packing

I've finally started putting things in the suitcase today. I have smashed 6 rolls of toilet paper. I wonder if that is enough. I've never counted how many rolls I go through in months time before. I was taking a small suitcase but have already changed to the large one. I have to stay under 50 pounds here and some places I must be under 42. I've bought small everything. I have my soft cover Bible, my journal, mini light for reading, 3 pants, 7 shirts, 4 capris, and I put cuddle duds in, I don't care if they say it's going to be summer, I can't go to Siberia and not believe I'm going to be cold. I have an electrical adapter, mosquito net, a softie pillow, Tide and clothes pins for doing my laundry, 14 pairs of underwear, exercise clothes, ipod, camera, 1 novel, The book Love As A Way of Life by Gary Chapman( I hope you notice I come back as a more loving person),swim suit, sleep mask, jacket, one dress, tennis shoes, black flats, and flip flops. That about covers it.

comments

I know I've told lots of ya'll about this blog way before I left. I wanted to practice doing it so I would know how while I was there. I want ya'll to be sure and make comments back to me. You know I'm a social person and to go a month with out talking to my friends and family will be EXTREMELY hard for me, so please comment and keep my posted on what is going on in your lives. I talk to my mom, Cally and Drew everyday of my life and don't go to many without talking to Missy and Fran, there are many more friends and family members that I talk to every week. I have always had separation anxiety, so I'm just not even letting my mind think about the fact I won't see my people for a month. So let me hear from ya'll.

Understanding Russia

The name of my trip is Understanding Russian Culture and Ecology through Service Learning. It's sponsored by Fulbright Hays Groups Projects Abroad Program, that is a part of the U.S. Department of Education. Dr. Brooks Green of the UCA Geography Department applied for this grant to take 17 teachers from across the state on this learning experience. This will be his 19th trip to Russia. We'll be meeting up with a Russian couple that will be our tour guides. While we are there we will be attending classes on History, Ecology, Geography and Language. We'll also do some service projects for the Russian people. Not only will we be providing a service for them, we will learn about Russia as we do it. ( This is a concept in Education right now that is sorta a hot topic. Service Learning.) The program likes for you to stay the whole time you have for a visa, which is a month for Russia. My one week trip to do mission work across the border in Mexico is the only thing that is even close to something like this. It's going to be a real adventure. Last October when this email came across my desk, I thought that is just what I need at this time in my life a BIG ADVENTURE. So here I go.

college moving # 14

As I was laying on a mattress in the floor of Drew's bare apartment last night I got to thinking about how many moves I had helped my children with over the last six years of their college life. I had been with Drew to see his final projects and was overwelmed at what he has ahead of him for four more years. He said he is excited about it and knows he can do it. I'm so glad he has that confidence. I just try to not let him know how worried I am about having the money he needs to do it. 10 straight years of college will do a mamma in. I started counting the number of times I helped Cally, she moved 8 time in 5 years.
1. to UCA
2.home from UCA
3.to Eagles Nest
4.From Eagles Nest to The Greens
5.From the Greens to Stivers
6.From Stivers to home
7.From home to Cantrell
8.From Cantrell to home

For Drew
1.To Bossier
2.From Bossier
3.To Bossier
4.From Bossier
5.To Fayetteville
6.From apartment to Gina Pendergraft's barn(Thank you Gina)

So Drew will have 8 more moves. For a grand total of 22 moves in 10 years time. Now that I'm home and getting ready to get into my own bed, it doesn't seem so bad. The college years are a time of growing unlike any other in their lives. I'm just glad I'm here to help.

weddings

I've been blessed to attend several weddings this spring. I've gotten to be apart of young adults special moments, that I've watched grow up. Natalie Crandford, Ashleigh McCorkel, Laura Bunten, Ellen Smith, Andrea Prichett and I'm even going to an older guys wedding Britt Boswell. Each wedding has been different and fit the bride's personality. I'm happy to say they were all Christian weddings and I pray that they will look to God for guidance throughout their married lives. We watched a video about Russia the last Saturday we met. There were several brides in it and the couples were taking flowers to some public place to ask for a blessing or for good luck, I'm not sure. I look forward to learning about their celebrations while I'm there. I love to talk with people and ask questions so I don't know how this is going to work with the language barrier. Knowing me I won't let that stop me, I'll get them to communicate with me somehow.

