I'm Reading...

I was looking at blogs instead of reading my borrowed copy of Harry Potter! Progressive Pragmatist put this quiz on her blog. I wanted to be Hermione, too! But, Dumbledore isn't such a bad alter ego!

Have a go at the quiz for yourself.
I'm going back to Harry now.

You scored as Albus Dumbledore, Strong and powerful you admirably defend your world and your charges against those who would seek to harm them. However sometimes you can fail to do what you must because you care too much to cause suffering. Albus Dumbledore 85% Hermione Granger 75% Ron Weasley 70% Harry Potter 70% Remus Lupin 65% Ginny Weasley 65% Draco Malfoy 50% Sirius Black 45% Severus Snape 35% Lord Voldemort 25% Your Harry Potter Alter Ego Is...? created with QuizFarm.com

Farmers Market Bounty

Summer Saturdays often include a trip to the farmers market. Unlike the grocery store produce bins which are stocked with all manner of fruits and veggies whether they are in season here or not, the farmers market ebbs and flows with a harvest that mirrors the local turn of season.

I forget the slow start of the farmers market. In May I want the full bounty... right now! Instead, the message is wait, celebrate new spinach and lettuce, your tomatoes will come soon enough. And the kettlecorn booth is here no matter what!

Today's trip to the farmers market was perfect. There were melons and zucchinis, beans and bread, cheeses and honey. It was the place to chat with friends among the basil, to compare who had the best peaches, snack on some watermelon, succumb to the call of pink and purple lisianthus. I did not succumb to the purple cauliflower.

Supper tonight will be heirloom tomato and bacon sandwiches on Great Harvest bread. We'll have peaches, too. We'll top it all off with strawberry-rhubarb pie from the Mennonite bakery.

I hope you eat well this week!
(PS... did you know WIC vouchers are accepted by many of the farmers? Cool.)

If Life Is a Highway, God Bless the Detours

Fifteen mission team members and ALL their bags arrive on time!


We tie a distinctive ribbon to each bag to that we can easily grab them at baggage claim. Imagine our surprise and delight to find ALL our bags lined up and waiting for us in the Santo Domingo airport!

(I hope the person who did us this good deed was watching when we discovered our luggage!)




We asked our bus driver to point out the spot along the highway where the dictator Trujillo was assassinated in 1961. He did us one better and stopped so we could take pictures. It is at once a beautiful location and a reminder that this country is full of contrasts.

Santiago! ¡Llegamos!
The Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration is the landmark to spot. We're finally here!

Two weeks ago today I was sitting in the Santiago home of dear friends. Our mission trip schedule called for Monday to be our first work day and we were anxious to experience the sore muscles of our construction project and the ringing ears of our vacation Bible school. Instead, here we were sitting safely in our host’s living room (and patio, and back yard!) while a nationwide strike cleared the city of traffic and pedestrians.

After a leisurely breakfast, we had gathered in one of our hotel rooms to do some craft prep work for the VBS. Scissors flew, ribbon was tied, papers were sorted, songs were learned. The hotel staff stopped by to identify the source of the singing and laughter.



As a result of the strike, there were NO cabs on the streets, in fact, the streets were deserted! We called a taxi service to pick us up and take us to Fr. Hipolito’s house for the rest of the day.

The day was later described as the best type of family gathering. In an ideal world, family holidays are spent in just the way we spent our Monday… introducing new family, waiting for the last traveler to arrive, great food, sharing stories, teasing one another, fighting to help in the kitchen, looking at pictures, escaping to the bedroom for some small group time, falling asleep in the rocking chair, a post-meal stroll through the neighborhood, kids chasing each other around, a sing-along, hugs with the exclamation of “I’m so glad we’re together.”



When the day ended we were really ready to get “to work.” We wanted to see the neighborhood kids; we wanted to get our hands dirty at the construction site. And, we gave thanks for relationships strengthened during our detour day.

One Week a Year

Over the past 8 summers, I've been privileged to live among friends in the Dominican Republic for a week or so. Along with church friends from here, I am enveloped by the hospitality of church friends there. We spend the week catching up on the happenings of the 51 weeks a year that we live apart. I came back last night from our annual visit. I want to write several blog entries. For today, please be satisfied with just a few snapshots. There are more - with 16 of us snapping digital photos, you'd better believe you'll see more. :-)

On the way to the gate... Reagan/National
July 7

We had to leave Reston at 4:30 a.m. to make our 7:30 a.m. flight.
Our flight was on time, our transfer in Miami was smooth, it was a charmed trip!


Mmmmmmm!
Rice & beans w/ pumpkin, chicken, avocado, pineapple, ripe plantains.
Does life get any better?

This was Sunday dinner. It looks a lot like dinner on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I'm not sure I would ever get tired of this menu, it would be hard to find better food anywhere.

Vacation Bible School . . . for 100+

We really did work! We were very surprised to have more than 100 kids at VBS every afternoon.

I don't have photos of the construction site, others will be sharing so you can see some roof work.

My suitcase is mostly unpacked. My emotions, that's a different story. So, more soon.

Independence Day - Celebrate!

I live in a multicultural area. I enjoy having daily interaction with people from other countries who speak languages other than English, who wear clothes that cannot be purchased off the rack at Macy's, who celebrate holidays that haven't made it into the Hallmark cycle.

With all the diversity around here, it's so much fun to celebrate the 4th of July! Democrat, Republican; citizen, immigrant; liberal, conservative - it just doesn't matter today! On St. Patrick's Day, we're all Irish - on Independence Day, we're all American! Red, white and blue, fireworks big and small, hot dogs, crabs, corn on the cob, watermelon, flags everywhere, it's all good today.

Today I can forget my disagreements with political decision-makers and revel in unabashed patriotism. Tomorrow I might climb back on my soap box when asked about war, terrorism, uninsured children and adults, No Child Left Behind, and any number of environmental concerns. Both today and tomorrow I will be grateful that in this country I can express my opinions without fear of repercussion from the government, grateful that I can vote for a representative who will take her/his job seriously without fear for his/her life, grateful that I can worship as I see fit and that my neighbors can worship as they see fit. It's a wonderful country. It's not perfect. I'm so glad it's home!

New Blog Link

So, one of our seminarians has chosen to spend her summer in Honduras learning Spanish in an immersion program. She's started a blog of her adventure. Thanks, Progressive Pragmatist, for the heads up!