A special treat for both Uncle Richard and me was a trip an hour south of State College to Orbisonia, PA to ride the East Broad Top narrow gauge steam Railroad. It was the farthest I had been from State College since I had arrived in July. It was also my first trip on the EBT and Uncle Richard's second trip. We were prepared to freeze in unheated, historic rail cars. But we were pleasantly surprised to find our car actually overheated with an original coal burning stove!
Uncle Richard was happy and I was sad that there was no snow while he was here. I was pleased to see a nice snowfall after the new year, even though it didn't stick around very long. The grass is still mostly green and bulbs are already starting to send up shoots as of this past week! And yesterday's 2.38 wet inches of snow are rapidly melting now.
HAFF has not been forgotten during all this activity. I finally got off my recovery plateau in mid January when my numbers all finally fell below November numbers. This allowed some improved energy and concentration and I was able to produce a list of 33 people to send to see the Des Moines, Iowa Eye Team in Pignon. For a number of years this team has graciously allowed us to recommend people who need cataract surgery and other treatment and exams which are beyond what we can do at HAFF. Even though I have not been back to HAFF since the end of June, I had a running list of people who needed to see the team which Becky retrieved for me and scanned and emailed to me. I typed up the list of the names and problems of the 33 people, and when the team indicated that they could see all 33, I wrote letters informing each person that they could see the team. Emailing the letters to the Wilsons in Haiti allowed them to print them out and distribute them for me. Thank the Lord for modern technology and for staff covering for me! The eye team arrived in Pignon last week and is leaving today. Now I just need to muster the energy and concentration to get to work on the financial report for the Haitian government!
One of the joys of being “stuck” in Pennsylvania all this time has been being involved in various Bible Studies and women's Circles at the church I was raised in here in town. I still have one friend from junior high school at church and many friends of our family friend Marie. Marie's friends have adopted me and included me in their activities. One of their service projects is providing vests and mittens for a local preschool for low income families. For three weeks one of the Marie's friends held a mitten knitting class (try saying that 3 times fast!) which I have attended. I am now working on my 4th pair of mittens! One of the other ladies, Kim, who came to learn to make mittens, knits socks and she came to my house yesterday to start to teach me how to knit socks! I have about 3 ½ inches of the cuff of my first sock completed so far! The collage at the left shows my first pair of mittens (for a 2 year old) and the start of my first pair of socks (for me). If the ladies in Haiti want to learn either project, I will be able to teach it when I go back, whenever that will be!
Last Friday my mother's sister, my Aunt Pat died peacefully, surrounded by family and friends reading Scripture and singing hymns. The memorial service is this Saturday about 2 hours east of State College at her home church. Kim, my sock knitting friend has graciously offered to go with me to the service. I don't trust my concentration for the two hour drive alone and I know I don't have the energy to drive there and back in the same day. I am hoping that the forecast snow for that day will not keep us from going. This is the only time I can remember wishing for no snow accumulation!
A special treat for both Uncle Richard and me was a trip an hour south of State College to Orbisonia, PA to ride the East Broad Top narrow gauge steam Railroad. It was the farthest I had been from State College since I had arrived in July. It was also my first trip on the EBT and Uncle Richard's second trip. We were prepared to freeze in unheated, historic rail cars. But we were pleasantly surprised to find our car actually overheated with an original coal burning stove!
Uncle Richard was happy and I was sad that there was no snow while he was here. I was pleased to see a nice snowfall after the new year, even though it didn't stick around very long. The grass is still mostly green and bulbs are already starting to send up shoots as of this past week! And yesterday's 2.38 wet inches of snow are rapidly melting now.
HAFF has not been forgotten during all this activity. I finally got off my recovery plateau in mid January when my numbers all finally fell below November numbers. This allowed some improved energy and concentration and I was able to produce a list of 33 people to send to see the Des Moines, Iowa Eye Team in Pignon. For a number of years this team has graciously allowed us to recommend people who need cataract surgery and other treatment and exams which are beyond what we can do at HAFF. Even though I have not been back to HAFF since the end of June, I had a running list of people who needed to see the team which Becky retrieved for me and scanned and emailed to me. I typed up the list of the names and problems of the 33 people, and when the team indicated that they could see all 33, I wrote letters informing each person that they could see the team. Emailing the letters to the Wilsons in Haiti allowed them to print them out and distribute them for me. Thank the Lord for modern technology and for staff covering for me! The eye team arrived in Pignon last week and is leaving today. Now I just need to muster the energy and concentration to get to work on the financial report for the Haitian government!
One of the joys of being “stuck” in Pennsylvania all this time has been being involved in various Bible Studies and women's Circles at the church I was raised in here in town. I still have one friend from junior high school at church and many friends of our family friend Marie. Marie's friends have adopted me and included me in their activities. One of their service projects is providing vests and mittens for a local preschool for low income families. For three weeks one of the Marie's friends held a mitten knitting class (try saying that 3 times fast!) which I have attended. I am now working on my 4th pair of mittens! One of the other ladies, Kim, who came to learn to make mittens, knits socks and she came to my house yesterday to start to teach me how to knit socks! I have about 3 ½ inches of the cuff of my first sock completed so far! The collage at the left shows my first pair of mittens (for a 2 year old) and the start of my first pair of socks (for me). If the ladies in Haiti want to learn either project, I will be able to teach it when I go back, whenever that will be!
Last Friday my mother's sister, my Aunt Pat died peacefully, surrounded by family and friends reading Scripture and singing hymns. The memorial service is this Saturday about 2 hours east of State College at her home church. Kim, my sock knitting friend has graciously offered to go with me to the service. I don't trust my concentration for the two hour drive alone and I know I don't have the energy to drive there and back in the same day. I am hoping that the forecast snow for that day will not keep us from going. This is the only time I can remember wishing for no snow accumulation!
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