I love placing everything in my suitcase just so.  I love making a packing list.  And I am completely enamored with all things "travel," whether it be tiny travel-size toiletries, mini appliances, or ingenius inventions to make travel more comfortable.  I only wish I could do this more!  I would go all over the world if I had the money.  But I am grateful for the opportunities God has provided so far!

My trip to Brazil is a long one.  We leave for Portland at 7:45 a.m., which is great...much better than those "up-at-3" flights!  Then we fly to Chicago and have a 5-hour layover there.  But this is cool:  A friend of ours is also flying into Chicago at the same time, so he's taking us to some hip Chicago restaurant where you can eat super-messy, fabulous hot, meaty sandwiches.  I'm excited to go there, but I can't eat heavy food like that before I fly, so I'll just enjoy watching the guys chow down!  Then we're back on the plane at 9:30, flying all night to Sao Paulo and arriving at 10:30 a.m. Brazil time.  Then we have a 7-hour layover before our last flight to the city of Joinville, our final destination.  We should be "home" by dinner time!

I've never flown all night before, so I'm not sure how much sleep I'll get.  But, believe me, I have done everything in my power to ensure the best sleep possible!  Check out my sleep gear...

At the top is my eye mask.  It is made of
memory foam and it is heat sensitive, so
your face doesn't get hot.  But it's a good 2
inches thick...looks like velvet goggles!
Next is my Cabin Cuddler blanket.  This is
amazing.  It's super lightweight fleece, and
it is shaped like an angel.  You sit on it and tuck
your feet in the pocket on the bottom, then wrap
the sides around your legs and over your lap.
The arms are almost separate, and they wrap
around your shoulders.  So if your feet are
cold but your upper body is comfortable, you
can leave the arm wings off.  Or, if your arms
are chilly, you can wrap your arms and leave
your feet and legs out.  And at night, you can
wrap up like a mummy and hopefully go to sleep!
The blanket comes in a plush bag that has an
air pillow inside that can be blown up to form a
soft, fleecy pillow.  But I have my TravelRest
pillow, shaped like a cane.  It offers head support
without going all the way around your neck like
most travel pillows.  It deflates in seconds and
rolls up tight.


I asked Jeff what he wanted to bring for sleeping, and he said, "Nothing.  I just use the pillows and blankets on the plane."  Yuck.  Too germy for me.  I'm bringing him a travel pillow whether he likes it or not!  As I was admiring my sleep set-up, I said to Jeff that I'd be wrapped in my Cabin Cuddler with my snake pillow under my cheek, my ear plugs in and my heat-sensitive memory foam eye mask on and probably not able to sleep a wink while he would put his head on the plane pillow and conk out for hours.  But his thoughts were the opposite.  He said, "Wow, you're really set up.  Maybe I should take something.  You're probably going to sleep great."  So, we're both a little worried, but I'm better prepared.  I figure that even if I can't sleep I can still be warm and comfortable!


This is me trying out my sleep gear.  I'll look
like a geek, but I'll hopefully sleep!

But lack of sleep is only a minor worry.  My biggest fear is . . . air sickness.  I pray every day, "Please, Lord, don't let there be turbulence!"  I get air sickness pretty easily.  You know those little bags in the pocket of the seat in front of you that are crumpled behind flight magazines and emergency instructions?  I'm the person who digs them out and actually uses them, and then has to hold them in my lap until I have access to a garbage.  Not fun.  Nor is the feeling of lasting nausea for the next 24 hours.  I plan to wear a scopalamine patch, but I'll take prayers if you'd like to pray with me!

Other than that nagging thought in the back of my mind (okay, so it's at the forefront!), I'm actually looking forward to the long plane trip.  I have lots of things to do...and eat!  I am also a snack maniac.  You just never know if you'll be fed on a flight, and if you are, if the food will be any good.  So I've packed little individual-size cans of tuna, crackers, Babybel cheese, power bars, dehydrated Fuji apple chips, raw/live spirulina green bars, almonds, green tea bags, and chocolate (one can't eat healthy all the time!).  I've also packed ginger lozenges in case I start to feel nauseous, and I've got a great collapsible water bottle that folds up when empty.

I like settling in once we hit cruising altitude and pulling out projects that I've been meaning to finish or a book I've been saving to read.  On the way down, I'll be mostly studying, but on the way back I've got two books I want to finish, "Blink," and "My Life in Paris," the autobiography of Julia Child.  Then I've got the new March issue of Martha Stewart Living.  I may watch a movie, although that's not a big deal to me...Jeff will watch one after another!  I'm purposely scaling back this trip, because I always pack too much and end up with a lot of dead weight from untouched projects.  I've also got my laptop with a good, long battery, so how could I ever be bored with that?

And now it's time to go put all those things into their proper places.  I've got my bedroom floor "staged" right now...two empty suitcase surrounded by piles of like items.  When I've gathered everything on my list and finished that last load of laundry, I'll start packing everything in, and probably pulling things out!  My ultimate goal is to pack less than I planned.  But my immediate goal is to get started!  So this is the official start of my journey...an open suitcase, a floorful of clothing and gear, and a whole lot of anticipation!

The packing process begins!