It's been a while... (scroll down for pics)

I really would like to keep up on the blog. I love teaching, but the last thing I want to do is come home and get on the computer. No promises on how much I'll post, but I will start posting more in the coming weeks and months.

I wanted to show off my new haircut... I don't think my hair has been this short since I was five... but I like it. I needed something new, so why not?



Teaching seventh grade has been great. I'm really enjoying getting in to the groove of my new career. Every day is an adventure... not quite as adventurous as Bosnia, but everyday has it's own surprises!

Skoobi is doing well... I'll put a new picture of her up here next time I sign on. I actually have a video I want to upload, but for some reason, it won't take. Let's just say she is quite fond of Dunkin' Donuts!

Besides teaching school, I've been busy at my new church attending a ladies Bible study on Tuesdays and then teaching middle school girls on Wednesday nights. It's a lot of fun, and I am so glad they asked me to involved with the youth. I am team teaching with a wonderful lady named Liz. Her and her husband took me out on their boat a couple weeks ago. It was SO much fun! I can't wait to go again. I put some pictures down below.

Liz does a ministry to the nursing home on Mondays. A few weeks back, she met a very downcast lady at the home... as they began talking, she told Liz her family was from Serbia! She has never actually been there (she's in her 70's, I think), but her family spoke the language when she was growing up. It was very fun to be able to go to the home to speak to her before we went on the boat. My language is so rusty at the moment, so it will be nice as I stay in contact with her to practice some. Liz and I plan on cooking up a little Eastern European something before we go next time. That should be fun!

In September, mom celebrated her 60th birthday. We decorated her office, and had a really nice day for her. No one had to wonder how old she was since we put the "Hoppy 60th birthday" sign outside her door! Yes, it's "Hoppy" since she collects frogs, remember.

A few weeks ago, two of my friends from Bosnia were here - Tiffany and Sladjan! It was really fun to catch up with them. We went to Downtown Disney, and had a nice and relaxing afternoon.

The most fun thing that has happened in the last two days was after 31 years of living in the same house, in Florida, by canal... we finally had an alligator in the yard! OK, it wasn't more than two feet long, but we finally had an alligator in the yard! It was so cool!! Mom was out walking the dog for me (I tend to come home from work and fall asleep on the couch for an hour) when she suddenly was at the window, yelling in a loud whisper " YOUR CAMERA, GET YOUR CAMERA NOW! THERE'S A GAToR OUT HERE!" And I'm thinking "Save my dog...! And yourself, of course!" :) So I grabbed the camera and ran out to find the sweet gator I aptly named Fred. He is pictured below... we haven't seen him since, but I'm more concerned about meeting Fred's Momma! :)

OK, well, I am back to blogging! I hope some of you are still out there! Drop me a line and let me know!

Just a couple pictures from my day on the boat. I loved being out on the river and the ocean. The ocean was very cool with all the waves. I would put a video on here, but it's kind of embarrassing hearing myself yelling "woohoo" the whole time :)

Tiffany and Sladjan show their true colors!

We had fun on Mom's birthday! It's great working at the same school together.

The sunrise over our canal and dunes the other morning... apparently this is where Fred-the-Gator was born!

Can you find Fred-the-Gator's eyes? Look smack dab in the middle...

There is Fred right before he went in the water. I tried to video his move, but my camera battery died! AARGH!

And here is a close-up of Fred... what a cutie!

First Day and Fay...

The first day of school was Monday. I think it went very well. I enjoyed my first day as a teacher. It seems that I have many good students. However, we have yet to have second or third day of school! While Fay was only a tropical storm, she was full of water, and our county is flooded. Thankfully, we don't have any damage, but some friends of ours, only about a mile away, have a foot of water in their house. Most of the streets are impassable. We don't know if the schools will be able to open tomorrow since the people who need to go out and inspect them (like my dad) aren't even able to get to most of them.

