How's the weather??

Every phone call with my mother is the same..she asks how the weather is...I tell her it is only 10 below..and then she says.."well you made your bed!". Ouch! So, I decided to frame my calls a bit differently. In regards to the weather..I say.."it is warming a bit" or "the sun came out today." That seems to help avoid hearing the dreaded bed phrase.

Life has been something of a challenge these past months. In many ways I feel like I am on some sort of a carnival ride..with its ups and downs and twists and turns. Just when I am feeling like I cannot take the dreary weather another moment..a trip to the museum will lift my spirits (note the Andy Warhol "Mao" we saw yesterday). I've found that living overseas is like that. There are days where I question this decidion we made. And then there are days when I think that we don't have enough time here to take it all in.

But we do cope...and we keep going..

On Valentine's Day I was serenaded by a group of students in the library. Janice, a wonderful friend gave me this gift. She is the secretary to the high school principal. Her office is next to the library. She makes me smoothies and brings them to my desk..all while going through her struggle with chemotherapy. Her friendship is a gift. Sally...the elementary librarian, and I depend upon each other so much. We talk shop and plan outings then go on outings and talk shop. One such outing was a nacht concert at a church. We laid on the heated floor and listened to music. It was amazing. In the photo Tom and Sally are looking at the program which was an amazing combination of Middle Eastern style music, voice, percussion, and very cool intruments.

Here is what else keeps me going..Mary Oliver and Pema Chodron..Every morning I read a poem and paragraph from each of these women's books. Here are a few of my favorite lines..

"When it is over I want to say I was a bride married to amazement." Mary Oliver

"When I begin to doubt that I have what it takes to stay present with impermanence, egolessness, and suffering, it uplifts me to remember that there is no cure for hot and cold. There is no cure for the facts of life"

Pema Chodron

And of course..there is always a nice bowl of soup to soothe the soul.