Update of November 9, 2007

Well, we've been toodling along this past month. The book club went well. "Wicked" the book finally got good the last 60-70 pages. I even read the sequel. It was a lot of fun just discussing and exchanging opinions on literature with students in a laid-back way too. I'm game to do that again--maybe in the spring if they organize something.

I'm still giving news quiz hints on facebook. I now have about 75 friends--more than 50% of my students. Quiz scores have improved amongst those who actually use this opportunity to get some steering on what to pay attention to. Too bad they don't all use those opportunities.

I just never seem to update with any frequency. Eleanor and Olivia danced at the Southern Women's Show in October. Other than that, we've been attending lots of Nutcracker rehearsals and being sleep deprived with all the school commitments. Eleanor is on a tough, but good, team this year. They are working her hard. I know it will pay off in the end, but we give up some sleep to get it all done. Amelia is continuing to be very responsible and mature about her work assignments and her father and I are SO proud of her work effort. Olivia is Olivia. She does work occasionally, attempts to fall into "baby of the family" tears when she is caught not doing her school work, that doesn't fly, and eventually she straightens up for at least a little while. Typical Olivia.

Some of the scandal-ridden issues at school have died down now, for the most part. The first playoff game is tonight. If the kids lose, then the coach is gone (finally) and it's all over. If they win, we go another week waiting for resolution. We'll see what happens.

My students have finished almost all of the legislative simulation project. I need to finish grading bills this weekend since progress report grades are due Tuesday.

We are looking forward to a 3-day weekend this weekend in honor of Veteran's Day. We aren't planning anything that is patriotic or related to Veteran's, but I do plan to appreciate and enjoy some downtime, during which I will respect and honor the sacrifices that have given me that opportunity. Thank you Veterans!

Next up--Thanksgiving and then Christmas. Olivia is fine-tuning her Christmas list. I don't know about the other two. Their desires are either for things that are too expensive or too unreasonable at the moment. We'll see how that ends up.

Feeling better about grades now....

The end of nine weeks grades were better than the progress report grades. The D/F list has only 22 of the 125 or so students rather than 41. That is a significant improvement. Hopefully they won't get complacent this nine weeks like they started out this year. I've been working much harder than they have.

The diet is not going well. I just can't seem to stay organized enough to control my eating as carefully as I need to in order to lose weight. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

I'm running a virus scan in the background on my computer right now. Our wireless keyboard died on us about 2 weeks ago and the computer has been kind of wacky ever since. I ran a scan of my laptop last night and found a trojan horse--from the replacement wireless keyboard that we couldn't even get to work! I eventually managed to get it quarantined and straightened out. The desktop had the same proces overnight and was o.k. after McAfee did its stuff, but my Blackberry has been acting really odd. It won't let me make or receive calls. I just ran a scan on it and it has the trojan on it too. I haven't figured out how to delete it from the phone yet. I uninstalled the software/drivers for the wireless keyboard and I'm running the scan again...hoping it will detect and quarantine and remove anything left over. Jeesh! I guess I should have spent more money for the higher cost/name brand set when I ran to Walmart at midnight that Sunday evening.

I think I'll go on to bed instead of waiting this scan out. I need to finish reading Wicked. I have a book club group that I'm supposed to be facilitating on Monday or Tuesday--can't remember which day--and I am supposed to have finished it for that. Need to get crackin!

Oh, and I have more than 50 "friends" on facebook now. I started posting hints on my wall for the news quizzes and they are now joining and doing better too. If I can focus them by pointing them in the right news directions, I'm there.

End of September Update

I still don't update this very often, now, do I? School is school--lots of pressure this year for a variety of reasons. I have good kids, but I despair of how to help some of them excel. It is an uphill battle at this point in 4 of the 5 classes. I'll be making parent phone calls tomorrow (yes, on a Saturday--and on my cell phone since I need to accomplish it and the only time I have is while sitting at Nutcracker rehearsals waiting for my daughters). Hopefully, some of these kids will wake up and salvage their grades pronto!

Eleanor was tapped into National Junior Honor Society this week. I teared up but valiantly didn't actually proceed to tears of pride (she's in the middle here with her best friends on either side of her). She then learned a hard lesson about scholastics though. The next night, she had to finish a project that she had procrastinated on and was up until 1:15AM finishing it. It looked good, but holy moly. I made her go to school the next day and when I picked her up, she wanted to go home, do her homework and go to bed. I told her no. She had to go to dance. She finished homework before ballet and then decided that ballet raises her endorphins and that was a good thing. She turned in much earlier that night and felt better today.

Eleanor learned a new classical variation tonight. She is performing at a trade show next weekend for her ballet studio and she didn't like the one that she learned last winter. Stevan taught her a variation from Cinderella tonight and she did really well learning it for the first time. He is confident she will master it by next weekend, so that is what matters. She is motivated to do so.

I joined facebook tonight. It was neat seeing some of my former students on there...two have even consented to add me as a friend. :-) That's encouraging!

I've been on Weight Watchers for about a week and a half now. Tonight was not a good night. I was doing well today and then temptation stepped into my mailbox at school in the form of a "Payday" candy bar. I love those things. I decided that I would sacrifice the points from my weekly "extra" ones that I've been trying hard not to use. Of course, that was late in the day and made me not want dinner on time. I've been snacking ever since, albeit on lower calorie and somewhat healthier things, but still too much. The only bright side is that I have far exceeded my water goal for the day. I think I'm on glass 12 at this point. I may float away soon! I've lost about 4.5 lbs. I wish it were a higher number, but I'll just keep reminding myself that it didn't come back overnight, even though it seems like it, and so it won't leave overnight either. Pity--that would be truly awesome if it would!

Tomorrow will be busy. Amelia is spending the night tonight with a friend and that throws a small kink in my daily schedule, but not enough to deny her the outing. Eleanor has dance from 11-1 and then rehearsal until 3PM. Olivia has a birthday party for a girl in her ballet class from 12:30-2:30 and then rehearsal from 3:30-5:00. Luckily, they will bring her to rehearsal since the birthday girl also has rehearsal. I need to pick up Amelia somewhere in the 1PM range, I guess. I was hoping to get a few chores done at home too, but it isn't looking very likely.

I guess I'll go back to the studio after I pick up Amelia and sit and grade papers. I have two sets of news quizzes to grade and a few make-up tests and quizzes. I also need to write the news quiz from Monday and I need to make some progress in reading "Wicked" for the teen book cafe' at school which is in about 3 weeks. It is a tough read so that needs to become a leisure reading priority as soon as I finish the no-brainer novel I've been working on--probably tomorrow night.
Maybe I can mobilize the girls to help me clean tomorrow evening...doubtful, but I can dream, can't I?

Gotta go to bed, I guess. It's midnight and the witching hour. I need sleep!

So, how do you get it all in balance?

Work, parenthood, marriage, life..... ?

We are rolling along, but there is definitely some stress right now. I am trying to stay on top of increased responsibilities at work without drowning. Eleanor is taking more dance and that puts all of us at the dance studio a little longer each day. Will is having to do all of his own clerical work for his operations managing this football season and that adds stress because he isn't good at the clerical part of the job! :-) Amelia is adjusting fairly well to middle school and is doing much better academically than we had thought possible, but she is a bit moody and we fear that is the beginning of something longer lasting...ahh, the joys of having all girls. Olivia is moody and stressed too. If she would get her room cleaned up and organized like I have been asking her to do for months now, her life would get simpler and more manageable because it would be easy to find things, easy to choose clothes, easy to just relax and "be". Eleanor is feeling the stress of 8th grade and the pressure of taking two courses which will gain her high school credit if she takes the next level next year. I'm thinking that is almost too much stress for her. She is already concerned about GPA for college. While I want her to care about her grades and her progress, the stress levels that she is feeling just aren't normal at the start of 8th grade in my opinion. I've tried to alleviate her stress, but since it always comes to the forefront when we are both tired late at night, I don't think I've done a very good job. Whew!

I'm going to type through a plan and maybe we can follow it (suggestions are good if anyone is reading this besides me!):

1. Supervise Olivia this weekend to get her room cleaned up and organized once and for all.
2. Help Eleanor come up with a plan for more gradual study and preparation--this is somewhat dependent on the teachers and when they assign things too.
3. Institute a daily Bible study and reflection time for all of us to center us spiritually.

Occasional update

I'm not very good at updating this frequently, am I? Life is too hectic at this point for frequent updates, but every week or two is about as good as it gets here.

