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"Hey Mom, I could hold three, see?"
"Please give one to your brother, okay? I want a picture with both of you holding one."
"Okay, say 'Cheese' or 'Chicken' or whatever else, but hold still."
"Why is the baby crying?" OH - He wants a chicken too
"Okay, Buttercup, put the chicken down....you've tormented her enough."
"Run Lilly Run! Run for your life!"
Even while on vacation, the postcards kept coming. It was nice to come home to a few!
OH - and HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TODAY TOO!
From Russia, Ann sends her 2nd Postcrossing postcard (ever) of the Novodevitchly Monastery. She says this place has many famous people buried there. I wonder if I know who any of them are - especially considering they are all probably famous Russians.
I was very honored to receive this postcard from Lithuania. This was the sender's very first Postcrossing postcard - AND he is only 15 years old. He lives in Alytus which is the largest city in Southern Lithuania. (about 65,000 people).
Laurent sends greetings from Sydney, Australia - with the hopes that I'll send him a postcard in return of some lighthouses in Oregon. I've got to get on that!
Cindi says this postcard shows the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Oklahoma. Wow.
Surprise - another card from Finland - Kuopio, a little town by the shore. The sender is a collector of everything cycling. She recently took an ecology-tour of Russia. Sounds intriguing.
When Connie's book arrived at my house, I realized that when I complete my page, I will only have two more books to alter until I receive my book back. TWO MORE BOOKS until the Round Robin is complete! I can't wait.
I've been reading Connie's blog, Far Side of Fifty and have enjoyed lurking. I comment on occasion. She owns a cute Border Collie and has lots of cool plants.
The book she chose to alter was filled with "Fifty-Two Worship Programs". I am assuming it to be some type of book for a Pastor or Bible-study leader. There are sections on Reverence, Loyalty, Honesty, and more. I chose the chapter on Forgiveness to alter. There was a quote by George Washington that struck me:
Be courteous to all, but intimate with few; and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.
The book goes on to suggest that being a good friend means forgiving. There was more, of course, that involved Jesus and God - but....that quote got me to thinking of my best friend, Vee. We've been friends for almost 15 years and although we only get to see each other a handful of times a year - we talk on a weekly basis. (don't tell my husband those talks usually run a couple of hours!) I am intimate with just a few people and Vee is one of those true friends. We know each other so well. I love her as a sister and true friendship FORGIVES. We rarely piss each other off, but if we do say something out-of-line, both of us are quick to forgive the other. (and more importantly, forget the instance as well).
So, back to Connie's book - I was amazed at the beautiful artwork inside. For some reason this book has inspired everyone. The quality inside really awed me. All the books have been beautiful, but this one just seems especially so.
Two more books to go and then I can finally show off all my handiwork!
Side note: This is Connie's title page - she actually folded over pages of the book to create this unique design. (I've blurred out any personal information).
Driving along Highway 78 (the Steens Highway) in the South Eastern section of Oregon is much like the beginning of a Horror Movie: A family vehicle traveling down a lonely desert highway. The only signs of life are the turkey vultures floating above in the sky searching for a meal. After 30 some miles there is a realization that there hasn't been another car seen since the turn-off at Burns Junction from Highway 95.
So, we did what everyone in a Horror Movie does - pulled over and got out of the car.
But there was no horror - just extreme quiet and the sound of a Meadowlark off in the distance.
And we were glad there was no horror in the shape of car trouble....because after sitting there for 15 minutes we finally saw a motorcycle who slowed down to make sure we had no problems....and then he sped off again at top speed. We didn't see another car for a very long time. It would have been a 33 mile (53 km) trek to the next town; a long lonely walk down a dark desert highway.
Driving to Utah from the Willamette Valley took 17 hours through three states (Oregon, Idaho, Utah). Driving back home a different direction took the same time but we added Nevada to the adventure. Traveling with a baby and a small-bladder girl added another hour onto that time scale.
Needless to say, sometimes it takes very little to entertain the family. Well, I should rephrase that and say it takes very little to entertain two parents who have been staring at a road for hours on end. We did see some cool stuff:
A train carrying tanks....lots and lots of tanks.
A brown van? NO - the dirtiest white van we have ever seen in our lives.
A hole in the side of a mountain
Lots and lots of rain....tiresome rain
A road leading to no where
We had to visit the Krishna Lotus Temple because it was there; a beautiful peaceful oasis smack dab in the middle of Utah's Mormon-ville.
We spoke to Christine, a Krishna devotee, seen here feeding the fish with Jammin', and learned a lot about the Krishna religion.
Mainly, we learned they believe all life has a soul and we are re-incarnated over and over again. Thus, they follow a strict Vegetarian diet because all life is holy.
So, when Christine asked, "Where are you going from here?"
I told her the truth - "Oh, we are headed to Cabela's".
Her eyes popped out and she shook her head. "You should have come here AFTERWARDS to be purified. No, we don't particularly believe in the practice of that place."
Cabela's, you see, is a large outdoor store - specializing in the hunting and fishing varieties. (and also feature taxidermy of animals from all over the globe).
They even have a cool shooting gallery so you can get in all your hunting practice - as Buttercup did, trying to hit the rattlesnake and signpost!
For more on the Utah Krishnas - click HERE
For more on Cabela's - Click HERE
By the way, we were purifed....drank Holy Krishna water, ate Holy Krishna food (which tasted slightly of licorice), and listened to some chants. It was quite the experience....one I didn't particularly mind and am even considering reading the Bhagavad Gita, or song of God (the Krishna's most sacred book), just to learn more, because I'm curious. No - don't expect me to become a devotee because I think I like my Hamburgers and Steak a little too much to convert.
But, I'll be honest. I really like some of the things Christine had to say. Peace, love, and harmony. Can't go wrong there.
Even though I am on vacation, I'm going to post this Sunday and share more postcards!
Postcrossing is free to join. However, I have spent quite a bit on stamps and the cards themselves.
Willi sends this card from Germany, where he lives with his wife Jutta and their dog, Monty. He works at the Volkswagen-Passat factory in Emden. He says he can see this kissing elephant sculpture through his work window.
Olya sends this card from Kyiv, Ukraine. She is a student, who just finished all her tests and can now relax for the summer.
This is my first card from Brasil! It shows the biggest theme park in Sao Paulo. Debora works in the fashion industry when she isn't out riding carousels!
Sadly, this awesome Canada postcard was sent to me with an incorrect Postcrossing I.D. The sender, Cohen, didn't have much to say...and since the postcard is pretty generic I don't even know what town he was from. Well, Cohen - looks like you are going to get an expired card (unless you contact me with the correct code.)
And lastly, another card from Germany depicts a small northern town in Germany. Kirsten says there are 22,000 people, a few castles, and many sheep.
Jammin' has been saving his money for a while. All the money he received at Christmas and his birthday has been put aside in hopes he can collect enough to purchase a Nintendo DS.
Before heading on our vacation trip, he counted all the dollars up. He had enough for the system, but was a few dollars short to buy a game.
Dave and I do not give allowance for the expected chores. However, we are more than happy to pay money for hard work done extra!!
The garden needed hoeing. He got right to work and earned enough to buy a Pokemon game to go along with his DS Lite.
He's was very excited to pick out his own gaming system. Dave and I were proud of him to have a goal and save the money! Sometimes, that is not such an easy task.
And, of course, not to be outdone, Buttercup decided to do her share of the weeding to earn some money too.
She wants a Nintendo DS like her brother.
But when Buttercup realized how little money she had and how long it would take to save up for a Nintendo....she opted for a Princess Horse instead.
Welcome to another Sunday filled with Postcards from around the world. Brought to you by, Postcrossing
So, curious to WHO does postcrossing? Well - here's a little chart from the postcrossing website. Now I know why I have gotten so many from Finland!
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From Belarus, this card depicts the inner courtyard of the Castle of Mir.
Sunny is from Taipei, Taiwan and sends greetings with this card. It shows the Office of the President Taipei. She says it is as important to their people as The White House is to the U.S. I have to agree with her, it is beautiful!
This card from Gavle, Sweden was sent by Anna, who just moved to the town. She says now that spring has come, the town is gorgeous with green trees and all kinds of flowers.
Gosia just moved to Colchester, England two months ago so "still feels like a tourist". She didn't know any tidbits of the town but did learn that being called an "Essex Girl" was similar to being a "Dumb Blonde"....so she is NOT an Essex Girl.
I received a 2nd card from England - but from an American from Kansas City. Angela is working on her MBA at the University in Exeter. She loves England and in particular the Dartmoor area because of all the history and things to do and see.
Next time I'll be sharing postcards from Germany, Ukraine, and my first one from Brasil!!
Until you realize the damn chickens have been nibbling on your cabbage and corn sprouts.
Sorry, Henrietta Cluck - you will remain locked up until my garden can fend for itself. (i.e. all the produce has grown quite a bit bigger).
And on a side note - all chickens appear to be females. At 2 months of age, none of them are developing larger combs or spurs. Yeah! The soup pot remains empty.
