Sleepy

Love reading Janna's blog and seeing the photos. Laughed at singing happy birthday in a funny voice. Chicago! I think I'm glad. Everything Janna is getting to do is see the places that she has only read about or studied. It is fascinating to see what she did today in story and pictures.

We had a wedding shower for some friends and I had so much fun. I really love Jenn and Grant and am delighted for them. They are getting married next Sunday, a week from tomorrow. A group of ladies co-hosted the event. Some decorated, everyone brought food or drinks, someone grilled. The food was so good I was speechless.

I enjoyed getting to know Brenda, Jenn's mom. She is friendly and easy to talk to. Now I know where Jenn gets it from. I love the way that Grant and Jenn treat one another.

I am so sleepy, but its a good tired.

Bath

Reading Janna's blog, seeing her pictures, emailing and chatting with her is a blessing and comfort. But the lovely surprise is that I am learning all about the places she is seeing. What an amazing world we live in where you can access the world's libraries from the comfort of your own home computer. Recently I learned that C.S. Lewis went to church at St. Peter's which was built in the early 1100 AD.

Articulating Faith

Faith is a topic that came up recently in our communication, which lately has been through commenting on phenomenal facebook photos that Janna posts. I have a deep faith in God but find it challenging to explain it. Partly it is due to my background. I grew up in a faith filled home where actions mattered more than words. So we didn't talk about God very much, nor why we believed in God, scripture, etc. We went to church, we prayed at meals and sometimes in times of crisis, and we tried to live in a way that was pleasing to God out of love, but not out of duty or a price to pay to get into heaven. This is a link that articulates faith in a way that I like.

The journey of exploring God gives rise to some tough questions. Here is a collection of thoughts on why God is who is says He is.
Does God Exist - Is God Real - Who Created God?

Absorbing Oxford

Somehow Janna's blog entry and facebook photos chronicling her Inkling Walking Tour gave me a sense of the rich history of Oxford. I loved seeing the tour from Janna's perspective and am impressed that she walked the 3+ mile trek and ventured into shops for tea. Also, I thought it was insightful for her to find indoor and outdoor places to read to see the story through the eyes of the author. For instance, one of my favorite pictures is of the lamp post and Janna's comment "remind you of anything?" or something similar. In the book, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, the lamp post is a significant part of the scenery, no doubt inspired from the ones that C.S. Lewis saw in Oxford.

I wish now that if it had been practical, that the kids could have kept a photo journal, a hand written diary, and even an audio and video journal as they were growing up to help me understand how they see the world. I did some of those things to record their childhood, but it was from my viewpoint. It is dawning on me that the blog and facebook format allow us to do just that, deepening our understanding of one another.

Rambling Raining Thoughts

It is raining and thundering which reminds me of Janna. She loves rain and usually runs outside to splash around in the puddles. Daniel came over so that he and Janna could talk on google chat/video.

Philip, John and Pam brought back the truck and Daniel helped them put the lid back on the bed of the truck. As soon as they were done with the task, which is not an easy thing by the way, it started to rain and by the time we got inside the house it was pouring. We sat on the porch and watched the rain while they waited for the storm to pass before heading back to their place. John and Philip rented a house in Woodway and are moving in this weekend.

I managed to misplace my glasses, again, so Tim drove me to Janna's car which we had dropped off earlier this evening at the dealership. Not in the car. Looked in my car, dumped out my purse, looked on tables, bookshelves, retraced my steps as Mom taught me. Narry a pair.

I would like to be able to blame the lost glasses on being distracted with Janna in England, but that isn't the case. Losing things is in my genes.

The rain appears to be over for now and clouds of mist are rising from the pavement with the rain's evaporating off of the hot July streets. Tim called it "London fog."

I can see enough to type by increasing the font size and pushing the computer screen far away. I didn't wear glasses until I passed the wonderful age of 40, except for a short while in college to see the chalkboard.

I get to turn 50 this year. I'm thrilled and plan to join AARP.

English Gardens

Janna's pictures of the garden are some of my favorite. I love seeing the garden through her lens including the cleverly framed shots of her shoes and her legs and feet while laying down on the park bench. I wonder at English Gardens and find them beautiful. It is a mixture of defined neatly trimmed lawns surrounded by crazy flower beds filled to the brim with plants that may date back centuries. I wonder how much maintenance they require and how the staff takes care of the garden. Much of the historical architecture and artifacts are fascinating and important. But the gardens are a sort of living history giving us a glimpse of the past through something that is living. I suppose people are also a window into the past.