Amelia turned 11 last week. The only present she wanted was a cell phone. Papa and Mama bought her one. She has worn that thing out since last Wednesday evening. Her face was priceless. I'll have to upload and add the picture when I get home tonight (I'm currently typing from the dance studio). She was so excited. Her number was promptly given to several friends and she spent the next several days texting back and forth. She has sped up tremendously on the keyboard of the phone...that's a skill, isn't it? :-) She got an iTunes card from her sisters, a backpack from mom and a $100 VISA gift card from both parents. Of course, we headed to the mall directly after dinner on Wednesday night so she could spend some of it. She was looking for a cell phone case, but didn't find anything. We had less than an hour of availability at the mall too so the card didn't get used until the next day.

After school on Thursday, we went to "Wrapsody", a gift store, to look for a cell phone case, this time armed only with cash that she had left over from allowance and some birthday cash from her other grandparents. She only had about $40. She bought herself a Vera Bradley purse (more money than I will normally spend on a purse, personally) and I bought her a wallet to match. That was it until Saturday...

On Friday night, Olivia spent the night with a friend and Will was out of town. Eleanor, Amelia and I joined my Dad and Debrah for dinner at Applebee's and then headed home for the night. On Saturday, while Eleanor was in dance class, Amelia and I headed to the mall to spend that gift card. She bought some cute things...some lip glosses at Bath & Body Works, some individual clothing items at Limited Too (where we had some "Too Bucks" that could defray the cost) and then I bought her some Sperry Top-Siders which I had promised as part of her birthday present. We picked up Eleanor from class, picked up Olivia from her friend's house and then headed home to work on chores.

We did stop at 2 bookstores along the way, looking for a required reading book for Eleanor. Both were out and so was the school, so I ordered it on Amazon. I didn't want to pay for rush shipping and it won't be here until next week. Just my luck...the school ordered more copies on Friday and they arrived today, so she is expected to have it tomorrow. I haven't decided whether I am willing to pay another $8 for that, or whether she might just have to borrow a friend's copy for class and wait it out. I guess I should check the tracking online and see if it is really going to take until next Tuesday to arrive!

Olivia actually made progress on her room this weekend and she's close to getting to watch TV again and play on the computer. She's been grounded from those for 2 weeks since those are her major time eaters. I caught up laundry and worked on school things. I really hope to catch up on school things soon. It's a seemingly never ending battle to stay on top of the technology and the special needs students this semester. Whew!

We had faculty meeting this afternoon and then I worked until time for dance class. Only 1-1/2 hours to go on dance class. I think I'll go get something to eat in a minute...

End of first full week of school--whew!

I'm not quite as tired on Friday this week as I was last week...but that is probably because we skipped dance last night and all of us went to bed before 10PM!

My classes appear to be good. I attempted to get them interested in the course this week with a lesson that ranged from the 3 Little Pigs to Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry" in one day. The subject of the week was media bias and how to detect it. I think they all got enough of the topic after 5 days that I feel comfortable with the base to build from. Our first news quiz is on Monday...I need to get crackin' on writing that.

Next week we will start on the introduction to government, forms of government, methods of participation, characteristics of democracy, etc., with a little Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau thrown in for good measure...actually more than just a little good measure. We do original source document analysis on those guys.

In order to try and utilize all the technology that we got this year, I have been working on a powerpoint for this chapter for more than a week. It has pictures, text, political cartoons, mp3 recordings and video clips. Something tells me this will be an every other unit thing this semester or it might kill me. I have worked so many hours on this presentation--converting my old overhead projector notes to powerpoint, and incorporating the other activities that we do in a format that is technology friendly. Actually, considering that the course is one semester, if I manage every other unit this semester, I could do the others next semester and I'd be in wonderful shape by the summer...if just a little exhausted.

So, what technology you ask? Not new computers unfortunately. The current ones are strained to the limit with the new stuff, but we are on the cycle for new ones next year I think. We got projection systems with a large screen (all mounted--ceiling and wall), a VCR/DVD player and recorder, microphone/audio system with a microphone on a lanyard if we care to use it (I'm so loud without it, I haven't tried the microphone system), an Airliner which is a bluetooth lapboard with a mouse and pen system which will either act as a mouse for the computer across the room or can also act interactively with me using the stylus like a pen and underlining, highlighting, etc. what is projected (or writing original stuff with nothing projected for that matter), a document camera which can apparently also work as a webcam if we want to do something with that and a responsive handheld clicker system (it isn't here yet) for the students to take tests, quizzes or answer poll questions for immediate feedback. They are also getting DirectTV or something like that for our television system which is projected on the large screen but it isn't fully operational yet. It's all pretty cool. I just hope most teachers are attempting to use it fully and not using it as a large overhead projector for all their old materials.

The students I was worried about appear to be shaping up just fine. This is probably a time when it is helpful to have a "reputation" built over many years. Hopefully it will hold! LOL

This afternoon, we went and bought a new answering machine/phone system for home. The old one (about 17 years old) bit the dust yesterday. We then took Eleanor to ballet and afterward headed home for my two younger children to watch "High School Musical 2" which premieres tonight. I told Olivia to enjoy it tonight. Starting tomorrow she is grounded from the TV and the computer until her room is sparkling clean. At the moment, I think her room could get the house condemned...and I'm only exaggerating minimally. She won't be happy with this status quo, but I'm determined to hold my ground. The only alternative is that I go in with a box of trash bags and a shovel and clear it out until it is sparkling and has nothing left in there either, except perhaps books and clothes. Who knows...it may come to that. I hope not.

Amelia's birthday is this week. She will be 11 and her only request is a cell phone. Her dad said "no" in a firm manner. I'm guessing it is because he knows she will use up all of our family time minutes and cost us dearly. I hope that is the reason at least. He wouldn't discuss it, so I'm guessing. I talked with my father tonight and he asked about her birthday. I mentioned that I was struggling with a present for her because she won't give me any other ideas other than that. He called back a few minutes later and he and my stepmother want to buy Amelia a phone and put it on their account with a boatload of rollover minutes and unlimited texting which they have. I told them that I thought that would be fine if they want to do that. They said it would be an inexpensive phone and I assured them she wouldn't mind. If she does, she'll have to save up for something fancier herself. She better be grateful for this gift...it wouldn't come from us.

Of course, this still leaves me with the problem of what to buy her. We just bought a bunch of back to school clothes, so she is set on that score. We are in the midst of a room makeover and I've already got her new comforter, curtains, etc. She has an iPod Nano she got for 5th grade graduation. I'm stumped. There really aren't any "toys" that she would play with. I can't afford a computer for her. Will and I have always said "no" to ear piercing until they are older too. I'm guessing a gift card or something. Unoriginal but what 11yo wouldn't appreciate money.

This is also the last year that I will let them have a "birthday party" per se. She hasn't asked about that and I'm not volunteering anything. Her sisters and I are thinking about having a surprise party for her next weekend with just a few friends. One idea was to rent a couple of rooms at the AmeriSuites (connecting, with me and her sisters in one side and she and her friends in the other). They could order pizza, have cake and ice cream, swim in the pool, watch a movie, do girlie makeover stuff maybe or go to a movie across the street (although a DVD would be cheaper) and have breakfast the next morning and then go home. I haven't run that by her dad yet though. It would be a little under $200. A pool party at the Y would be considerably cheaper but would require a lot more planning and coordination on my part too. I need to figure this out over the weekend because actual invitations will require work if they have to be sent out. Decisions, decisions...

I think I'm going to surf the web awhile and start on the laundry and then hit the bed with a book. We have dance in the morning and then chores the rest of the day. I'm hoping to whip the house back into shape this weekend. It is downright embarrassing at the moment.

European Travel--Things I learned

Pack lighter! I read it over and over at the Fodor's forums, but I didn't pay attention because I wanted to be able to cart home my souvenirs easily. I could have fit all my clothes in a 22" rollaboard, but I took the 25" suiter instead. While I appreciated having my pillow with me (left it behind when I left to make room for the souvenirs), if we were doing much train travel or carting around with the luggage, I definitely would appreciate smaller and lighter. You can probably buy an inexpensive tote bag to check on the way home if absolutely necessary. We put all our dirty clothes into a tote that we had packed in our luggage on the way home and packed the souvenirs where those clothes would be in the suitcase.

I had planned to mail souvenirs home but was told not to trust the local post office in Serbia, so I'm glad I had room for the souvenirs in my luggage. It was heavy getting on and off the train though. It was also difficult to navigate from the Tube to the hotel in London. If the tube station isn't almost in site of the hotel with a large suitcase, I would go ahead and take a cab from the tube station to the hotel.

I was smart in packing just a little over a week's worth of clothing and doing the laundry locally. I wore just about everything I packed, with the exception of perhaps one outfit.

