No Deal in Roseburg

Got a call from Don Couch, who has been in our Roseburg house this past year. It seems the Lord is moving a different direction with them and they may be moving from the Roseburg area, so do not want to buy the house. They will be in the house through the end of June, perhaps a bit more, but we will need to find another buyer. The good part of it all is that the house is worth more now with the work the Couches put into it plus values have increased some in the past year. So it looks like I will have some business to take care of in Roseburg this summer in addition to McMahan's security (June 30 - July 13). We have had three people express interest in buying it since we left, so perhaps one of them will still be interested. Once school is out, guess I go into the real estate business . . . be praying for a good resolution to the situation. God bless - Dad

In Rememberance

Today is Memorial Day ... the long week-end at the end of May when a multitude of folks head for campgrounds, have barbecues, etc. We, on the other hand, spent today working in the yard and I took my Mama to the cemetery to place flowers on Grandpa's grave.

Odd, that the 'holiday' is so different to different people.
Strange, that so many view it as a wonderful opportunity to relax and party while others are still consumed with grief over the loss of a loved one.

And yet, life does go on, and there are reasons to celebrate a day like today. I know that I will have my times of enjoying a barbecue or even a campout (maybe?) on Memorial Day. But today it was a somber occasion.

And there were hundreds of bouquets already on graves at the cemetery and dozens of people there when we were, paying respects to a loved one. It looked so festive... but there was a sadness in the beauty of the flowers.

Yes, it was a hard day especially for Grandma. She has been alone -- without her other half -- for over 3 months, and the pain hasn't subsided yet. Will it ever? I can only imagine how it must feel for her. Her world has caved in. If it weren't for her kids and grandkids, she would have nothing to live for anymore. And the prospect of selling the home she has shared with her man (if only for 8 years) is overwhelming to her. I don't know how soon anything in that vein will be possible. We don't want to rush her, but....

C'est la vie! (it's the life:)

Well, Liz and I completed our London trip with seeing Troy at Europe's biggest cinema on Saturday and then we went to see The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) at the Ridiculous Shakespeare Company (thought of you, Kimmie and Timmy). We got to the airport at about 11pm last night and slept on and off until 3:45 when we could check-in...then we went through security and had breakfast and headed to Paris at 5:45...we both slept the entire way in and got there at 7:45 (actually only an hour flight...I'm 9 hours ahead of you again...bwah ha ha!). We caught a train and rode into town, switched trains, and then walked about 10 minutes to our hostel (it had an American flag and a Norwegian outside, so I knew it couldn't be too bad:).

We can see the top of the Eiffel Tower from the hostel, but it takes about 20 minutes to walk there. We got to our hostel around 10am, but couldn't get our rooms until 5pm, so we left our luggage in their storage room and headed out. Paris is so beautiful! The weather is cloudy, but not hot or cold or rainy...perfect for me. We just wandered for a while and looked at the outside of the Louvre, Notre Dame, Sienne River, Arc de Triomphe, and many more things that I'm not quite sure what they were. We both felt tired and disgusting from lack of good showers for the past few days, so we got back to the hostel at 5 on the nose, and I'm happy to say that....i'm no longer "skipping the loo"! This hostel is so much nicer than the last one and we are on the second floor instead of 4th. There's an individual room with a shower and two individual rooms with toilets and a sink in our six person room! The shower has one downfall...but I overlooked it easily...you how in public restrooms you push the faucet down and water runs for about 5 seconds and then shuts off? Precisely how this shower works! Crazy!

So far Liz and I only have one other roommate (although 3 more could come...who knows?)...he's (yes, he) a college student from New York and is very nice. I don't think Liz is too happy with it, but I'm just glad he speaks English and isn't obnoxious (our roommates for the last two nights in London were women in their 30's or 40's who only spoke Spanish...but they were nice).

Liz is actually napping right now, and I'm just chilling downstairs awaiting dark when I can go to the Eiffel Tower at night...and maybe find some food...it's some kind of holiday in England and here (a bank holiday..whatever that means...no one seems to know) so almost everyplace is closed except for the expensive restaurants. I have crackers and Nutella though, so I'll survive:)

I'm very excited to be coming home in just a few days...I'm looking forward to not being hungry at inconvienient times, normal showers, maybe a shoulder massage from someone;), and Kimmie and Andy's wedding, of course. Bethy, I don't know what you are thinking as far as Friday goes...I think we decided that we are driving down together in my car? If so, I just want to let you know that I need to do some things in Newberg (get stuff for the wedding, pick up pay checks, pay rent, get stuff that I sent back last week with someone from my trip, etc.). I love you all and will make sure to say hello to Paris from the Eiffel Tower tonight for you. Je t'aime.

Rehearsal and More...only 8 days from now!

So, my loferly family! I am writing to remind you all of the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner coming to a family near you next weekend!

Rehearsal - arrive at the church by 5pm Sat if you are in the wedding please! Others are welcome to come and watch the fun!
Rehearsal dinner - not at the church, but close by at 7pm. let me know if you need directions!

Wedding pictures - everyone in the wedding party is on deck at 1:30, the Whittaker/Kjosness family needs to be ready for photos at 2:00.

I can't wait to see you all! even if I will be crazy getting married girl...
Love you,
Kimmie

Skipping the Loo?!

So Joann can rewrite the song, "Skip to My Lou".
Her version would start, "Skipping the Loo...!"

Mixed bathrooms?

I made it! No more worries...I got in to London at 10:30 last night (we are only eight hours ahead in the UK) and it took me until 1am to get to the hostel and had quite a few interesting experiences involving getting a phone number from some guy who "wants to see me again", etc. - all very silly and random. Our hostel is in central London so it's close to everything! We're not sure what we're doing, but we going to just wander around to the main attractions and some smaller things like the Peter Pan statue:). Our room in the hostel is on the 4th floor (in the US we would say it was the 5th floor) and we go through alot of fire escape doors and narrow creaky halls to get there, but the room is very nice...last night we shared it with two Christian girls from Texas (they left this morning). Right next to our room is the loo...the co-ed loo...hmmm...no showering for me for the next few days! But there is a sink in our room, so I can do sponge baths, etc. Well...Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, and Eliza Doolittle call...love you all and see you in less than a week (or about a week for all of you Eugenians).

News of the World Traveller

Today Joann called me from Norway! It was so good to hear her voice! She was at Cato's house near Bergen, and he let her use his cell phone (said it only cost about 10 cents a minute). Odd picked her up in Torp, a very small airport in the area of Oslo. They spent the night at his sister's house in Oslo. His mother was also there. Then in the morning they drove 8 hours to Bergen, travelling part of the way beside the largest fjord in Norway. Tomorrow they'll visit Frank, and do some sight-seeing. Then tomorrow evening at 7:55 (that would be 10:55 tomorrow AM our time) she will fly back to Torp and at 9: something she flies from there back to London where her friend, Liz is. She'll meet her at the hostel where they are staying.

She's having a wonderful time and said she was glad she didn't have to come home when her group left, but that she will be ready to come home next week.

I'll let her tell you about what they did when she hurt her arm twirling in the ice 'palace'. As you could guess, it's pretty funny....

I just thought you'd all like to know that she is safe and sound and having the time of her life. ('Wish I were there, too! But then maybe she wouldn't be having so much fun...?)

Love you all!
Mama