Phone Calls Overseas

Janna has a phone that I can use to call her in case of an emergency. She called here to give me the number on our caller id. However when I tried to call her the phone number did not work. It turns out that in order to call Oxford, England from Waco, Texas you have to dial "001" before the number.

Dad had a good point, He wondered if our military are allowed to phone or video chat with family and friends when they are serving overseas. If so, how would the military leaders censor messages that are in real time?

My computer gets overheated when i talk to Janna on video chat and then turns off after a short while. I am able to chat via texting on the computer without any difficulty. But the video talking, while completely mesmerizing, has some technical difficulties for me.

The blog and photos take a lot of time and I am impressed that Janna makes time for them. But they are one of the highlights of the summer. Tim and I talk about what we've read or about some of the pictures that Janna has posted.

Traffic Jam

Janna saw Stonehenge today and she took pictures of it and already posted them online. From the time she started reading Harry Potter she has wanted to go to England and she is there now experiencing all the things she dreamed of doing. I am so very thankful.

I love getting to chat or video talk with Janna, but when we type messages back and forth on google chat I can't see or hear what is happening on her end of the conversation. So today was interesting. She emailed me a question and I answered, and she replied... I could see that she was online so thought I'd send a chat request, and she accepted. So we are chatting away, and then there are these long pauses and I think it is heavy traffic on google chat that is slowing us down. Alas, she is getting a multitude of chat or similar messages from friends simultaneously and juggling between conversations. I didn't realize that she was having a traffic jam on her computer communication until she told me what was going on - "windows keep popping up and I try to reply" she said. We were done with our chat so I bowed out of the foray thinking that it is a marvelous world where you can instantly chat with a multitude of friends across the ocean in real time.

Gardening

While Janna was studying in the garden in Oxford I was planting pink polka dot plants in our garden. We have a sun room that overlooks a garden and patio and it is a constant experimental lab, sometimes filled with beautiful flowers and sometimes growing unusual vegetables or herbs. The kohlrabi and chamomile are coming along nicely. The oregano wants to take over the world. The herb garden thrives on neglect and is doing beautifully as long as I water it during 100+ degree weather.

Janna mentioned Turkish Delights which makes me want to find a recipe for the same. I am forever behind in all that I'd like to do. I am just now reading through Zane's collection of textbooks on World War II for his Normandy Scholars semester and trip to Europe. Fascinating reading. The war is a series of painful and heroic complex layers of stories that want to be told, but can't really communicate exactly what the war was like.

I checked the computer periodically and missed Janna today, but I feel like we talked since she posted a blog entry and pictures about her day. I found the men in costume dancing rather odd.

Communicating

The video chat is wonderful for visiting with Janna overseas. We see each other and talk. I need to take notes so that when we are able to talk I can have stories and questions at hand. Seeing each other on screen is a little comical because there is a smaller screen within the big screen that has a picture of me on my computer or Janna on her computer. It is tempting to look at yourself rather than the person that you are speaking to because of the novelty of seeing yourself on screen. You can delete the small screen of yourself in order to keep from being distracted. So far our video chats have been in Janna's two person dorm room, so she doesn't have privacy. She'll have her own room starting tomorrow and get to have more privacy for video chatting if she would like.

Rhythm

I am adjusting to Janna being overseas made much easier by excellent communication on Janna's part. She blogs, emails, facebooks, and posts photos on flickr. She even called briefly to give me her emergency phone number. Thank you Janna for helping me be at ease about you being far away from home. You are so thoughtful!

I had sympathy jet lag and was bone tired for awhile, but I'm getting my energy back. It is funny to feel so small when your child goes out into the world when it is everything that Tim and I dreamed for each of the kids. People say things like "But she's with a group from Baylor," "she's smart," "she'll make good choices," or "she'll be fine."

I know that all of those things, but it takes a little getting used to the fact. Each time one of our kids did something big or major it took some time to adjust. At first I feel like I am learning to ice skate and the ground is giving way. After awhile it is exciting and feels more normal.

So now that Tim and I are adjusted somewhat to Janna being overseas, Zane staying in Houston and Quinn and Erica living in Austin, I am enjoying the rhythm of the kids coming and going, calling and chatting in between peaceful days. I am finding that there is time to do some things that I have always wanted to do like have friends over for tea. Today I am looking forward to having over Sarah for tea.

Video Chat

Google video chat is available at no cost for any google subscribers. I log onto google mail and from there navigate to video chat. When I request to chat with Janna, I send her a message and then hear something that sounds like a telephone ring. When she answers I can see her on the screen and hear her voice. It is better than Christmas to get to see your loved one overseas and have a face to face chat in real time. She stays up late after she gets in from the end of her day which is about 5 pm here. England is six hours ahead of Texas time.