One thing we need to work on is getting Skoobi to go potty in-between feeder bands :) She did fairly well, but did need to go out once in the middle of some good rain and wind. I'll put some pictures below for your viewing pleasure. As soon as that's done, I need to go and revamp all my lesson plans. No matter when we head back to school, it's going to be the first day all over again!

Just a quick video from our back window yesterday afternoon

(the video wouldn't upload, so I'll try again later)

The back yard beginning to flood... The neighbor's was already flooded.

This plant is supposed to be standing straight up, but it looks like a giant stomped on it!

More backyard pics

Skoobi loved the wind

The front of the house usually floods with more water than this, but it's still raining so you never know.

While not liking the river or ocean, Skoobi seemed to have a fascination with the really big puddles.

Skoobi's nemesis checking out the storm from inside her cozy room

The canal next to our house rarely has water in it... you can't really tell, but it's about 3/4 full... probably about 4 feet of water or so.

The backyard water started to receed this morning, but has kind of stalled. It will probably be there a few days, beckoning many mosquitos as it stands. Uugh.

Skoobi had to go outside at 11 last night. There was just so much water, the fire ants were floating around everywhere, and both Skoobi and I got bitten. The fun just never ends :)

A morning at the beach - blog post #200

We took Skoobi to the beach Saturday morning. I've been wanting to do it for a while, but the dog beach is about a half hour away (the people beach is only about 10 minutes away) and I just haven't wanted to drive that far. It's also funny to me that the dog beach is directly across the road from the nuclear power plant... hmmm... But anyways, Saturday morning was beautiful, so off we went. As the above picture shows, we got there just after sunrise. Next time we'll try to get there for the sunrise.

I was hoping Skoobi would just want to jump right in (like the other two dogs that showed up after a while). But alas, she just doesn't seem to be a water dog. I think she is afraid of the noise the waves make when they crash. She's lucky it was low tide otherwise I don't think I could have gotten her this close to the water

There she is not liking the water too much. It's amazing how fast she could move when the waves came in. Maybe she's just a spoiled diva who doesn't want to get her precious paws wet.

Yep, she was not at all into the water. I'm not going to force her, we'll just go maybe once a month or so and hopefully she will get over her fear.

She did like the seaweed. Thankfully there were no jelly fish or crabs on the beach, or we probably would have had to stop by the vets office on the way home. :)

And there are her paw prints gracing the shoreline - at least till the next wave comes and washes them away.

Below is a video of Skoobi on the beach. I think I finally figured out what she is... part Dalmatian, part sissy-chicken! :)



Thanks for sticking with me through 200 blog posts... wow!

My First Tagging...

I've been tagged by Germaine on her blog. I don't really know what that means, but I will follow the directions and comply only because it's G.

this is what I was informed that I needed to do…

Once you have been tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 random things, facts, goals, or habits about yourself. At the end, choose anyone you think may answer - to be tagged, listing their names & why you chose them. You can’t tag a person who has tagged you.

1. Sadly, I like reality shows like Survivor and Top Chef... It's so pathetic, I'm ashamed to even write it. I even go to the websites to get all the Survivor gossip and watch "after the show is over" video. It borders on addiction.

2. I hate do-it-yourself shows... most people just watch and never really do-it-themselves.

3. For those of you who don't know, I have a dog and I love her very much. I have come to realize though I am not the pack the leader and I have much to learn from The Dog Whisperer. Skoobi must learn she is not the boss of me. I like the Dog Whisperer.

4. I'm in a very strange place in my life now, being pulled in many directions and not knowing which way to go. And I have no clue which way I want to go. I have no clue which way God wants me to go.

5. One of my favorite things to eat is white bread dipped in vinegar.

6. I'd like to travel to the southernmost point in Chile. I'd also like to go to Iceland and Poland. I didn't travel enough when I lived in Europe - another regret to add to my growing list.

7. I hate walnuts.

8. I bought a $100 Liz Claiborne purse at the Salvation Army for $10. I usually wouldn't even spend $10 on a purse, but I needed a nice one to take with me on job interviews. The salvation army rocks.

