May 22, 2008 at 2:25 pm (Family, Good-byes, Peace Corps, Travel, invitee)
Tags: Bella, Bette, Jack, Sevison, Utah
I have really been treated like a princess by my family as I visit them. Their love and support were evident from the moment I arrived. Jack is the traditional male breadwinner of the family but also loves his wife enough to help with breakfast or go out for a meal quite often. He’s very protective of Bette and of me when I am there. I feel safe and secure with Jack.
Bette is a home maker. Her house is lovely. She’s a great cook. She sews, quilts, puts up canned goods and has a large pantry in the basement. Bette volunteers in the community and with her church. She and Jack are working at the Mormon employment center in Brigham City two days a week. Bette’s creativity encourages me to use my creative talents.
Bella is a bouncing barking minature snauzer who is full of joy and energy. I will miss her three short are you awake barks outside my door.
We visited all over Utah. The photos on this blog are from our trip to the Eden Valley. We also visited the Church charity distribution center in Salt Lake City and a lovely restaurant. We also visited my four nieces and nephews, who are very close to my age or older and insist on calling me Aunt Vicky! I will write more about those visits in another post.
Saying good-bye to my family is hard. “I do not cry in public.”
-vc
Leave a Comment
May 12, 2008 at 5:38 pm (Family, Good-byes, Peace Corps)
Tags: Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh
My brother Dennis and my sister-in-law Mel made me feel like a Princess.
The royal treatment started in the morning when they turned on NPR’s Morning Edition for me and ended with caring phone call when I arrived in Utah at my brother Jack’s.
We visited two Carnegie libraries in Pittsburgh. Mel and I had Ethiopian food. Den joined us for a visit to the science museum and lunch on Mount Washington. During lunch we saw people sky diving into PNC baseball stadium. The view of Pittsburgh was beautiful. Three rivers meet in downtown Pittsburgh. Please don’t ask me the names of the two besides the Ohio. Pittsburgh rivers are segmented with many bridges and quite a few of them are bright yellow! I think that will be one of my lasting impressions of Pittsburgh.
My last day Mel and I went to a play and to the Cathedral of learning. The Cathedral of Learning has 25+ classrooms built by different nationalities that immigrated to Pittsburgh. I loved the African room. The French room was ornate and beautiful but the Dutch room was all wood and very homelike and cozy. It would be very fun to have classes about a specific nation in that nation’s room. The great hall was filled with oak chairs and tables of all shapes and sizes.
Den and Mel made me feel so at home. I was well loved, entertained and cared for – just like a princess. Being made to fell welcome and a part of the family does not depend on the size of the house but the size of the hearts in the house.
-vc
Leave a Comment
May 4, 2008 at 4:37 pm (Family, Peace Corps)
Tags: childhood, grandmother, Safiya
Chapter 1: 3:55 am – Grandma can I sleep wiith you?
Chapter 2: 5:32 am – Grandma wake up your snoring
Chapter 3: 6:48 am – Don’t cry over spilt Elmer’s Glue, twice
Chapter 4: 7: 40 am – Nachos for breakfast, really, grandpa let’s me
Chapter 5: 9:33 am – Copacabana singalong
Chapter 6: 10; 16 am – Saltine, bologna and cheese sandwiches
Chapter 9: 12:01 pm – Skyping with grandpa
Chapter 10: 1:20 pm – Lunch at Peaberries to visit Aunt Liz
Chapter 11: 2:29 – Glitter glitter every where
Chapter 12: 3:21 pm – Crying on the stairs outdoors
Chaoter 13: 3: 44 pm – Cleaning grandma’s car
Chapter 14: 5:11 – Grandma collapses
-vc
Leave a Comment
May 2, 2008 at 1:47 pm (Family, Good-byes, Travel, friends)
May 7 – Pittsburgh – Brother Dennis and Stewart O’Nan’s hometown
May 11 – Salt Lake City – Brother Jack
May 17 – Houston – Beth
May 30 – Madison, ME – Mom
June 4 – Granby – Fiya, Liz
June 5 – Lunch at Newington – You guys!
June 7 – Philadelphia – New PC friends to be.
June 10 – Accra, Ghana
Leave a Comment
March 28, 2008 at 9:27 pm (Family, Peace Corps, friends, invitee, waiting)
Hanging here suspended between Connecticut and Ghana I feel just a little bit unreal. My life here is winding down. At work I am passing off my duties. I am telling people to have another person work with them on a project because I won’t be there to follow through. I cleaned some of my desk today. I am there but no longer really of the library.