I set up the video chat while having over a sweet friend and her daughters over for tea thinking that it would be fun for us to visit. It worked well for me and Rebecca to visit with Janna and even five year old Ella talked to Janna for a moment. They showed each other their favorite stuffed animals: bun and pooh. My computer overheated and turned off without warning and I couldn't get it to wake up. Janna called me on her emergency phone to say that she would wait up for Daniel to stop by and chat. He came over to get a guitar and amp that he stored at the house.

We got to meet Daniel's friend Mark who came along for the ride. Tim got home in time to visit with them as well. We are loving getting to know Daniel and his friends. As I told Daniel, it is wonderful when someone else loves your child as much as you do.

I am reading the book that Janice Pai passed along to me about stories of the uncelebrated. A booth set up in densely populated areas gives ordinary people the opportunity to interview someone that they admire. The result is a book of stories about ordinary people. The recordings are archived in the Library of Congress.

Tea Time

The tradition of having tea in the afternoon was introduced to me when I was four years old. Mom set up a child sized table and chairs in the backyard, complete with tablecloth, cloth napkins and a child sized tea service. On one occasion when I was having tea, Pepaw and Memaw came to visit and Pepaw came outside and had a cup of tea with me.

Later Mom and Dad, Gail and I traveled through Europe on a vacations back to the States from Africa where Dad worked as a petroleum engineer for Gulf Oil. While in London, we stayed at the Ritz Hotel where tea was served every afternoon. We dressed in our Sunday best and went downstairs to find a well appointed tea room. We sat on upholstered chairs around a small table with a tea service and scones. I can close my eyes and picture my mom showing us how to hold the tea cup properly.

Many an afternoon I have had a cup of tea with family and friends over the years.

Then Janna and I were invited over for tea Katy Stokes and this is the scene...
An opera lp is playing on a turntable in the living room. Her house is immaculate and there is a lace table cloth on the dining table. A tea angel - a porcelain angel holding a pot of tea, sits near the center of the table where there is also some sprig of flower or vine from her yard in a small vase. A candle completes the center piece which she lights when we take our seats. The table is set with lovely china tea cups and saucers, cloth napkins and and spoon. Lemon slices in a small bowl fill the air with a clean scent, four slice and bake cookies are displayed on a tray. A few small framed family pictures grace a table nearby.

She greets us at the door and invites us in, mentioning something about the opera as she goes over to turn it off at the end of an aria. Her diction is pleasant and precise thanks in part to her late husband who was the diction coach at Baylor and also the "voice of Baylor" serving as announcer for sporting events. Her posture hints that she took years of ballet. Even at 80 years of age she is graceful and gracious.

She invites us to sit down with her and have some tea. She pours each cup, offers more through the hour and passes around the cookies. She tells us stories about her late sweet husband George and quotes passages of beautiful poetry. She asks questions and listens with intent. I am transported to a different time and place completely captivated by this lady from Mabank, Texas.

Today I have the honor of having over two lovely young ladies and their lovely young mom and I enthralled with the prospect of spending time with friends and passing along the tradition of afternoon tea.

The Text This Week Proper C11

There is a web site called textweek.com and it is a treasured collection of links related to Sunday's current lectionary passages. This week happens to have three entries from our very own Robert B. "Bob" Kruschwitz of DaySpring Baptist.
Proper C11

Missed

I try to guess when Janna will be on the computer and invite her to chat. I waited a bit and then went for a swim. Afterwards I checked the computer and noticed that she had tried to talk with me via google chat and we'd missed each other. However, I loved reading through her blog and scrolling through her photos. I suppose if I had a smart phone she could request to google chat and I would hear a tone or something and know that she was online. Maybe we can connect tomorrow. I was able to email her a note at least.

Photos and Videos

I just looked through Janna's beautiful photos and Irish pub band (likelikelike) video that she added to her blog entries and think that she is due the honor of "blogs of note." This is incredible.

Zane went to Spain four years ago and told us hair raising stories about his adventures giving us a window into his trip as well with chats and photos. Most faint inducing for me was his trip to Pamplano where he and friend Matt, also studying abroad and notably a Baylor yell leader, ran with the bulls. (shudder) Then he went to France and Germany with the University of Texas' Normandy Scholars.

Even so, I loved hearing from Zane and learning about all his experiences. Thank you by the way, Zane! Whenever I am concerned or worried about Janna, she reminds me "it's not like I am in Spain running with the bulls."

Thank you Zane and Janna for "taking us along" with you Spain, France, Germany, Ireland and England.

