This week I've really become homesick and sad for all things American, especially our Mayberry hometown.
Not sure if it's just the 3 month 'trend' on the cultural shock charts, the holiday season upon us, the very short days when we even get a little sunshine breaking through the rain and lately, snow, or what, but I've been pretty homesick this week. So, I thought it was a good time to pull out the list of all the things I really like about being here and try and focus on the good. 'I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel.... so bad.' If only it were that simple!
Of course, I'm also learning to be open to what God wants to teach me in this lonely grieving period, so feel free to share your encouragement and advice, and please do pray for me.
A few of my favs, in no particular order:
- Food - this really is first on my list! My personal top 4 food groups are the French specialties – cheese, bread, chocolate and wine, what more could a food-loving girl want?
- Round-abouts, because they just make sense and are perfect for u-turns.
- Reusable shopping bags - again, they just make sense, when I don’t forget them!
- Mountains, they take my breath away. Daily.
- Hiking in our back yard, literally.
- Skiing, we’re just minutes away from an Olympic mountain and many other spectacular ski venues.
- Sledding, you can also sled on said Olympic mountain or anywhere you find a decent hill with the proper amount of snow, how fun is that?
- Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes.. oh, sorry...
- Good public schools, at least in our town. We were also blessed with great teachers for our boys!
- The friendliness of the women in our community, they have been overwhelmingly kind and outgoing.
- 4 pivoting wheeled shopping carts, once you get the hang of them they’re actually not a bad idea, especially in over-crowded supermarkets. (sorry to disagree with you, Nancy, one day you will see the light!)
- Everyone is out hiking/biking! Rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, nothing stops these people from being physically active and enjoying the beautiful outdoors. Just put the plastic cover on the stroller, strap on some snow shoes or whatever, but get out there!
- Scarves, beautiful French scarves. My neck will never be cold again.
We are headed to Salzburg, Austria to make clothes from curtains and dance and sing in the streets. Or mostly just to enjoy the beautiful Christmas market and spend some much-needed quality time together as a family. And eat some schnitzel with noodles, because that can only help.
A special thank you to all of you who have sent us Christmas cards and pictures, they will be adorning our kitchen cabinets for months to come!
Have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year!
4 comments:
Glad to see you are listing your favorite things. Yes, you have hit the 3 month mark. It will get better, especially if you focus on all that you listed. Enjoy the snow. We are in the midst of an ice storm. Chicago is supposed to get 7-10 inches, but Mayberry is supposed to get 1/2 inch of ice.
Enjoy Saltzburg! Our Christmas letter will arrive after Jonathan and Michael arrive and we can take our annual and only family photo, since Christmas is pretty much the only time we are together anymore.
Eat a pan au chocolat for me!
Vera
Been there - not France, but last year was our first Christmas to be away from all family and it was really hard to know that you were all together without us! I can't really compare Kansas to France, but I understand being lonely and a little depressed. Hang in there, it gets so much better. Love you, Karmen
Hey Kristy, I was feeling sorry for you and wanted to pray for you, but once you started in on the Sound of Music puns I suddenly felt a little depressed myself. We had to watch that movie every year (I'm pretty sure more often than that some years) because my mother found it to be so charming and liked the similarity between our family with seven children and their family with seven children. The movie is very touching, but due to saturation of the brain, I no longer have a desire to sit through it again. Doe - a deer, a female deer, ray - a drop of golden sun, me - a name I call myself......Anyway, do hang in there and know that we miss you and will pray for you. Much love, Sheri
So I am reading!!!
I had to laugh! about some of your favorites as they are my favs in UK.
ROUNDABOUTS!!! LOVE!
BUT SO DISAGREE WITH THE 4 moving wheels on carts. 4 plus years still like the US carts better! :)
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