Also, I didn't use most of what I thought was essential in a carry-on. The inflatable neck pillow was important as was the eye mask on the plane. We should have shut the window shades when we went to sleep. It never occurred to us and the sun popped up as we passed into morning with the time zone passage and once it hit my eyes, I was awake! The noise canceling headphones with light classical music playing were marvelous. Definitely want to take those again. I might carry a book or I might not on an overnight flight. I found that I didn't read it on the trip over and only minimally on the trip home. I did knit both ways though and I did listen to my iPod, but I listened equally to the plane's entertainment system on the international segment. The inflight music wasn't always available on shorter runs--that is when the iPod came in handy. The pashmina was helpful for warmth as I needed it as well. I used the airplane blanket around my legs and their pillow as a lumbar support.

I carried snacks, but would have been fine not carrying them or putting them in checked luggage. I had plenty to eat on the planes and water was plentiful.

Definitely carry your prescription medicines with you.

The purse I bought at Totes with a strap across my body and one snap and one zip compartment was perfect for almost everything. The passports fit in the zipper section and the credit cards and money/change in the snap section. My daughter carried a small purse size backpack with the umbrella, guide book and camera since I was carrying everything else. She was even able to stuff her jacket inside.

If returning to the dorm in Serbia, bring a small battery operated fan (no more than 7") in case of heat--extra batteries would be nice, but they are pretty cheap there. Buy the Eveready batteries if replenishing in Europe--the local "cheap" option were also not durable. Find an electronics store ASAP if it is hot for an electric fan! Also, if we return to Serbia, I will carry a towel of my own. I will carry some small gifts from home that I can give to the ladies that work in the dormitory. I will carry a local phrase book/dictionary to aid in communication. Carrying pictures of my family on the iPod was great as a communication/sharing device. These are good ideas if staying in other areas as part of a home-stay or hostel/dormitory experience as well.


Carry an unlocked cell phone and buy local SIMS for the cheapest option. Incoming calls are free in Europe on a cell phone. Arrange for a cheap international plan on your home phone for family to call your cell phone. Activate international Blackberry service before your trip to easily check email or take your chances with the internet cafes. Personally, I wouldn't mess with lugging around a laptop.

While I didn't read on the planes much, I did read at night in the hotel/dorm room. Research the area and see if there are English language bookstores in the area to buy books as you go and then leave behind for other travellers. If not, carry a supply that will be reasonable while you are in the areas that lack in bookstores. Don't plan to read a tremendous amount though. Touring will take up your days, leisurely meals and walks will take up your evenings (or other entertainment). Even if you are a voracious reader, you more than likely will not read at anything approaching your normal reading pace.

Take a deck of cards. Take a ballpoint pen. If you can email trip reports to family, friends or even just yourself, that will act as a journal. If not, carry a journal to write in. You will want to remember everything clearly for yourself and your grandchildren. Take your family's addresses with you on a mailing labels folded into your luggage so you can just put a sticker on a postcard and mail. That was a very good idea and helpful. It also tells you quickly if you sent someone a postcard or not. Postcards make good memories for later as well...those pictures are taken by professionals and are probably better than yours if you are just shooting it for the overall architecture or view. Don't sacrifice taking your own pictures too though. Those will trigger memories of what else was going on as you took them.

Pack the adapter and/or converter for your appliances. Take fully charged cell phone, camera, iPod, etc. to hold you until you are in a stable place to charge. If you want the freedom to charge more than one overnight, carry more than one adapter. I wish I had carried my sync cords for my cell phone and my iPod. It would have allowed me to charge them without an adapter when convenient.

I took several credit cards and more than one ATM card. I didn't end up needing more than one of each, but it gave me peace of mind in case an ATM had eaten one or a card had gotten refused. I just put them in the waist money belt or a room safe when possible. Getting money locally at the ATM is the cheapest and easiest option. All the ATM's I saw always had a "choose language" feature that included English.

While I read over and over that taking scarves to "dress up" and change your outfits was a good plan, I didn't wear a scarf more than once or twice in 3 weeks. That was probably because it was so hot. I ended up sweaty and gross in anything that was around my neck. I didn't take much jewelry and that was good, because I didn't want to wear it in the heat either.

I didn't think about my feet or hands swelling when it got really hot. I didn't wear my wedding ring for almost the entire 2 weeks in Serbia and my comfortable shoes were not as comfortable after a couple of days due to my feet swelling. The spare pair that were slightly large from having stretched through use however (leather) were perfect when my feet swelled. You don't need more than 2 pairs of shoes.

A smile goes a long way toward shared communication--it truly is universal. Gestures and simple drawings (stick figures) can go a long way toward aiding communication when you don't have a dictionary as well. A small map of the US might have been nice so that I could show people where Alabama is instead of telling them that it was the state next door to Florida--where Mickey Mouse lives! :-) Most young people speak at least some English and appreciate the opportunity to practice their skills. That is helpful for those of us who don't have a facility for languages. Everyone appreciates your attempting at least a few words in their language though. That is true here and abroad.

Ice cream is better in Europe. Some soft drinks are better in Europe and I wish they would make them here. Ask for "still" water to make sure you don't end up with mineral water. Almost every drink comes in a bottle. When in doubt in a restaurant, point to a picture. The menus are often in English, but also often have pictures that you can point to. Since the local, non-tourist, place is often the best and won't have the English, the pictures can be very helpful. If not, just take your chances and try whatever you end up with. This is an adventure, remember!

Friday, August 10, 2007

Well, the 7 hour time zone difference was easy for me to readjust to...starting back to work was not! :-) I came home this afternoon and took a 4 hour nap. I'd probably still be sleeping but Eleanor woke me up. She said she was worried I'd wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to go back to sleep. When I woke up, I wasn't feeling like that would be an issue, but she might have been correct. We went and got something to eat at Quizno's after that. I wasn't up to cooking at 8PM and I still felt dead tired, although I'm a little perkier now...unfortunately.

School went well, but I am so glad we start with a partial week. We switched class schedules this year and no longer rotate and have a class disappear from the rotation every day. I think each class period is slightly shorter, but I am seeing every class every day which is something I really wanted. I hated that everyone was always slightly off pace with one another and in order to get them together, I would often not cover quite as much in all classes trying to keep them together. Hopefully I'll get more done this way. We'll start the real curriculum work on Monday. Yesterday we worked a little on the US citizenship test (pilot version) for students to see how they would fare if they had to test in order to become a US citizen. Their homework was to read through the rules and procedures at my website last night and come in with questions, prepared for a quiz. I gave that quiz today and then went over the answers while they graded it, elaborating a little on items that I thought they would have questions about.

We'll start a unit on media bias on Monday and then move into regular curriculum from there. I need to sit down in a focused time and place and work on some real long-term lesson planning though so I can keep up with the requirements of all the IEP's I have this year which seem to require a little longer term planning from me with regard to notification of test dates, etc. That isn't how I normally function and often feel free to change things on the fly when I think of something that I want to do with the kids that goes with the flow--teachable moment and all that. This will definitely challenge my normal methods, keeping up with these mandates. I'm not sure how I'll feel about it...guess I'll see. Of course, I will still keep up with teachable moments and those flashes of genius. I think it is part of what makes me a good teacher so I'm not going to sacrifice it. I plan to take the laptop with me to dance class tomorrow and work while Eleanor has class. That is a 2 hour block that hopefully I can use to my advantage.

We missed dance class tonight because a storm came up that was pretty intense (60mph winds) and I didn't want to drive until it ended. I laid down for a 15 minute rest and ended up sleeping 4 hours, so no dance. Whoops. We were all tired though. She will probably perform better in class tomorrow than she would have tonight.

I need to pick up our American edition of HP7 which I reserved before my trip. It is slightly different from the UK version and I have all of the books in hardback, American version, so this will complete the set. Eleanor is taking French I this year too and so I feel a need to buy her a dictionary for class. She said the teacher was getting some, but I feel like she needs one at home too. I'll go to Books a Million tomorrow while we are out for dance class and take care of these items. I think Amelia has some books to return to the library too and I'll be passing the library tomorrow so I should return those. I also need to find my copy of our school's summer reading book and read it this weekend. The author is coming to speak at our school the week of August 20th and so I feel like I need to complete the homework like the kids to appreciate it. The book is "Riding the Bus with my Sister"...it's not something I would normally read, but I'll give it a whirl. I need to pay the bills this weekend too--yuck!

I think I'll take my Requip now and lay down and read for awhile before bed. It's 9:21 and I want to get to bed close to normal bedtime so I can maintain the consistent sleep schedule all week. It should help me readjust more quickly to the early wake up call! Good night.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

It's hard to believe I've been home a whole week. Today was filled again with meetings in the morning. I met Will at the mechanics at lunch time and we went to lunch together at a "meat and 3". I then got a little bit done at school, but not a tremendous amount. I had a visit from a former student and that was nice to have that little chat and "check in". They occur infrequently and it is always nice to hear how a former student is doing and to visit.