9. I can't believe I have to go on job interviews. I never thought at 36 I'd be looking to start a second career... I'm having a hard time with that - should I go back to school, should I go right into teaching, should I take a year off and just work a 'mindless' job while I transition back to life here? I have no idea...

10. I used to be a morning person, but now I'm a night person - if I fall asleep, that is. Now it just seems I'm a perpetually groggy grumpy person.

Ok, so now I have to pick people to tag... I suppose they need to have a blog and read my blog... slim pickens...

ok, so, um, in no particular order...

Jana W
Janelle B
Belinda

I can't think of anyone else who wouldn't be annoyed with me for picking them, so I'll leave it at these three for now... :)

Skoobi the Explorer

I'm currently in Orlando for a few days, but before I came up I took Skoobi to the river by my house. She's never seen a big body of water before, and so I was curious how she would react. I don't have the funniest reactions recorded, but this should give you a decent idea...




The lapping of water is apparently not a soothing noise for my dog... She got a little better after a while. I'm really wondering how she'll react when we finally get her to the beach!

Update

I know I haven't updated these last two weeks. It's still kind of strange being here knowing I'm staying. But it's been good hanging with the parents and just kind of relaxing and trying to figure out what's next.

I love having my clothes come out of the dryer. They are just so soft and clean and smell so good. It still takes e forever to go buy a (very expensive) gallon of milk. I just like wandering around the store and looking at things. I also love customer service here. Be it in person or on the phone, the worst customer service experience here is usually better than anything over there.

Of course, there are the things that I don't love... humidity. Is it possible to drown just by breathing? And it's only April! Ants... sugar ants, fire ants... ants! The lizard shock factor... the little booger jumped out at me in the bathroom. There is a baby lizard in my bedroom. I told him he could stay as long as he didn't jump on me.

Skoobi and the cat... oil and vinegar have a better chance of blending harmoniously. But we're sharing the house between them. It's interesting - we'll leave it at that. Took Skoobi to the vet and she passed everything with flying colors (except for getting along with the other dog in the the waiting room). I like the vet. They also have a boarding kennel and so we're trying that out next week.

The 'big' news is I bought a car. I usually wouldn't put pictures of it on my blog, but I know people overseas will want to see it and it's just easier than emailing everyone. It's weird because I've always paid cash for my cars, but now I have payments. I'm committed to paying it off early so we'll see how it goes.

Below are some pictures - enjoy!



Skoobi is happy being outside. We're buying a fence to put up for here, so for now she's chained up and someone has to be with her outside 1) so she doesn't terrorize people (she is a bit territorial, you know) and 2) so no stray dogs get her. We've had scary strays in the past and so I worry about her being attacked. But mom said we haven't had any in a while, so hopefully things will be ok. But I don't leave her outside alone.

Skoobi jumped right in the car -I had to really pull her for her to come out!

She just had a really cute expression here

Checking out the back seat

Where have we been? Oh, no where yet...

Here's the car, a 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer... may it live long and prosper

I need to name the car something, but I don't know what yet. I thought about Lance, but that's kind of obvious... any suggestions, let me know!

We Made It... :)

Well, as you can tell from the above photo, we made it! Up until the people at the Atlanta airport lost my dog, it was a great trip.

We arrived at the Vienna airport early (of course we did, this is me we're talking about!). I was tired and very stressed about the dog and worrying I didn't have all her paperwork. I never worried about Skoobi herself. Well, as we walked into the cavernous Vienna airport, Skoobi pitched the biggest hissy fit ever. She was so scared, she was just crying and whining and freaking out. And did it ever echo throughout the terminal! Oh my gosh! I was torn between feeling so embarrassed and feeling horrible for my dog! I was almost in tears, but I was also very tired.

