Woo hoo! And it's a DOOZY! I got it taking SOME damn thing out of the oven...it's on my right upper forearm...and they have these GREAT blue bandaids here that stick to your skin for, oh, let's say, 18 seconds. WHAT a pain!! It's healing nicely. Don't worry.
This morning we said goodbye to 2 more vollies. As the ferry pulled away we all danced the "Stripping the Wheat" which closes every celidh. We did this on the jetty for the vollies. It's lots of spinning and clapping and fun. We also do a "wave" for whoever is leaving...quite funny, really. Twice a week there are these goodbyes. And now I am starting to feel them. But, as another vollie said to me, "that's Iona." It's lots of hellos but then lots of goodbyes.
Today is my day off. Yeah! I walked to the south beach (Traighmoor) and sat on the sand. It was fairly freezing, but I stayed anyway. All the beaches have been pretty yucky with sea weed...stinky, too. However, sand is sand; and on bare feet, it's wonderful! The weather the past few days have been really sunny and warm.
I have now entered the "happy to be here" phase of my stay here. I have seven weeks left (from today, in fact!), and I believe I shall now begin REALLY enjoying them. I am learning sooooooooo much about myself. And faring quite well. Our new roomate is from "The Borders." It's actually a district at the Scottish/English border. She is incredibly sweet; and has a great sense of herself. EVERYONE here is really great; whoever does the screening process for vollies does a wonderful job. Really. A lot of the vollies are either ministers (Methodist, Presbyterian or other), in seminary (to become a minister) or just out of college and not really sure what they want to do. One young woman I work with spent the last two years in Senegal working with the peace corps! There is a variety of ages and experiences and accents. I most recently am trying to pick up the accent of a guy from South Africa....why? Because he keeps mocking my 'merican accent - and it's SOOOO fun to give him a hard time.
Tonight all the Mac cooks are gathering after the 9 pm service in the head cook's apartment (read walk-in-closet) to watch "Finding Nemo." Although our cook doesn't talk as much, she says she is a soul sister to Dory. I bought chocolate ice cream as a treat. It will be fun, because we are such a COOL TEAM!!!
Well, that's about it for now. Any questions? Let me know! And you CAN email me directly, don't forget....hopefully my next post will be sooner than a week! Love you all!
mary out.
4 comments:
Sending some cyber-aloe in your direction; make sure it finds the right appendage. :-) Sounds like such fun (everything but the burn that is). We're going to be bugging you for stories this fall.
Time to go bug Sauter...
Peace out!
Sounds like a fabulous experience. After seeing photo of the doggies in trouble on your site, I found a book that you and jojo should enjoy. It's called "bad dog" and consists of 278 outspoken dogs. It is really cute. Too bad they don't have one for birds because I'm sure my bird would have something in the book, too. Keep away from those hot things - that's why I don't cook - just kidding. Can't wait to hear your stories, etc. when you return. Have a great rest of the week and weekend. I am off to write kindergarten curriculum.
Peace, PBC
Mary,
I want to e-mail you directly, but I'm not sure of your address. Maybe you could e-mail me, just so I could hit "Reply" and fill you in on our West Coast doings.
Your beach time sounds great. Have you actually gone in the water yet?
XXOO,
Paula
"Cyber-aloe"?
Did we not just yesterday talk about abstract "care" as an evil mask of real Christian, (read: personal), charity? And here you are sending "cyber-aloe"? Dude, what happens when I have a heart attack. Are you going to send me some warm and fuzzy "cyber-defribrillation" administered through "cyber-paddles"?
Thanks but no thanks.
And Paula: If you do have some private stuff, it's smart of you to think to send it directly to Mary via e-mail. Some personal stuff is definitely not for public consumption. Her address is sauter@geneseo.edu. I am sure she looks forward to getting the juicy information ASAP.
(Just kidding. That's my address. She will get your e-mail at maryvanhouten@juno.com.)
M-Saut
P.S. Hi Mary!!!!! Glad to hear you are "finding your groove" on the Island, which is a blend between two Disney movies: Finding Nemo, which you saw, and The Emperor's New Groove which is slated for broom-closet screening next week, I think. I dunno. You'd have to ask the head-cook, who, by the way, would be TOAST if Scotland Yard had a division like OSHA. In the States, we shut down kitchens were people get burned. Did you ever get burned at Newman? No! I look after my co-workers. I think it's time the likes of you and John Bell put liturical music compositon on the back burner for a bit, (pun intended), and start writing some protest music, about the working conditions in that sweatshop they call and Abbey!.
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