The girls are back into the ballet schedule at this point. Eleanor is taking daily...every day except Sunday. Amelia is taking twice a week and Olivia will be taking lyrical and one ballet. We grabbed Quizno's on the way home. I really need to eat healthier!

I'm doing a quick check-in here and then I'm headed to bed. That 6AM alarm seems earlier and earlier at the moment. I'm tired!

Kellye

Post-Trip Report and random ramblings

We arrived home on Tuesday, July 31, about 11PM. We managed to roll into bed around midnight and slept like the dead for about 9 hours. I felt pretty good on Wednesday. I even went to work for awhile and we went to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as a family on Wednesday night. Again, we fell into bed and slept like the dead though. :-)

The adjustment to time zone this direction has been easier for me. However, I have noticed that I generally have an easier time gaining time than losing it. When I went to California several years ago, I had no trouble adjusting to the time on the West coast, but it took me a few days to readjust to home. I always have an easier time with the fall time change (CDST to CST) than I do with the spring time change. Good info to have...it tells me that I need to schedule in a day or two to adjust to time zones on the way to Europe, but I can come home at the last minute and be able to adjust easily without needing to rest up a couple of days when I get back.

On Thursday and Friday, I had responsibilities at school for the new school year and so I got up and leisurely got ready for an afternoon at school each day. My letter to parents is written and my room is arranged the way I want it. Now to work on items of substance for my curriculum.

This weekend was a "sales tax free" weekend on clothing, shoes and school supplies, so Friday afternoon, the girls and I headed to the mall for back to school shopping. We shopped for about 10 hours. Whew! The good news is that Eleanor is now able to fit into the junior department--wearing 00 jeans. I didn't even know they made a size that small. She is excited that she isn't stuck in the children's department any more. We shopped for shoes for Eleanor on Saturday and for a few accessories for all of the girls as well. All of the girls got cute things, with accessories, and I think we are finished with that...at least for now.

I start school tomorrow and need to spend some time today getting ready--both at school and at home. I bought myself a new desk chair at Big Lots yesterday because my personal desk chair was broken by someone. It's hard to know who with all the floating teachers and substitutes that come through my room. Hopefully this one will be a little hardier.

I need to download the CPS for Powerpoint program onto my desktop at school so that I can edit powerpoints for the first week or so. When I went up on Saturday night, it looked like they had hooked up all my new equipment, although I did not try to take anything for a test drive yet. I don't want to mess anything up! I think I'll check on that again this afternoon while Olivia is at a birthday party.

...I'll do the "at school" part tomorrow. When I was there on Saturday evening, the girls left my ID with the scan code to get in the building in my classroom. Oh well. I was able to finish my opening powerpoint/quiz for the year from home since I had my USB flash drive.

Hope to go to bed early. 6:00AM will come early, especially when I'm no longer used to it!

Pictures from our European Adventure

I have uploaded our pictures to http://www.flickr.com/photos/10852435@N06. They are divided into locations--the European Adventure is in the folders labeled Scenes from Budapest, Novi Sad, Grebel Ballet workshop and London.

Europe Trip Report--Day 21

This picture was taken in the airport in Amsterdam as we were leaving for the US.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

We had an early start this morning with a 4:30AM alarm. We left for the airport by cab at 5:10 for a 7:00 flight. Turned out that the 7:00 flight has been discontinued and we were instead on a 7:40 flight...wish we had known that...we could have slept a little longer. There is a long story attached to why we didn't know that. No harm done though.

We got to Amsterdam and breezed through passport control and customs and then rechecked our bags with Northwest. We had about an hour and a half to kill and so we shopped in the shops in the airport...we had to buy wooden shoes! Eleanor finally spent a little money on herself too.

The flight to the US was long! That is about all I can say. We got to Hartford about half an hour late and stood in the long passport control line after standing in the long line for the ladies room. They waved us through customs though which was good.

We stood in a really long security line in Hartford and each of us got singled out for hand inspection...go figure...we've been through 2 other countries today and it is CT that checks us by hand! Border patrol even waved us by! They did have an interesting machine we had to stand in which blew puffs of air (I'm wearing a skirt). We also went through the normal metal detector machine. I'm not sure what the puff of air machine does but it was interesting. (Update: a friend said it checks for drug residue and explosives residue--since we came from Amsterdam, I guess it makes sense they would check for the drug residue!)

We are scheduled to arrive in Birmingham at 10:30 tonight which will put us right at 24 hours of travel. We are both very weary now as we wait for our delayed connection to Atlanta. We have a couple hours in Atlanta so hopefully we will make it!

....We both napped on this connection. I also got my toe crunched. I had stretched into the aisle a little and someone stepped on my foot on their way to the restroom. It smarted for a little while.

Made it to Atlanta and I have talked with my husband, my mother in law and father in law, my dad and my daughters...it is nice not to worry about the cost of the cell connection again. The chairs at the gate here are quite comfy and have footrests as well. Quite traveller friendly...which is a nice touch for Atlanta. Anyone who has to travel through Atlanta knows what I mean by that!

I am going to go ahead and send now. They will board us in about 20 minutes for this flight.

Kellye and Eleanor

P.S. We got into Birmingham about 11PM. By the time we got to bed, it was about a 26 hour day for us...whew!

Europe Trip Report--Day 20

Reading in Green Park, London. We rented time in the chairs for 2 pounds for 2 hours. We rested and Eleanor worked on her second reading of The Deathly Hallows for about an hour. It was quite pleasant--about 68 degrees and sunny.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Well, it looks like this will be our last day in Europe. The Delta waitlist still hasn't cleared so back we go tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing my husband and children again, but regret that I didn't get to tour Parliament or the Tower of London. London isn't at the top of my wish list for our next trip to Europe either...but only because of the really poor exchange rate. Maybe if the dollar ever strengthens, it will move back up that list!

We overslept a bit this morning and headed out about 8:40. We walked through St. James' Park to get to Buckingham Palace and started with a tour of the Queen's Art Gallery. This season it features Italian artists. There were some really lovely pieces. I bought postcards of some of my favorites. I liked the furniture and official gifts from other heads of state the best.

We then toured the state rooms of the Palace. Oh my! I could live there...so long as I had the staff, that is...and a sofa or two to kick back and relax on! There is also a special exhibition to celebrate the Queen's 60th wedding anniversary this November...beautiful dress and jewelry. The displayed wedding gifts were very nice.

We skipped the Royal Mews in favor of a picnic lunch in the park, with the food courtesy of Marks & Spencer. We then attempted to shop for clothes for Eleanor, but she is in that awkward phase where she has to wear kid's clothes for size, but is too mature to want to wear anything from that department. Shopping was a failure.

We did pick up our pre-ordered copies of HP7 for family and friends.

We had a rest in Green Park for about an hour and then walked back through St James' Park. We stopped to have dinner at a place across from the Treasury Building called The Red Lion. Eleanor is varying the menu a bit....tonight it is steak and fries.

I think we are going to make an early night of it tonight and pack and watch a little British TV. Our flight to Amsterdam leaves at 7AM so we will have a long day of it. We are supposed to arrive in Birmingham at 10:45 tomorrow night, so approximately 24 hours of travel when all is said and done.

...We did stay in this evening and it was a good thing because I needed to finish my listing of purchases for customs declaration when we come home and pack. I am not really sure how that whole customs thing works....do I list a total and have to make a declaration? Or, since I am within the limits for the US, do I just choose the nothing to declare line? Anyone who knows please feel free to give me some guidance!I'm going to get ready for bed now since it is almost 10PM and we need to leave for the airport at 5AM. Assuming nothing odd happens tomorrow, I guess this is my last report from Europe!

Kellye and Eleanor

Europe Trip Report--Day 19

Picture was taken in the British Museum in one of the Egyptian rooms. Eleanor took the picture with me looking through the exhibit...kind of a neat effect.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

We have had a good day today. We got a little later start than I wanted but Eleanor needed a bit of a lie-in. The concierge never contacted us with the info on the Presbyterian Churches in the area either, so we decided not to go anywhere else. We rode the tube to Victoria station and had breakfast. Eleanor had Krispy Kreme...a taste from home.

We then changed to a bus line and went to the British Museum. That place is enormous. Highlights...Rosetta Stone, Elgin marbles, mummies, 19th century porcelain and jewelry. We didn't do the place justice. It just can't be done in 2-3 hours. Eleanor took tons of pictures. I've posted quite a few on our photo website.