I was the first person to check in, and the woman didn't even look at any of the paperwork I had for the dog. None... nothing... not a page. Why I bother to do things the legal and correct way, I'll never know. But off they took Skoobi, and they reassured me she would be fine.

I got on the plane a couple hours later, and there was a sticker on my seat letting me know Skoobi was on the plane. I had the seat next to me empty, and so I was thrilled with that. The flight was fine. Long, but no complaints. I'm toward the front of the plane, so I hurry through immigration after we land so I can grab my luggage and find the dog. I was the first person the check in remember, and so of course my baggage is the last off the plane.

But I had all five bags, and I rush over to get Skoobi - but she isn't there. Ok, I'm fine... I just need to wait. the door opens and I ask the man about my flight and he said all the dogs from the flight have been taken to where they are supposed to go. Um... where is my dog??

Two hours later, I am still in the international terminal and no one knows where Skoobi is. I am so upset by now because while the people are nice and seem to want to help, no one knows what to do or who to ask. One really nice guy said i should go through customs and go to the main terminal because maybe they just took her there by accident. So I ruch through as quick as I can, I find my folks and without a hi or hello I just say - "go look for my luggage - five bags, they lost the dog!" So I rush over to where the dog might be, but no one knows of a lost dog and said I should go to the lost baggage office. Aargh!

So, now I'm in tears. It's almost been three hours and no one knows where my dog is. People are making phone calls but not getting any answers. Finally, someone says they think they know where the dog is... there were seven dogs on the flight and Skoobi was the only one who should NOT have been transferred to cargo, so they think that is where she is by accident. Four hours after landing, the finally find Skoobi and confirm she is at cargo.

They said I could wait for her and they would bring her to me... but alas - they can't because she was brought in from overseas. So I have to go all the way back to the international terminal to claim her - not that I cared, mind you. Five hours after landing, I finally got a very stressed and sad Skoobi.

And that was the very condensed version of the story. It was awful not knowing where she was. And the poor thing hadn't had any food or water in ages. We got the the hotel and she just drank three bowls of water right away - which she proceeded to throw up. So, needless to say she had a very traumatic day.

But our drive the next day from Atlanta to Ft Pierce was pretty good. There was no way I was putting Skoobi back in her travel crate, and she was exceptionally good in the car. She either sat by me on the seat, or got down in-between the seat to keep mom and dad company upfront as you can see below.



She also took a nap in-between the seats. It was rather cute :)



Here she is today, her first full day in Florida resting in the shade - it's already so warm and humid here! I left snow and cold wind, and now I am wearing shorts and sandals. :) No complaints here!

Skoobi is adjusting much better than I thought.... she still hasn't met the cat, although they have smelled each others presence. For now, we are sharing the house between them - a couple hours the cat is locked away and Skoob runs free, then a couple hours me and Skoob are in the room and the cat runs free. It's a pain, but it works for now. I think it will all workout.


Oh, and how cool is the eagle flying around the neighborhood? It was so beautiful flying around, I'm glad I got a picture of it while it took a rest on the power pole.

Thanks so much for your prayers. The Skoobi getting lost experience is not one I want to relive anytime again soon! I am just very thankful she was found and is safely sleeping here next to me. I was thinking about how well traveled Skoobi is - even more so than most people I know! She's lived in Bosnia, Croatia, and now the US and has traveled through Slovenija and Austria. Not so bad for a poor little Bosnian street dog!

The final countdown...

I am about to take a nap, but just wanted to say hi from Croatia one last time. I'm ready to go, and am looking forward to having the trip behind me. I am still so stressed about the dog. I know I have everything, I just...aargh. I hate that I have to do this now. I wish I had the opportunity to travel with her before this big trip just so I know for sure I have everything and I know what I'm doing.

Ok, well, I should nap so I don't be all cranky on my trip :) Thanks for your prayers. See you soon!

Travel Prayer...