accommodations

Cleaning this big ole house has me thinking about the accommodations I'll be staying in for a month. He told us we wouldn't have a washer or dryer. We'll have to wash our clothes in the bath tub and hang to dry. We also will have no air conditioning. We'll have to hang mosquito netting over the windows or over ourselves at night. There will be knats flying around our heads all day while we are in the steppes. No wonder they have such a high alcoholism rate. It sounds like it may drive me to drinking. The average age for men to die is 57, they are usually damaged in someway from industrial accidents and they are alcoholics. Wow what a life. I know they we live in excess, I know my house is to big and I have to many things. It just seems to me that I find joy in taking care of my surroundings. Not that I'm totally materialistic, but I do like to live in a nice home and find pleasure in caring for it.

Hog baseball

Way to go Hogs!! I couldn't get anything done this afternoon for having to watch the Hogs. I got to thinking about team sports that Russian watch. I wasn't sure. I know the Olympians were engineered humans made in a lab somewhere. Everyone lives in apartment in the big cities so they have to get out and do something!!! Brooks Green the professor that is taking us, told us that the daughter of the couple that will tour with us is deaf. She is about 11. Her friends like to play basketball, so we are going to try to get together some things from the Razorbacks to take to them. I wish I had known that while I was in Fayetteville, I would have gone by the sports office and see what they had.

What a day! I was at Bud Walton this morning at 6:45a.m. for the Walmart stockholders meeting. Walmart has been known to have giant pep rallies for their meetings. Ben Stiler was the surprise host. I saw singers Miley Cyrus, Smokey Robinson, Kris Allen and even Micheal Jordon. The concession stands were open with free food. The guests are always a surprise. They show off what the company has done over the last year in a very entertaining way. Micheal talked about the way that he made sure he was a personal success, but he always made sure his team was a success also. There are over 2.2 million associates in 15 countries. This week is like a trip to Mecca for all these associates, who come to town to see where Sam started it all at the 5 and dime in Bentonville. It's still a family company, who feels their best talent is within their company. Save money, live better. Their motto. They kept talking about the Walmart culture and it was very evident at Bud Walton today. I set between two associates from North Carolina and Oklahoma. Kris Allen told the crowd that when he first got to LA he was looking around and asked someone where are your Walmarts, he said where do you get your "stuff". He said being from Arkansas I'm use to seeing two in every town. The crowd had a big laugh. I've heard the downside to Walmart and the giant. The have taken a small family business and given the world what they want, the best price. Drew was laughing and telling his classmates, I was probably the smallest stock holder there. I said don't knock Walmart, because without it your single school teaching mom couldn't afford to have you sitting at the U of A, you would be sitting in Bryant working at Walmart.

When I got to Fayetteville I realized it was the Walmart stockholders meeting. We were told Saturday that there are no Walmarts in Russia. I don't think I've gone a month with out going to Walmart since they started in 1970. I've been here two days and have been to Walmart in Fayetteville and Rogers. I went to the free concert of Sugarland and Brad Paisley, it was Great!! I had to miss Daughtry last night because Drew wanted me to cook for them. The shopper that I am will miss OLE WALMART while I'm gone.

I cooked taco soup for Drew and his friends last night before they had to go back to studio and pull an all nighter. There is Morgan from Cali, Justin from Tenn, GT from Little Rock, and Jerry from Mexico. Morgan made cookies for us. They loved the home cooking. Drew was telling them that I don't really cook that many dishes. Then Cally called to say she had eaten dinner with her boyfriend's family and that his mom cooks everynight. She has always said I don't cook, I just put things together. Like the taco soup was a bunch of cans, opened and poured in together. It made me think about it and they are right cooking has never been my thing. There is so much involved in the process. That will be one thing that I won't miss on the trip, cooking, even if I only put things together.

I'm on my way to Fayetteville to help Drew figure out what to do with all his stuff and visit. My question is, How can I take one small suitcase for a month of traveling in Russia when I'm taking three bags, a pillow, and other things and I'm just going for three days???????????????? I know I won't be taking the bag of shoes and the bag of makeup. That is another reason for the trip, to rethink all this stuff I think I need to make a happy life,