We stopped for lunch at a pub across the street from the museum where once again my non-adventurous child (at least gastronomically) had a burger and fries. I had fish and chips. I'm sure I could get better fish and chips somewhere, but it worked for satisfying my desire to have some while in England.

We then went to the British Library to see the Gutenberg Bible and the Magna Carta. The original musical scores from as early as 970AD and from the Beatles were a hit (no pun intended), especially since you could listen to the music too (and not just the Beatles music). There is also a special exhibit called Sacred which highlights artifacts and texts from Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The atmosphere was hushed and reverential. I am so glad we didn't miss it, especially since we did miss Evensong at Westminster Abbey.

Rode a combination of a bus and tube lines back to the hotel to freshen up and put up our feet a bit before starting out again.

We had tickets to a dance performance at Sadlers Wells tonight. We found it this afternoon, quite by accident...which is a good thing. Thank goodness for the impulse purchase of a maps of London book before I came. It saved us more than once today!

...We are going to be late to the show! We got on a subway train that is having difficulties--as in, I'm not sure we'll make it to the next station other than crawling out of the train and walking up the tracks kind of difficulty. If we can get to the next station soon (or at all) we can switch lines though and still get to our performance.

....We managed to change lines. Eleanor is an on-time freak though and she is really stressing about this. Funny names for stations/towns too...we are now on the Piccadilly line and the last stop North is called Cockfosters...I just know there is an interesting story there somewhere! I didn't get an opportunity to ask anyone about the town. The internet might be a good source for info. I'll have to research it.

...The show was "interesting." For a dance performance, it was a little mature for both of us! It was at least loosely based on Carmen. The other influence according to the director/choreographer was "A Postman Always Rings Twice." It was much more sexual than either of us desired for a dance performance!

There was an express bus back to Victoria station outside at the end. We couldn't use our day passes on that bus, but it was a double decker bus and we sat up top and saw a part of the city we might not have seen otherwise. It also took us right back to Victoria station which is just one stop from our hotel. Eleanor took some interesting pictures too with the lights and blur of movement.

We grabbed a very late dinner at Victoria station. I had a Cornish meat pasty (thank you Walter for the suggestion); Eleanor had Burger King. ;-) A Whopper value meal is 4.99....pounds that is. Double that amount and you have the total. She ate a kids meal and it was $7.

We caught the tube back to the hotel and we are going to turn in. We have a tour of Buckingham Palace at 9:45 in the morning and we are going to walk and get some pictures and see more of London on the way. I want to leave the hotel by 8:00 so we can enjoy a leisurely walk. I think the afternoon will be shopping on Oxford and Bond streets. Eleanor wants a chic outfit from London for school. Since she really hasn't bought much of anything on this trip, other than ice cream, she has plenty to work with.

Good night!

Kellye and Eleanor

Europe Trip Report--Day 18

Eleanor in front of the Heathrow Express. This was more expensive than some of the mass transit options from the airport, but well worth it in time and ease of commute.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

We're in London! Stevan and his nephew picked us up at 8 this morning to take us to Belgrade to catch our flight to London and then waited until we were through passport control. The flight was packed but uneventful. I sat next to a man from Ireland who was returning home with his family from a European Youth Olympics event which his 17 year old daughter had competed in. It was interesting sharing our experiences in Serbia.

We went through passport control at Heathrow and had our luggage within 30 minutes...nothing to declare. Got some money and bought tickets for the Heathrow Express. We rode the tube to Waterloo station and were going to walk to our hotel but the roads wind in such a way that we ended up jumping into a "black cab" after about 15 minutes and riding the rest of the way. It cost £3 for the cab...well worth it! Our luggage was just getting heavier and heavier with each step! Obviously we were very close though. The instructions I had received from people told me to go to the Westminster tube stop, but the map made Waterloo look closer. Now I know that Westminster was a better option...live and learn!

Our room is very nice...and such a contrast to dorm life. We are quite comfortable with our air conditioning! Of course it's only 73 outside but the air is on in our room! Eleanor is cataloguing the luxuries for me...bathrobes, toiletries, turn down service, etc. The funniest is the umbrella in the closet! There is also a complete setup to make tea of course.

We have tickets to see Wicked tonight. It is almost 5:00 PM and we are going to change clothes and go find someplace to eat before the show and look around a little.

...We ate dinner at a restaurant near the theater called "The Duke of York". I had a very traditional British dinner of a meat pastry with gravy, mashed potatoes, and green peas. Excellent flavor. Eleanor ordered a monstrous Angus burger and fries. She could only eat half of the burger.

We then headed to the theater. It is just across the street from Victoria Station. Arrived at the theater, picked up the tickets from will call with jackets on due to temperature (a nice change we thought), bought a program and some refreshments and went to find our seats. I will admit that I splurged on the tickets and picked them carefully after much research, but I won't say how much of a splurge it was. These are awesome seats!!!! I am attaching a picture of the set (if it will take). We are in the dress circle, four rows up, dead center on the aisle!

Update from intermission...Awesome show!!!!! And at intermission, they sell ice cream too! Again...better ice cream than I ever get at home. You should travel to Europe just for ice cream!

The show was terrific! We exited the theater to rain. Unfortunately, we didn't bring the umbrella and so we are a bit damp from the walk from the tube station to the hotel. That's OK though. It's been so long since we have seen rain and, besides, it's London. It's supposed to rain here, right?

We aren't completely sure what we are going to do in the morning. The concierge is researching Presbyterian churches in the area...I stumped him. He knew where the Catholic church was, but I even had to spell Presbyterian. Scotland it ain't! Hopefully he will figure it out soon and call with a location.

We are also trying to decide between the Tower of London and a street market. The Portobello Road market is on Saturday so we missed that, but the Camden Market is active on Sunday.

Monday we are going to Buckingham Palace for the Queen's summer opening while she is at Balmoral. Maybe we will flip a coin in the morning. The only certainty is that we won't have enough time to see everything we want to see. We will just have to come back!

Cheerio!

Kellye and Eleanor

Europe Trip Report--Day 17

There was a party for the girls in the ballet program on Friday evening. Here are 5 of them, 3 from the US and 2 from Serbia. Eleanor is on the left.

Friday, July 27, 2007

This morning we got into a conversation with Svetlana, the director of the dorm, at breakfast. She and I share an interest in history and she is very knowledgeable about the area and its history. She asked if we had been in any of the churches and we said that we had only seen them from the outside. She offered to escort us to a couple of them this morning. We are just waiting on Brenda to finish getting ready....she takes a lot longer than my typical 30-40 minutes!This changes my plan for the day, but for the better. I will choose a church and a personal guided tour over a museum any day!

......What an amazing day! Svetlana spent several hours taking us around the city, gaining us access to places we would not have been able to go as tourists. One of those places was the library of the Matiska Serbska or the Order of the Serbs. This organization was formed about 200 years ago to preserve Serbian culture, learning and the arts. The library is undergoing restoration and she is not only a member of the organization, but knows the people in charge of the restoration. We had a chance meeting on the street and next thing I know we are headed into the building to look around. They were doing excellent work with superb craftsmanship. I wish I could have taken pictures, but I was not allowed.

From there we headed to the Orthodox Church. It was a modest building on the outside, but from the inside....not at all modest! There was lots of gold leafing, beautiful and ornate stained glass windows and murals and frescoes on the walls and ceiling. There were two in particular that took my interest and imagination. One was of a triangle with the all-seeing eye of God inside. The other mural was above the entrance to the Bishop's room--would be behind the altar in our churches--that mural depicted Jesus sitting at the right hand of God. I knew with certainty that it was God because the shape surrounding his head was a triangle like in the other mural, which the more typical circle indicating holiness surrounded Jesus' head. The Holy Spirit was also there as a dove ascending (or descending--I'm not really sure). On Jesus' knee rested the Bible which represented to me that the Word was eternal. It was very moving. I wish I could have taken pictures, but there were people entering almost continuously for prayer and I felt that would be disrespectful.

We then walked through the park and on to a cafe for refreshment and conversation. We talked a lot about Milosevic and how scary it was when he was in power. Her husband is a doctor and he was forcibly conscripted until they could find someone who could get him out. They then went into hiding until NATO removed Milosevic. Of course there was also great deprivation as a result of the bombing campaign and she outlined that for us as well. She has no children, at least in part because she is a pacifist and didn't feel that a country in war was the place to bring children. She then aged and lost that opportunity. I think she was at peace with that decision, but it made me sad for her.

She also took us to the "Strand" which is a public beach on the Danube. I saw entirely too many old, fat men in Speedos and older, fat women in string bikinis. I DID NOT take pictures!