Skoobi and I will be leaving for the airport at 2am Thursday morning (9pm EST Wednesday night) to catch our flight in Vienna. Our flight leaves at 10:30 Thursday morning (5:30am EST) and we should arrive in Atlanta around 5pm. The weather has turned horrible, spring has left for another round of winter so that is one concern. Even though I've checked many times, I'm still worried about flying with the dog. And this is first I've been out of bed since Thursday afternoon - I've been sick with some kind of coughing/sneezing/can't breathe/sinus thing. I have to finish cleaning the house, paying bills, and saying good bye to a few people in the next 48 hours, so please pray for strength and health as I do those things. Please pray for good border crossings, especially for no problems with the dog at the borders or airports. Pray for safety as we travel, and for my parents as well as they travel to Atlanta to pick us up and as we drive back to Ft Pierce on Friday. Thank you and I will see you soon!

I had flowers...

Pretty flowers growing in the yard... yellow, purple, pink. Even two daffodils. The tulips were coming up, and I was hoping they would bloom before I leave next week.

But alas...

It's snowing.

Yesterday it was sunny and I was out doing errands, walking in the sun and the relative warmth. I didn't need or want a jacket.

But now it's snowing.

I also have a very bad sore throat and a cough. I really hope it goes away before I fly next week.

This time next week, I will be over the Atlantic with my dog in the cargo bay. Hopefully we will both be sleeping.

I do know when we get to Florida, it won't be snowing. My flipflops are packed on top of the suitcase. I'm so excited not to have to wear socks when I get to America. Socks are evil. I'm wearing them now, though, hoping they will make my throat feel better.

I can't believe I'm sick, and I really can't believe it's snowing. Ok, I suppose I can believe it's snowing because I already gave my winter coat away. Maybe that's why I'm sick.

Blah

sigh...

I baby-sat again today, and was hoping the new season of Survivor would be available for download so I could veg in front of the computer with some left-over chicken. But alas, as of yet it is not on Itunes. I downloaded a movie to watch sometime this weekend, and have decided to save that for tomorrow evening. So I have eight channels to choose from on my TV - any guess to what my viewing pleasure choice is? Believe me, the choices were very very thin tonight...

I am into the sixth minute of Boa vs Python (yes, sadly it's a real movie released in 2004)


Oh look, It's minute seven and two more people are getting eaten by the snake... wow, even super special "made to kill a 80 foot python" guns can't stop it. I have no idea why they are trying to kill it only seven minutes into the movie.

Haha... they tried to blow up the snake but the guy dropped the dynamite and blew him and his co-workers up... I have no idea who the guy and the co-workers are, mind you - it doesn't really matter, I guess, since they blew up.

but now the python is loose, I guess the boa is next to be set free by people who don't know how to use super special "made to kill 80 foot boa" guns.

Oh, I hope Survivor is ready to download soon...

Sigh... minute nine and five people dead... I don't think this is supposed to be a comedy, but it's actually quite funny in that "it's not supposed to be funny but it is in a sad sad way" kind of way.

Maybe I'll just go to bed.

Extending Christmas...

We finally made it to the assisted living facility. A group of teens here helping with the gypsy ministry took some time to come with us to sing songs and give gifts to some of the people in the home. I'm really hoping in the next few weeks to begin going there to visit with Vesna (Vesna is Zdenka's daughter - Vesna's daughter Sandra lives here and is pictured below). I'm really looking forward to the opportunities to serve there. Please be praying for the precious people I met today...

Anita translating for one of the women in the group.

Sandra, pictured in the orange shirt, is Zdenka's granddaughter. She's is anxiously awaiting her Christmas gift while enjoying the music program!

This lady is Ana... I had a really hard time understanding her except for that she is alone and very lonely. She cried most of the time (except for the times she was laughing with me when I was trying to understand her!) and just accepted all the hand-holding and hugs that were offered to her.

Ana during the Gospel presentation.

A happy Sandra looking for her mama.

I'm sorry some of the pictures are blurry and are of the same people and from the same angle... I was trying not to distract easily distractable people with the picture taking... :)