Travel memories ...

The Family at CCTC
Originally uploaded by Suzie Rozie.

I'm finally home for a little while, still glowing from travel and being surrounded by those I love so much. I am overwhelmed by it all and so humbled to realize that I am blessed beyond any dream I could have.

The picture above is one of four (all posted on Flickr), and each one showed the family in this pose, adjusted for the movements they would make as I adjusted my camera to make sure I caught them in a good light. All four pictures turned out well, and I couldn't decide my favorite. As I changed settings for the next picture, I see Donna and the kids moving closer together, and handsome Todd stands there looking so proud and beautifully pleased with this family he has husbanded and fathered so well for these many years. Their presence in my life is such a gift to me.

I am surprised that I am not fatigued after traveling a third of the way around the world and back, and then two days later traveling to visit my sister and brother-in-law for a little better than a week, but love provides its own energy. I have basked in it for the last month, and there's more to come as I soon spend a weekend with my beloved friend and her husband in Maryland, then Lauren and I take off for a month of one of our favorite activities together - exploring new places on our own - to the U.K., and then shortly thereafter we will spend a week with our granddaughter and grand son-in-law and my brother and sister-in-law in Colorado. I will have gained energy to last me for months to come!

This is the second time I've traveled alone to the Philippines, and I think I could almost do it now with my eyes closed. People are so helpful. Here I am, this little old lady hauling these two filled-to-the limit (70 pounds) suitcases, trying to get them off the conveyer at the airport, and there's always some helpful younger man, another passenger, who grabs the case and helps me pull it off and put it on a cart so I can handle it.

In San Francisco, coming back, we were late and I was afraid I would miss my connection to San Diego, but the airplane attendants got me off the plane first thing and started me on my way to pick up my luggage and go through customs. We were all fearful of being late for our connections, but, again, there was a man there who took the time to help me get my luggage off the conveyer and on a cart, and then he lead the way as we ran (yes, even I ran, holding on to my cart for dear life - even though I can't lift both feet off the ground at the same time - I wish I had a picture - it must have been funny) to get my luggage to the area where it would be transferred to my next flight. I didn't even have to read the signs about where to go - I just ran, as best as I could, and followed him. He kept looking back to make sure I was still there. What a nice person he was - and how nice so many where while I traveled. So thank you to the many! God bless you all!!!

We expect that this will be Donna and Todd's last year in the Philippines, and as the time nears for them to come home with the children, I find myself with a new thought - I think I will be breathing again, soon. I hadn't been aware that I was holding my breath, but somewhere in me, I must have felt that I have been doing just that for the last nine years. I think I am beginning to breathe even now. How good it feels.

But I will miss visiting the Philippines. I am so glad I have gone there as often as I have and had some time to get to know the people and their customs there. I am enriched by it.

Everyone works in the Philippines. Even though the country is poor and the economy is far below the standards of the U.S., these people take great pride in their work. We could learn much about the honor of work by observing them.

The people are a polite people, and we could learn much about civility by observing them.

Their infrastructure has grown in leaps and bounds since I began traveling there, but it still isn't up to U.S. standards. When things break down, Americans are very impatient, but Filipinos take it in stride. We could learn a lot about patience by observing them.

I am an early riser when I'm there - about 5:00 in the morning; but I am not the first riser in the neighborhood. I can hear a broom sweeping a walkway or lawn across or down the street; I can smell wood-burning smoke as someone prepares breakfast; I hear a motor here and there as someone goes to work. When we go for our early morning walk at 6:00, little home-based cafes are already open and serving their first customers.

The land is a land of humble and honorable people. I'm so glad I got to know that first hand.

There are a lot of things that have crossed my mind as I mentally drafted my first catch-up blog, but most of them slipped right through. Two things about my visit to Kentucky, though, are fresh on my mind, and they are important examples of the kindness of southern hospitality.

We got Whitt's Barbecue for supper one night. It was take out, and we then ate it at home. As I got out my money to pay for it, I thought I might have enough change to make up the 74 (or something) cents for the bill, but I didn't. Judy was getting change out of her purse when the clerk said, "Oh, here. I'll chip in a quarter." And he did! And then - and this is the really interesting part - he gave me the penny change from the quarter!!! I was stunned all evening, and I think I still am a little bit. That is certainly southern hospitality big time.

And the other thing was at the Nashville airport when I was coming home. As a smoker in an increasingly non-smoking world, I look around for places where it seems smokers have been (in numbers), hoping I'm going to find an ash tray and an appropriate place to smoke. I walked along the curb area next to the building and observed all kinds of non-smoking signs, and then I came to a spot where there were lots of butts on the sidewalk and there didn't appear to be a sign. Well, I'd prefer an ash tray and I didn't see one, but I figured I'd just step on the fire end of the cigarette when I was done and throw the filter end into the trash. About three puffs into my cigarette, a security guard came up and asked me if I would mind going over to the center island across the traffic lanes and finish my cigarette. He said the sign wasn't really visible, but he pointed to a little strip about 6 feet above the side walk on the airport window that said No Smoking. I said, sure, I'd be glad to do that, and asked him how I crossed to that island strip. He took me to the crossing place, stopped traffic, and then made sure I crossed the road safely.

Now, what makes that so nice? Well, I did pretty much the same thing at the airport in Anchorage, being well away from the doors (in California, you have to be 20 feet from any doorway), and lit up. A security guard there came up to me and very curtly told me to put out my cigarette because there was no smoking in that area. He pointed to a little strip sign placed on the window about the same place it was on the Nashville airport. I apologized and told him I hadn't seen it, and he said something to the effect that everyone says that and led me to believe he didn't believe me or anyone else who had told him the same thing. (There were butts all over the place.) The guard didn't give me any alternative or guidance, so I just took about 25 steps farther away and finished my cigarette.

So southern hospitality doesn't extend to Alaska, even if Anchorage is in the southern part of it. What a difference between the two approaches. In Nashville, I felt safe and secure; in Anchorage, I was glad to get on the plane without first going to jail!

More memories later as I continue to catch up ... the washing is waiting for me!