After the beach outing it was time to buy some flowers for the dancers and head to the studio. Eleanor did very well. I received wonderful compliments on her progress. They said she may have gotten the most out of the experience because she was willing to try whatever they asked her to try, even if she wasn't really ready for it technically. She hopes to come back next year. We'll have to wait and see what the terms of the situation are and also look at the budget.

On the way back to the dorm, we popped into the cathedral to see it. While it is most impressive from the outside, it wasn't nearly as pretty inside as the Orthodox church. I'm glad I looked in--now I won't wonder what I missed!

After dinner, there was a party at the dorm for all the dancers. Then we packed to leave. Next stop London!

Ciao for now!

Kellye and Eleanor

Europe Trip Report--Day 16

Picture is taken from the city center with a few more people in the square mid-day. Look at how blue that sky is...not even a cloud in sight. The birds caught my attention.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Brenda and I walked to the bus stop and took a local bus to the base of the Petrovaradin Fortress this morning. There are about 500 steps carved into the mountain side that you have to climb to get to the top but the view is well worth it when you get there. I think I have gotten some good pictures.The Fortress dates to the 18th century and they have taken some of the buildings and turned them into restaurants with tables on a large patio overlooking Novi Sad and the Danube. Unfortunately, 2 very persistent bees were interested in me. Since I didn't have any Benadryl with me and I am very allergic, we found it prudent to eat inside.

We chose the Asian restaurant. They serve foods from about 8 different Asian countries. It was very flavorful and a little spicy. There was also an Italian restaurant for their favorite food here...pizza. Also, a French restaurant...that would have been nice. This was the most I have spent for a meal in Serbia...$16 with tip. Another building up there is being renovated into a hotel. It will have a commanding view of the Danube.

In 1999, all the bridges over the Danube were destroyed by NATO when they were going after Milosevic'. The caretaker's son told us that some of the windows in our dorm were blown out during the bombing raids. He was 7 at the time. I can't imagine how scary that would have eben for him or for his parents who wanted to protect their children. They have done a nice job of rebuilding things here.

After we walked around the fortress, we took the bus back to the city. It stopped very close to the ballet school so we decided to go and watch the end of the modern class and the rehearsal for tomorrow's performance. We stopped and I bought Stevan an ice cream cone on the way back as our appetizer for dinner. He said he hadn't had any ice cream yet. We were shocked since it is a daily thing for us!

Dinner was pork again...they like pork here at the dorm. Very tasty though. They did my laundry one last time before we leave for London on Saturday. I found out the cost today although there wasn't a specific breakdown. As a group, we need to pay for internet service...which has been sporadic, and laundry...are you seated....$30. It was left to me to apportion it...which was difficult. I charged everyone $1 for internet and $5 for each of the other mother/daughter pairs who also did a couple of full loads of laundry and $1 for each of the other girls who did just a little laundry. I'm paying $10 for laundry because we did it 3 times. What a deal though...I still wish I could take them home with me.We also each have to pay a new registration fee/tax that goes to the police of $12.50 each. That wasn't in the original costs because it is new. We can pay Stevan because he is paying the dorm. He prefers US$ and I have some in my record pouch so at least I don't have to go and get any more dinars from the ATM. Eleanor and I each have about $20 of dinars at this point which will take care of lunch tomorrow for each of us and water at the airport after we pass security in Belgrade on Saturday.

I need to go and get Eleanor to get her things together in the girls' room that she was sharing so I can pack up tomorrow while she is in class. They have a performance with the Serbian girls at 5:00 tomorrow and a celebration/party here at the dorm at 8:00 tomorrow night with everyone. We won't want to pack during that and we need to leave for Belgrade and the airport at 8:00 AM on Saturday morning to catch the flight to London.I also want to try and go to the contemporary art museum here tomorrow as it is the only thing that I haven't seen that I wanted to see.

Gotta run...Ciao!

Kellye and Eleanor

PS...the pictures I'm attaching are the best from the phone...the really good ones are on the camera memory card of course.

Europe Trip Report--Day 14

There are painted cows all over the town center of Novi Sad to celebrate summer. This one was my favorite. After we left, Eleanor told me that a "puzzle" cow was her favorite--I didn't get a picture of it though. She should have told me earlier!

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Hot, hot, hot....again! I looked on weather.com this evening and saw that the hottest temperature anywhere in the U.S. today (at least at 1PM central time) was lower than the temperature here at 8PM. Jeesh! However, we have a storm brewing right now and it's supposed to be in the 80's the next couple of days with lows in the 60's--yeah!!!! I am SOOOO ready for that.

Brenda's little rash/blisters on her foot have spread a little. We looked up the key ingredients in Lamisil and Tinactin and went to the chemist to get her something. She was thinking it might be something fungal like an athlete's foot kind of rash. They gave further instructions to her on how to use the spray we were introduced to as well. Hopefully she will feel better quickly. I'm thinking it might be something viral--she stayed off her feet most of the day today so she didn't aggravate it. And for those of you who are worried with the communal showers, she has worn flip flops in the shower the entire time, so she isn't spreading whatever this is.

We went to lunch about 3PM and then walked around just a little, poking in shops on the way back to the dorm. We found a shop with postcards so I'll be writing some to the family tonight. I then hopped online and tried to follow the latest scandal for Hoover High. It's certainly been our summer at that school... NOT!

I also picked up a Serbian SIM card today. The European SIM that I purchased with a Lichtenstein number is supposedly .39 Euros per minute to the U.S. You can only recharge in $90 increments though and that only gives about 45 minutes which means it either has a heck of a surcharge and/or it is more than .39 Euros per minute. I went into one of the thousands of little cell phone stores here in Novi Sad (slight exaggeration) and asked her to look up the costs for their cards for calls to the U.S. It is 30 dinars per minute--about .50. It came with 200 dinars on it; I could recharge in any amount from 50-10000 dinars. I chose 600 (about $10) and when I did it, she informed me that with that amount I got an automatic doubling bonus so I now have about 1400 dinars on the card, which I calculate will give me about 45 minutes of outgoing calls (incoming are free), all for $13 or so. Much better deal! I'll have this whole system figured out by the time I go home...and the mistakes I made were after doing extensive research! Next time, buy local SIM card and email the phone number home to your family!

Eleanor and I walked out for ice cream about 8:30 tonight. The ice cream here is unbelievably good. The wind was really kicking up though and all the cafe's were struggling to put down their umbrellas before the storm took them away. We decided it would be prudent to come on home.

I think Brenda and I are going to play Scrabble or cards in a few minutes....neither of us is tired and we can't take part in our usual evening pastime of sitting in the courtyard with the storm starting.Tomorrow, I am going to get out and explore--the high is supposed to be 85--that is so much more reasonable for me. Thursday is supposed to be around the same...just in time since we leave on Saturday for London where the long term forecast says in the 70's--hip, hip, hooray! I need to explore the rest of this town while it is cooler. The heat is supposed to start creeping back on Friday. I haven't been to the museums yet or to the Fortress. We didn't go to the Fortress last week because they were still cleaning up from the EXIT music festival. I think that is completed now though so maybe we can see a little more before we leave.

That is about all for today--sorry to be so short tonight. It's been quiet and lazy here for me. Eleanor is gaining more confidence in her dancing and feels like she is improving--a thought which has been echoed to me by her teachers. Since that was the purpose of the trip, I'm happy to hear that. She is really enjoying the dance classes and the cameraderie with the other girls. I'm happy we were able to make this trip this summer for both of us. I'll write more tomorrow!

Ciao!

Kellye

By the way, it turns out that the Scrabble game had Cyrillic letters! Oh well. I'll leave it with one of the Serbian girls when we leave.

Europe Trip Report--Day 15

The monastery school in Sremski Karlovci. Religion is Orthodox.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

The weather is so amazingly beautiful today. It is in the 80's with a cool breeze blowing and sunshine that is pleasant rather than oppressive. Someone on this list must have been praying pretty powerfully about the weather for me...thank you! God has delivered up a gorgeous start to my final week in Europe.

That is all I'm going to say about weather any more. Will said he was tired of the weather reports! He told me about that after I typed this though so I'm not changing it! ;-)

I am sitting on a bench in the shade on the banks of the Danube writing to you. In person, the 'Blue Danube' isn't so blue--only when the sun hits it perfectly. It does make me want to waltz though. It looks blue in some of the pictures that I took though. I'l attach one today; let me know if it looks blue at all.

I went to two museums this morning. The Gallery of Foreign Art was a funny little place with a special exhibit on a Serbian opera singer. I'm not certain how that fits with foreign art?? Nothing was marked in English and I couldn't take pictures. There was an amazing porcelain fireplace/stove that I wish I could have captured on film...actually I wish I could take it home and put it in my living room. My bet is that it is Austrian--this used to be part of the Austro-Hungarian empire--probably late 18th century. No markings/placards however and the proprietors spoke no more English than I spoke Serbian.

The second museum was the Museum of Vojvodina. Novi Sad is the capital of the autonomous province of Vjovodina, Serbia. It encompasses the Northern half of Serbia. This museum was a history of the region from the stone age until quite recently. The largest placards explaining the history and the exhibit were only in Serbian, but the small labelling of artifacts was in Serbian and English. Of course I wish I had someone to translate the largest placards to me but at least I could identify the artifacts! The ones that I found most fascinating started in the middle ages with the religious history of the area. There were Bibles, liturgy books and prayer books from around 1200 to 1800. Beautiful illustrations and colors. The religious icons and sacramental items (and the vestments) were so ornate. I can't find the words to describe their beauty without a dictionary handy. There was also a small section with Jewish religious artifacts.

I also passed a little shop today near the Orthodox Church which sells icons and other religious items. I may need to at least poke my head in and look.I also really liked the section on applied arts or handicrafts. There were handcrafted pieces of furniture which were carved and then painted for ornamentation. The linens and traditional clothing were so richly detailed...we need a national costume in the US!

After the museums, I walked through the Duneska Park to the river. Duneska means Danube apparently. I sat there for about 30 minutes snapping pics, writing to you and just enjoying the view and the day. I walked back toward the center but took a detour and found a farmer's market and flea market. Very colorful....even well past morning.

It was about 2:00 by this time so I headed to the square to find a cafe to have lunch. I branched out to someplace new today and had fried chicken breast and fries with a fascinating dip for the fries...a yogurt/sour cream. It was good. They use sour cream in place of mayonnaise here. I've had it as the dressing on a ham sandwich and on a tuna sandwich and liked it, but then I like sour cream a lot. Note to Amelia--you need to try this with me--you'll love it!

The merchants have got to love this change in weather too. Every other day that I have been here, the square has been deserted from about 2-6 in the afternoon because of the heat. It is full of people today!

I am going to go back to the dorm and check on Brenda. At breakfast she said that her foot was not any better and she thought that she might need to brave a local doctor. I need to see how she is doing.

Brenda was not there when I got back but she returned by dinner. She decided to keep using what she has bought for one more day and hope it works. I hope so for her sake. Keep her in your prayers please.

The girls were invited to a party tonight at the local ballet teacher's home. Eleanor said it was just for the girls so I stayed home. I hope she is having a good time. The local girls were coming too.

Tomorrow I am going to the Fortress to look around. It is a centuries old military fortress (about two centuries, so plural is appropriate) and museum. There is also a modern art museum near the ballet school. I may try to get by there as well. I also need to go by the airline office and reconfirm our flight to London on Saturday. Strangely, Eleanor has a seat assignment but I don't!

The caretaker just walked through to the front door and I hear the girls. I guess I'll see how the party went. I hear happy voices so I guess it was fun.More tomorrow

...Ciao!

Europe Trip Report--Day 13

This picture was taken at Fruska Gora Park on Saturday. It is of Stevan and Debbie with the American dancers on the trip. Note that Vivian has her Harry Potter bag with her! The book is in it.

Monday, July 23, 2007

I can't believe it has been almost 2 weeks. Today was another fairly lazy day. I lay in bed after breakfast until I finished Harry Potter around 2:30 this afternoon. I am satisfied with the ending...it tied up loose ends nicely and I was content with the final resolution, if not happy with it. I laughed and I cried...both happy and sad tears.

After that I showered and dressed. Brenda was in the dining hall when I went to get some water. She was calling Debbie Grebel. Brenda has had a blister and rash on her toe and the director of the school told her that she thought that she needed to go to a doctor or the hospital. While we waited for Debbie to call us back, we sat and had our afternoon coffee break with the ladies. Instead of calling, Debbie came and told us that Stevan's nephew's wife had a friend who was a nurse practitioner and they would take us to Mickey's house to let her look at it.

What followed was a delightful couple of hours. We sat in her kitchen and talked and snacked and laughed. The friend told us to use something in a pressurized spray can called 'Enbechyn'...this is from the Cyrillic since I don't have that kind of keyboard on my phone! She said it had an antibiotic in it and Brenda said it had a freezing effect. She bought some and hopes it will heal things up by the time they leave on Sunday.

We were served some homemade lemonade which was very sweet...in contrast to the bottled lemonades here which are bitter. She said it was sweetened with flowers by boiling the water, using sugar and then, when the water is merely warm, adding the flowers and letting them steep for 24 hours, straining it and adding the lemon. Mickey looked up the plant on the internet because Brenda is really into plants. The plant is called Zava which translates to 'Elder'...didn't Aunt Bee in Mayberry make Elderberry wine? If this was any indication, that is a very sweet wine. It was excellent lemonade.Of course, the best part was being invited into a local home for refreshments and conversation...not to mention some local medical advice. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience and one to be savored and remembered.

Sandra walked us home and then took the girls to buy cake and ice cream to bring back to the dorm. They also bought nail polish and are currently doing the girly thing as a group. All I can say is that they better share some cake! :-)

One more thing...Stevan told us that the local TV station came to the studio today and taped some of the class and it will air tomorrow morning at 10. Sandra said they are going to tape it, but I don't know that I can get it into a format that is 'showable' at home. They use PAL format in Europe instead of NTSC. Mickey works in television though so maybe he has the resources to convert it...I hope so!That is really all I have to report. Museums were closed today so I didn't go anywhere on my own...maybe tomorrow. It was a little cooler...just under 100. That was nice...it was nice sitting in the air conditioned kitchen this afternoon too. Debbie said that they just got the A/C on Saturday!

K and E

Europe Trip Report--Day 12

Eleanor reading "Deathly Hallows" on Sunday while everyone else was swimming.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

I was awoken this morning to church bells calling everyone to mass and the sound of Stevan's voice in the hall calling with the sweet voice of an angel that he had FANS for me and Brenda!!!!!!!!

We had told him yesterday that we were going to the flea market this AM to try and find some. He was very worried about our falling prey to pickpockets and thieves and so he and his nephew went early and got them for us. Best $25 I have spent in awhile. When I leave, I will donate them to the ballet school. I think this means that my sweet daughter Eleanor has once again decided to room with mom! :-)

I had left our laundry with the ladies yesterday morning but they had indicated that they wouldn't get to it until Monday, so I washed out my undergarments in the sink last night and hung on the line to dry overnight. Spasenka came in to cook our breakfast this morning and she has already washed everything and is placing it on the line. She said the girl this afternoon will iron them and return them to me...I want to take these women home with me! Wow!!!!

I am taking Sunday as a day of rest. I took a nap after a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs and homemade chocolate croissants.I think I will get my shower in a moment--just past 1PM--and then walk to the corner store for more water bottles. This heat drains me of hunger so I may skip lunch entirely...we'll see.

Eleanor decided to stay home with me this afternoon rather than go swimming with the girls. She is enjoying Harry Potter and being lazy before starting the work of classes again tomorrow. I imagine 6 hours of dance class/rehearsals in a ballet studio without A/C in this heat is draining!

...We had cold leftover pizza from yesterday's lunch for lunch today. Our laundry was waiting in the dining room when we got there. Beyond payment in money, I need to think of something nice I can do for the staff here. They really go above and beyond what I am used to in terms of service!

Karen's mother invited Eleanor to go have ice cream with her a little while ago and I seized the opportunity to read another 50 pages of HP while she was gone. She has reclaimed it now though....I really did next to nothing today but am obviously very relaxed!

Karanna, Karen's mother, said that the staff came through cleaning the bathroom and mopping the floors about 6AM...I never heard them and I had our door open for airflow. At home, I wake up with the slightest noise and never nap! This sort of forced relaxation due to the heat is probably a really good thing!

Random thoughts:Smoking--everybody does it...everywhere. Friday afternoon, I saw a lady in a sidewalk cafe give a light to a Gypsy child who couldn't have been older than Amelia. They don't think a thing of it though.

Gypsies--they beg on the streets--only women and children--sometimes very old women. The other day an old, hunchbacked woman came by the cafe where we were eating seeking money. When I refused, she pointed to my half-eaten pizza, so I wrapped it up in some napkins and gave it to her. She seemed appreciative so I felt good about that. On the other hand, I saw a child begging for coins who didn't want anything but coins. Whatever the reason, I find myself suspicious of that...one more reason why I shouldn't occupy a profession which would require patience and forebearance in that situation! The ministry is definitely not my calling; or social work either.

Bug repellent--why can't they make it smell good AND work at home? It's an American company... I'm buying a couple of extra bottles and bringing them home with me!

Ciao!