The physical things here don’t mean as much. I am already detached from half the shoes in my closet. Yet the minutes with family and friends are filled with so many emotions. I wonder how can I leave this friend she’s going through such a hard time right now. I think oh how can I miss all the wonderful things this other friend will experience in the next couple of years. I think how much my granddaughter will grow when I am away. The moments with people are filled with joy, sadness, guilt, happiness, laughter, love and excitement.
I am poised on the edge of a very high diving board primed to jump but the starting shot has not been fired, yet.
Leave a Comment
March 26, 2008 at 5:53 am (Family, Peace Corps, Travel, invitee, new culture)
Tags: immigrants, immigration, settlers
Talking to family and friends made me think more about why I want to be a part of the Peace Corps. I thought heck they are children or grandchildren of immigrants. I would probably immigrate to America 100 years ago or have gone west in the 1800s. They left what was familiar. They left family and friends. I understand that thinking. It’s not only about improving the quality of your life. It’s also about facing a challenge. I would also do it for the chance to experience a new place. I think the immigrants or the people who settled the west had to be pretty optimistic. They had to believe in the future. They had to believe in themselves and the people with them. And of course they were looking for a better life but without the other desires and qualities they probably would not have crossed a sea or a continent to find it.
-vc
Leave a Comment
March 21, 2008 at 7:15 pm (Family, Good-byes, Peace Corps, Travel)
Today, Good Friday 2008, Becca, Fiya and I went on a road trip to visit my mother in Maine. Becca is my oldest daughter. Fiya is my granddaughter. We are going to visit my Mom before I go to Africa.
Driving to the hotel from my mother’s Fiya took off her clip on earring that my mom had bought her. She said there was a drawing on her ear from the earring. Becca then said it was an indentation. Fiya asked what an indentation was and Becca patiently and simply explained what it was. there were many questions and answers back and forth. When Fiya finally understood indentation she said to her mom “I’m glad I have you. You teach me so much!”
-vc
1 Comment
March 18, 2008 at 5:10 pm (Family, Good-byes, Peace Corps, invitee)
Today I went to Peaberry’s for brunch before going to work. I visited with my daughter and the staff there. My daughter,Liz, gave me some wonderful news that just made my day. She said that she will be taking the Wednesday – Saturday June 4th – 7th to spend time with me. Liz and I will have a great time. I am already thinking of so many things we could do!
I love my family!
-vc
Leave a Comment
January 28, 2008 at 6:26 am (Family, Nomination, Peace Corps)
Tags: hippopotamus
On Sunday’s Fiya, my 6 yr old granddaughter and I go skating at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in Simsbury. It was my Christmas present to her. She takes a group lesson then we skate together after. Yesterday her great-grandma asked me to dinner with them after skating.
During the week I talked to her grandpa, who she lives with, about telling her. We both agreed that I should tell her now and begin to prepare her for the change.
At dinner I started telling her great-grandma about the RPCV dinner I attended. I interrupted myself and asked Fiya if she had heard us talking about me going away to a new job. She said she hadn’t so I explained the basics. When I said i would be far away I said I would like people to write me letters and send me email. I asked her to write and email and she said yes if she had help with the big words.
She asked about all my stuff. I told her Nonie (her name for her great-grandmother) was storing some, Aunt Liz some as well and I was hoping she could take care of some of my things as well. I asked her to take care of the hippopotamus from my car. she readily agreed and asked about the zebra from my car. So we negotiated and she will do it if I leave detailed feeding instructions.
We talked a little bit more about it then I continued my conversation with Nonie about the RPCV dinner.
I decided to take a low key approach. Acting like it was no big deal. By asking her to write and to take care of some of my things I hope to indicate that there will be a relationship however different.
Giving up being directly involved in two + years of her life is probably the biggest sacrifice I am making for this Peace Corps dream. She so young and she will change so much while I am gone.
-vc
4 Comments
December 24, 2007 at 8:08 am (Family)
Tags: christma
Because this is my last Christmas in the states for a couple of years I am storing up the memories. I went shopping with my daughter last night. She is a quick shopper, finding just the right something for that person and moving on to the next. Then we headed over to her grandmother’s to visit my other daughter who just came in from Baltimore. My granddaughter was bopping all over the living room thrilled that her mommy was home. I am lighting my tree every chance I get and smiling at the Charlie Brownishness of it! I plan to break my pattern and take at least a few photos at the celebrations tonight and tomorrow. And I enjoying the cooking I am doing.
It’s not sad. I think of this Christmas as a time to store up happy memories to recall when I get lonely in Africa. And it’s comforting to know that I have family and so many friends who care for me and will support me during my Peace Corps service.
merry christmas !
-vc
Leave a Comment
