Ringing in 2014 (a day early)

Happy New Year!

We have a lot to be thankful for as 2014 begins.  Foremost in our own minds is that Elizabeth (our oldest daughter) is out of the hospital in Germany, and healing after a root canal gone bad.

Monday happened to be a day all of us (me, Tom, Peter, Kate, Mary and Meghan) could be together in Houston.  So we visited a friend's home, helped with a few small home improvement projects, then on the way home stopped at Babbins for delicious food, great wine and fun conversations.

Afterward we went to the theater and watched "The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug"
We all enjoyed the exciting action, and incredible sets.  Though perhaps the purists object to the artistic license taken, I thought it added a lot to the background that otherwise would have been missing.

Last night consisted of small snacks, some football, a movie (Monsters University) and toasting with champagne at midnight while our neighbors were outside setting off a lot of fireworks!  Today we celebrated the New Year with Mass at CTR in honor of "Mary Mother of God."   It likely is the last Mass we get to enjoy for 6 months!  We will definitely miss our Houston faith family!!!

Both the University of Arizona and the Aggies won their respective Bowl games.    Tom has enjoyed being able to watch college football with Peter, as well as a few pro teams playing since he's been home.   Sunday before Christmas Tom, his dad Ray and Peter went to watch the Texans get trounced by Denver!

Two days and we might be on a plane back to Zambia.  Not certain whether we actually will get to leave that day, but we'll keep you all posted!  Our schedules never seem to completely align with reality.  Mainly we just don't want to get stuck overnighting along the route, getting our baggage lost, or having to sit on a plane on the tarmac waiting for repairs!!!  But, we'll see.  Whatever happens it most certainly will add to our store of stories.

Moving On, and On, and On...

We got to spend extra time at the Lusaka airport.  And as a result, got to stand in line at the Addis Ababa airport beginning at 1:00 am .. until 5:00 am.  Missed our flight to Frankfurt and got to spend the day (as the night was long gone by the time we arrived at the accommodation the airline arranged) here:

Mary and I were completely exhausted, and so happy we had nice comfy beds to sleep in.  She is still asleep, but this is the extent of what I could do to explore .. take photos out our window.  The front desk at the Churchill Hotel kept one passport as insurance that we couldn't try to stay in the country as we only had transfer status visas.  (Now, why would we want to stay?  We were trying to leave!!)  And apparently we were not even allowed to step one foot outside the hotel until the time our shuttle was due to return us to the airport that evening.

Our impressions, compared to Zambia .. far cleaner city.  Nice mountains!  Interesting alphabet/lettering style.  Food at the hotel was quite a pleasant surprise.  So for having to stay an extra day, not a bad place to cool our toes, and they were cold!

The green VW Beetle tickled me!  Nice color, far different from the blue used everywhere in Zambia.

So, after a bit of an unexpected layover in Addis, we flew Ethiopian Airways to Dulles in Washington, D.C.  Our bags didn't make it, but went via Germany, and arrived the next day.  Most of what we brought stayed intact.  Some soapstone carvings were casualties, as well as the handle on my lovely basket that we bought in Serenji when we visited Kapisha Hot Springs.

Our choice of luggage these days are German Army surplus duffles.  Quite rugged, but not unique.  Our trip home back in August I snagged one off the belt in Detroit, only to immediately realize that it wasn't my name on the tag.  

Not having our baggage made going through customs a breeze!  I wouldn't recommend it as standard practice, but we were so exhausted by the time we got to Houston, and could make our baggage claim with United I was happy to just be "home" and in my own bed!!