Thanksgiving dinner

Well, we certainly had a different Thanksgiving dinner this year. David got out of the hospital this afternoon and his good friend Sammy picked us up and dropped us off (it is only about 1/4 mile away, but would have been a loooonnnggg walk for David!) Then Sammy's wife cooked rouladen, red cabbage and potatoes - a delicious German meal that is her husband's favorite! Sammy is German and his wife, Brandy, is from Kansas City - but she has been here for 6-1/2 years. She loves to cook and does a great job of it! David is certainly glad to be home finally and is doing okay, as he puts it. I think he is doing quite well.

So thankful....

Well, what a great time to be celebrating Thanksgiving! I am so thankful to be able to be here in Munich - even though Thanksgiving is not officially celebrated here. (It already looks a lot like Christmas here - snow and evergreens and lights and all of the associated decorations!) I am thankful that David's surgery went well. I am thankful that although he is in some pain, it is manageable. I am thankful that he has so many nice friends who have been nice to me also. I am thankful that my trip went well with very few only minor glitches (sitting in the plane for 1-1/2 hrs in Frankfurt waiting to take off because of a snow delay and a mechanical delay --- and getting off the train on the wrong side at the Marienplatz station which necessitated climbing 3 flights of steps with 2 suitcases! I am also thankful for the young man who helped me most of the way up with the heavier of the 2 bags!) I am thankful for a husband who encouraged me to make the trip over here. And I could go on, but I am also thankful that there is a bed waiting for me that I am about ready to head to!

So excited....!

Wow, God is so good! I had given up on finding my passport, but hadn't unpacked my bags yet because I had this little glimmer of hope, I guess. I went to some garage sales with my friend Linda (that always cheers me up and she knows it!) and when I got home I had this message from another friend named Linda:
"Barb –
Do you think I am crazy or what? But glove compartment just popped in my head.
If the passports are there it came from God. I promise I wasn’t trying to think of more places to look.
Linda!"

So I thought, "Well, ok. We hadn't looked there." So first I went to Herb's truck and cleaned out his glove compartment (5 years of inspection certs and insurance cards) and then went to my car and was sorting through my collection when I found an envelope with Alisi's name printed on it. I opened it up - and lo and behold - there were the passports along with her birth certificate! I actually got goose bumps! It is a real Miracle story! Praise God and thanks to Linda Brz!!

Now, you might be wondering - what were they doing in the car? About 3 years ago we took Alisi to Michigan with us to see Herb's sister. We had taken those things along in case they were needed if we went across the border into Canada, but they didn't ask for them and we forgot all about them being there! And I don't look in my glove compartment that often to notice what is there. Hmmm just a thought - how many people do you think actually use that for gloves? I know I don't.

Well it is very late and I will have a long week ahead of me so I'd better close, but I wanted to get this story told! I hope you think it is as exciting as I do!!

So upset...

Well, I just can't believe it. All of the details had fallen into place. I had the requested supplies purchased and packed. I found enough warm clothes for a week long trip in sub-freezing Munich. I had weighed the suitcases - several times - and had them each under the 50 lb. limit. I had thought about commitments and responsibilities that I needed to be sure were covered and had them worked out. And then this. I can't find my passport. The last time we used our passports was in 2003. Who knows where it could be?? Well, I thought I did. But I was wrong.

So, in the middle of being really upset about the whole situation, I know that David's friends will take care of him, like they had said they would before I made plans to go. And I have to believe that there is some reason that God doesn't want me to go. And I will keep looking - but not so frantically, because I just don't think it is going to be found in time to make the flight Saturday afternoon. And if I do find it - it will be a miracle!!

My first attempt

OK, Here goes... An attempt at a blog. There, I said it. I don't know that I really have a lot of 'brainstorms' or really have much to say. But maybe I'll have something to say one day worth saying, and will have a place to put it!

Right now I'm thinking about all of the cute blogs I've seen from the young ladies with the new babies. What a cool thing that would have been 32 years ago! Technology has changed so much since those days of 'pong' on the Atari. And we won't even think about the technological changes since I was born. You've probably seen one of those e-mails. Color TV, VCR, DVD player, TIVO (don't even have that yet!) cordless phone, answering machine, cell phone, microwave, etc., etc. Our lives have certainly changed. More interesting, that is for sure. And easier in many ways...but sometimes I think we may yearn for simpler.

Oh, well. Now I'm rambling and not saying anything that hasn't been said before. So I guess I'll post this and see what happens!