Video Chat

Thank you Google for allowing me to see and hear our precious daughter Janna on video chat. We actually had a face to face conversation over the computer in real time. There wasn't even a delay. You know how it sounds when a USA television station is connected to a reporter say, in Iraq, and there is a delay from the time the reporter hears the question and then responds with his or her answer. None of that.
Plus we got it set up to talk over the computer with Google video chat live just a little before Daniel, John, Mark and Philip arrived here for dinner. So Daniel and Janna got to talk, and then we took turns going into the living room and talking to Janna. The picture and sound quality were amazing.

Philip made us an exquisite dinner tonight. Thank you Philip, Daniel and Mark! Thank you to John for the virtuoso impromptu piano recital, and to Mark and Philip for the entertaining duet.
I just read Janna's latest entry and am smiling thinking about her taking Bun, her stuffed bunny rabbit, out of her backpack to show her new Swedish friend who has a horse named "Horsie." What a great story teller you are dearest Janna!

Email to Janna in reply to her "St. Patrick's Eucharist" entry and comments

Hi Janna,
Your blog is priceless. Well done my dear. You have a knack for allowing the reader into your view of the world. Excellent! So when it says you posted your entry at 2 am does that mean you hit the enter button at 2 am Ireland time? Just curious. Thanks to your St. Patricks Eucharist, Communion will have another beautiful layer of meaning for me now. Thank you!
Lava you,
Mum

Kudos to Daniel for being mentioned in yet another one of Janna's blog entries - "cathedrals-crests-jail-and-riverdance."

Zane's sweetheart, Janice Pai, sent Zane a note with a drawing of a volcano erupting that said "I lava you." It is now a part of our vocabulary. Thank you Janice! Janna's sweetheart, Daniel Webbon, refers to me as "mum" when talking to Janna, who now calls me "mum." So when closing notes with "Lava you" I close with "Mum." Thank you Daniel!

Time warp... I went to UT Austin and met the love of my life, Tim, and we got married and had three wonderful children. Fast forward, our baby is grown now, enjoying exploring Ireland and opening a window to her adventure via a blog. That is surreal.

Tim walked 1.5 hours this morning while I dreamed that I had a strange disease - one of the occupational hazards of being married to a physician. When I awoke he was already done walking and was resting in the living room reading through news on the computer.

Now I am recuperating from a farmers market and grocery shopping trip this morning by reading the Wall Street Journal online, blogging, enjoying a nice visit with Zane Brian on the phone, crocheting linen coasters with yarn left over from a scarf project and sipping iced unsweetened cocoa and coffee... but not all at once.

I hope to connect with Janna online. I think that she is on the computer about 4pm Texas time so maybe we'll get to have a google talk video chat visit soon.

The Look of a Strict Teacher

My eye may start twitching and I think I resemble a strict teacher after a recent read of Janna's latest blog entry detailing things that she observed in an Irish Pub. I want to tell her to stay away from pubs, go to bed early and not talk to strangers. Alas, she is across the ocean, an adult and I have no say in the matter except that I can express my opinion and pray. I know that she will be careful but it is scary from my point of view to read about her going to a bar. I am glad that she is with a friend. I wonder what the other students are doing in the evening. I wonder if she is sleeping well. She mentioned that she enjoys a big breakfast in the mornings. I wonder what the Irish think of Janna? Most of the time I am at peace, but mid afternoon I get a little uneasy... wonder if that is the bar hour? When I feel uneasy I do something that requires a lot of physical activity. Yesterday I walked on the treadmill and watched part of a movie. I am learning French and so watched a film in French with English subtitles. Today I helped my friend Beth fabric glue dozens of organza flowers to the skirt of a gorgeous dress that Beth made for a young bride. This afternoon I enjoyed reading and gardening. I planted lemon grass, parsley and gazinias flowers that look like daisies in the side and back flower beds. I practiced a piano piece by Rachmoninoff. I need to tackle the paper tiger that is taking over our home office.

Email and blogging

Email and blog entries are wonderful! Janna has managed to do both in the short while that she has been overseas. As I told her, it does my heart good!

It is raining today off and on and the sky is the most beautiful scene of mile high clouds outlined in shades of gray with bits of blue sky peaking through. I love to garden in between rain showers because the ground easily gives way to the trowel welcoming in the new addition to the hodge podge landscape. I like to get flowers throughout the year so that something is always in bloom. Today I got some daisies, a curly parsley and lemon grass. I try to plant herbs that can be used in tea because Janna and I like to have tea in the afternoon.