K and E

Europe Trip Report--Day 11

This is a picture of the group at the winery in Sremzski Karlovci.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Today dawned bright and steamy. I attempted to sleep in slightly, but I was awoken by 2 teenage girls who wanted to pick up their copies of HP. I gave them directions and gave Eleanor some money and told them they didn't need me to walk 2 blocks to pick up pre-reserved copies of a book in a store with staff who speak English. They got lost even with good directions! Vivian is apparently somewhat hopeless with directions. They found it though and then wondered how they got lost because it was so easy to find!Eleanor read 15 pages and then went shopping with another girl. I read 77 pages while she was gone--I'm a much faster reader. She then took it back and is past me by quite a bit now. (She and Vivian took it with them on the sightseeing excursion today...hopeless!)

We found a little Italian place for lunch and now we are waiting for Stevan to take us to the tour....On a side note, I need to ask today where I can find boxes and packing tape. If I ship our Hungarian souvenirs home, then I don't have to lug them around or include them in my customs declaration according to my guide book. I know where the post office is....now to find the right boxes to send things..probably on the slowest boat through China to keep it cheap.Our suitcases were pretty heavy on and off that train the other day. I think I'm still within the 44lb European luggage limit but I'd rather not risk the excess baggage fees on our next legs.

The tour to Sremski Karlovci was fun. The tour company bought a red double-decker bus from London to do tours in the area. On the country roads, it took up more than half the road. Cars pulled out of our way!We had a guide who told us the history of the town and the area. It spans back to the Romans. We got to peek into an Orthodox service. The church was beautiful and so different...lots of incense, chanting and iconography.We then went to a family winery. They have been in business so long that bottles of their wine were found in the wreckage of the Titanic. We got to try a little of their wines. The Merlot was fine if you like Merlot. The other wine was a (sickenly) sweet dessert wine...I didn't particularly like it. It had a cinnamony taste. I took a ton of pictures, but took them with the good camera instead of the phone so I can't send them to you.

Our last stop was in the mountains of Fruska Gora. There was a park there...it reminded me of Oak Mountain Park, but without the lake. It was at least 20 degrees cooler there with a fairly constant cool breeze. It was heavenly. My favorite picture from the park was actually of 3 little girls who were playing badminton...but with one little girl being the net because they didn't have one!

We came back, had dinner and sat in the courtyard and talked. Vivian has finished HP already...I don't want to know what happens!The girls are going swimming tomorrow afternoon. I think the grown-ups are going to the museums.

There is a car parked somewhere nearby and they are playing a lot of American music on their radio...that is kind of surreal, especially when you consider that there isn't as much English spoken here as there was in Hungary.

I'm going to attempt bed now--wish that guy would turn off his radio though!

Ciao!

K and E

Europe Trip Report--Day 10

This picture is from the top of the Petrovaradin Fortress toward the city of Novi Sad


Friday, July 20, 2007





Well, I got into the computer lab tonight before they locked it up and I can type this on a real keyboard instead of painstakingly pecking it out on the Blackberry--hooray!!!!





I was lazy this morning and got up and had breakfast, but then went back to bed until 10:40--what a slug I was. I took a shower and knitted for awhile. One of the ladies who works here walked by and saw me knitting and indicated to me that she also knits. She was examining my pattern but I was on the phone with Will and didn't get to speak with her. I got on the internet later and found a Serbian-English dictionary and looked up the words to write out the pattern. It's a simple 4 row repeat--hopefully it was intelligible for her the way I wrote it out. When I took the pattern to her, she showed me a sweater vest that she knit--that is WAY out of my league! It was neat to have that attempt at conversation though in the shared commonality of the hobby. I have knitted two pairs of socks and have both with me. I'm thinking they might make a nice gift for the ladies in the kitchen that we share coffee and "conversation" with daily--they won't let me pay them for the laundry so this might be a nice payment if I can't get a price out of them--I could stuff some dinars in the socks!!!!





I then got a call from Debbie Grebel (Stevan's wife) about a change in the girl's schedule today. The character dance teacher (she was the one in the picture I sent yesterday that had her back to the camera in the front) was going out of town for the weekend and wanted to finish teaching the girls the combination they have been learning. As a result, they moved that class to the morning and the girls decided to continue through rehearsal and then be finished for the day at 3PM. That meant we wouldn't meet for lunch until that time. Brenda and I waited for them outside a little restaurant we have tried a couple of times and then decided we had missed them and sat down to eat lunch. The girls came walking along a little later. They wanted to go to a pizza place and a bakery though and went on alone. Brenda and I brought back a couple of slices of a chocolate/hazelnut torte to share with the kitchen ladies. Only Branka was working today and she is off this weekend. She shared it with us over coffee and she asked the caretaker's son to come in and translate.

He is starting an engineering high school program this fall--very smart young man (16yo) and very nice. It was very interesting to hear about how admission to high school works here (not everyone can go) and his plans. He had to make high grades and then pass a test with a high score to be admitted. He could choose up to 20 different specialized high schools to attend; he chose 10. He got his first choice. If his grades stay high, the state will pay for his schooling. If not, his parents would have to pay.

We also found out that Branka works on the weekend catering weddings. We talked with him about where we could find an electric fan (my kingdom for a fan!) and he gave us the names of a couple of stores and showed us where they would be on the map. We went to the office and talked with the secretary and she called the stores to see if they had any--wouldn't you know it, they sold out today! Too bad we didn't have that talk with him before this afternoon. Jeesh! Stevan said his nephew is going to some superstore here in the morning to try and find some for us. If he doesn't find them, we still have another alternative though. Apparently there is a big flea market/car auction, etc. place that is only open on Sunday mornings that is massive. Everyone we talked to thought they would probably have something there if you could find it. We were told which bus to take, and warned about pickpockets and thieves because of the crowds. Hopefully Mickey will find something in the morning and we can bask in a slight breeze without that experience! It would be nice to be able to close the windows occasionally--we are all eaten up by mosquitoes. The bug repellent is of limited usefulness--just like at home--although it does smell much better. Perhaps I'm not applying it as evenly as I need to...





As you all know, the Harry Potter book is being released tonight at midnight. We reserved a couple of copies at an English language bookstore here in town (for Eleanor and Vivian)--I just couldn't wait for London! The caretaker has to stay up and let us in and out though so I told the girls they would have to wait until the morning to pick them up. The store reopens at 9AM and we can go then--that will be 1AM in the US so they will get it about the same time as their friends. Too bad they couldn't get it tonight--they would be ahead of the US by enough hours to finish a good portion of it! :-) Eleanor and I may fight over who gets to read it first. Maybe I'll let her read this weekend and then I can read while she is in class on Monday. I also plan to buy a Serbian-English dictionary there in the morning to help us with those words that just aren't in the phrase book--which is lots of them!





Stevan has arranged for a tour tomorrow to take us to Szremski Karlovci, which is the oldest town in Vojvodina, the province we are in. There is a winery there and a forest area, not to mention the buildings and churches. They will take us on a double decker bus with an English speaking guide. The tour should be around 3-4 hours and costs about $15 each--that is well worth it in my opinion. The girls have been invited to go to Sandra's house on Sunday evening for crepes suzette. Stevan was thinking on something the adults could do then too. We may try to hit the museums here on Sunday afternoon--if Stevan can go with us, then it won't matter if there aren't signs in English. He can translate for us!

I think the girls may want to try and go to the beach or the public pool sometime this weekend too. I did buy Eleanor a bathing suit, so it might be nice if she uses it! Brenda is nervous about letting them go without us; Eleanor has been able to swim like a fish for about 8 years now though, so I'm not worried about that. Since it is a public beach, I'm betting there are lifeguards as well.





That is about all for today. We went out tonight and bought a Scrabble game (in English, we think) (we need something to do at night besides play cards) and some batteries for the tiny battery-operated fan that Brenda's daughter brought. We have been running through the batteries. She bought cheap locally made ones the other day and they didn't even last through one night. We found Eveready's tonight--yeah USA! We also stopped at a candy store that we pass daily and I bought some of those fruit jellies that have the hard "rind" and the sugar-coated jelly center (a treasured department store candy area treat from my childhood). I guess I need to learn how much a "kilo" is--that is how it was priced so I asked for that much--holy moly, I have a lot of candy! I hope the girls like it and want to share. Otherwise, I'll never finish it and that seems so wasteful--at least I have contributed to the local economy. After that, we stopped at the corner market for water. The ladies in there know exactly what brand we like now. It is called "Vodavoda" water-water. The store is smaller than my foyer but they have an amazing variety of goods for their size. Brenda has learned how to say "see you later" in Serbia and said that as we left--they were quite impressed! :-) It was a definite "smile" moment.





Ciao!





Kellye and Eleanor