Glenn and I have recently been to Romania to visit with one of our new families. We've never been to Timisoara before but will definitely look forward to our next trip there! Besides enjoying the couple living there, it is a beautiful city!
There were flowers everywhere!
They took us to a rose garden in the city center that was close to it's peak of perfection!
There were many, many different colors and varieties, and some very unusual mixtures, such as this two-toned red/pink combination! So gorgeous.
We walked through the city in the evening to dinner one night. This time in the evening when the sun is setting is my favorite time of day. The setting sun casts a beautiful glow on everything.
Brian and Michelle (who used to live here and managed the Eden House until August of 2010) came back to pack up their belongings that have been stored in our basement for the past 4 years. When they left, they thought they'd be coming back in 6 months, but life took a different turn and now they are just waiting to see where God is going to take them.
One of Brian's many talents is origami and he taught me how to make a Christmas ornament out of 30 pieces of paper all folded the exact same way. It was quite challenging!
A new thing to Budapest is a bicycle system, very similar to the one in Lyon, France that we enjoyed a few years ago when our daughter lived there. We've not had the pleasure of renting one yet, but probably will one day just to see if it works well. The general idea is that you can rent a bike from any one of their racks and deposit it at another one somewhere else in the city.
Glenn and I came across these corn strips in a store and my heart soared with hope. I love Fritos Corn Chips! This is the first time I've seen corn chips --other than tortilla chips. Maybe this would be the substitute I've been looking for these past 7 ½ years. Alas, no. They are just tortilla chips in strips. Rats!
This was the first time we've ever seen a bathroom spot for dogs! This is in downtown BP, near the medical center we use, for those who have been looking for a place to relieve their dogs. :-) (Kutya=dog)
Two weeks ago it was dump day again in the triangle in front of our house. There are always some Roma men (Gypsies) that camp out in a van out next door to stake their claim on any- and everything folks drop off. They claim first dibs. It always makes me feel uncomfortable with them sitting there, watching (if they want to) when we come and go. Fortunately, no problems so far!
On the day that the dump day ends, the city sends trucks to clean it all up, and they do a superb job! They get every scrap of paper, metal and styrofoam out of the grass and dirt.
This was an awesome sight! This is the first time we've seen an ICE machine with the word ice written in English! Gas stations do sell ice cubes in bags, but they are sold out of yellow and black coolers with all the writing in Hungarian. Ahhh! Just a familiar sight that reminds us of home.
A couple of weeks ago I was able to join one of our co-workers in a jewelry-making party. She invites all the Hungarian teachers that teach English in the local school over to her house every other month for times to practice their English conversation and increase their vocabulary. I received a huge gift of jewelry-making supplies from a friend in South Carolina last summer and this is the second group of ladies with whom I've met to share Mary's gift. Thanks, Mary!
I need someone to teach me how to use all the tools Mary gave me that make earrings and bracelets too. :-)
In Europe, many of the roads and sidewalks are made from pavers, or cubes of stone. The neat thing about the pavers is that if the road gets a hole, it's easy to repair it with a little sand and some more pavers! Often the men who re-paver the roads make such interesting designs with different colors of stone.
The day before we went on our last trip, Glenn came home with 6 kilos of strawberries. My husband was very smart! When he came in the door with the case, he had the wonderful foresight to ask, "What do I need to do with the strawberries to put them in the freezer?" Very wise man!
After washing them, I helped him cut them into small pieces and we filled a bunch of these containers for the freezer. They are for smoothies and my son-in-law Jonathan at Christmas. Can't buy that man enough fruit during their visits in winter time!
We don't really plan our clothing, but we did look pretty coordinated standing in front of these Day Lilies.
We are home for a while and enjoying it every minute. Will have a some guests, but otherwise, lots of time to get caught up with emails and Skype calls!
Today is my son-in-laws birthday. Happy birthday, Jonathan!