Zane's trip to Spain was much scarier than Janna's current trip. With Zane we didn't get to hear from him every day. At the end of the first summer sessions he moved to a new location via bus and staying overnight by himself in Madrid. Janna, on the other hand, is with Baylor students and faculty. While traveling has its risks, there is safety in numbers, so I am more relaxed about Janna's adventure. I don't know if I could have blogged during Zane's Spain study abroad excursion because it made me uneasy.

I am at peace and glad that Janna gets to have this opportunity. I look forward to reading her next blog entry.

Janna wrote a blog entry about her first day in Ireland

I loved reading Janna's description of today's Dublin adventure and am thrilled that she is letting us in on her study abroad experience via her blog. I can't wait to see the pictures and think that there could be a book in her future.

This is easier than I thought it would be - that is to have Janna across the pond, as she calls it. I miss her, but am delighted that she gets to have this experience.

Today followed the simple routine of quiet time, shower, auto pilot (my version of housework), investment research. I enjoyed a visit from my friend and neighbor Beth. She is a exceptional wedding dress and evening gown couturier and I am in awe of her skill.

At 1 pm the dishwasher repair technician arrived right on time for today's appointment: Schroeder Appliance fished a twist tie, 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon and a mysterious small black plastic piece out of the dishwasher motor area. Apparently the plastic piece came from the sink disposal which can't be good, but I'll worry about that later. Thankfully that seems to have fixed the loud noise and now the dishwasher cycles through without complaining.

The phone rang mid afternoon and Zane said he just called to say hi. I love it when the kids call. Tim called at noon and made my day. Dad called late afternoon, and said that they are getting a lot of rain in Gonzales and the market was pretty good today. He was going to watch Mad Money with the energetic Jim Cramer.

I am working through my bucket list that I made when the kids were all preschool age. The lengthy list was partly for solace knowing that they would they grow up and move away, and partly to keep my marbles intact. Reading was at the top of the list. So this afternoon, I continued reading an eye opening 20th century music history book loaned to me by Daniel. It parallels the World War II books I am also reading. And I can't wait to dive into Janice's find that chronicles stories of ordinary people. I record family stories and find personal stories and adventures riveting.

Staying busy really helps with the angst that wants to settle in with the sunset. There is a deep sense of responsibility I feel as a parent even though the kids are grown and doing well.

The next project that I hope to tackle is to make window coverings for the porch. I am vacillating between lovely linen or parachute fabric that didn't pass the military's strict guidelines and is being sold for a pittance. I'm partial to linen because of the way sunlight tip toes through the fabric dancing playfully on the opposite wall.

A tropical storm remnant is granting us plentiful rain and the world is green, which reminds me of Ireland and our sweet Janna, and Zane, and Quinn and Erica.

That's all for now.

YouTube - Trinity College Dublin - Ireland

Janna is touring Trinity College and here is a youtube video of it. These are amazing times.

YouTube - Trinity College Dublin - Ireland

Arrived Safely

Janna emailed to say that they arrived safely in Dublin and were getting ready to go on a tour of Trinity College. I had a little trouble falling asleep last night thinking about our baby flying over the Atlantic, but eventually was able to sleep through the night. When there are pauses in my day or night, I pray and think of the wonderful adventure that Janna is having - very calming. I recall a phrase she uses with a smile - "at least I am not *running with the bulls in Spain." To fall asleep, I pray, count blessings, and then count backwards from 100.

I love getting updates from her.


*Zane ran with the bulls in Spain on his study abroad adventure in the summer of 2006.

Tim and I have four wonderful adult children now. Quinn age 24, his lovely wife Erica, Zane nearly age 23, and Janna age 19.

Quiet

It is relatively quiet now that Janna has left for Ireland and England. I have a few butterflies thinking about her flying across the Atlantic Ocean. She'll try to sleep on the airplane so that she can adjust to the six hour time difference. It is 4:06 pm and she is on her way to Chicago to connect with the flight to Dublin.

I alternate between chores, rest and projects. Mostly I pray for Janna and her group as they travel. I want to follow the itinerary and study some of the places that the group will see.

Tuesday July 6, 2010 Woodway, Texas, USA

It is 2:44pm in the afternoon and I just read Janna's recent entry on her Leather Binding Blog. In response to her blog, I am journaling from the perspective of a parent who is staying home while her daughter studies abroad for five weeks in Great Britain. Janna opened up the futon on the porch to use for organizing for the trip. The house is clean and we've had lunch. The dishwasher is chugging along with a complaining noise that warrants a service call scheduled for Thursday. Our older two adult children are young men and have traveled outside of Texas solo, so we've had the experience of letting go. Even so, I don't know how it will feel to have our only daughter to fly across the Atlantic.
Here is the link to Janna's blog:
http://www.google.com/reader/view/?tab=my#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fleatherbinding.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault