My Bonsai....

I have always wanted a bonsai tree. For various reasons I have never owned one. Not the least of which is... I do NOT have a green thumb. The only kind of plant that I have successfully kept alive in my home is a cactus or a plant that can wilt to the point of death and be revived by a quick dosing of water. That is the kind of reminder I need. Now if the plant is fragile and can't withstand that kind of treatment, it probably will not last with me. (Thank goodness children can communicate their needs or my kids might just starve).

Bonsai's are usually fairly costly where I come from...but here they are reasonable enough for me to take a "chance". I found the one pictured above and fell in love with it! I was not so crazy about the pot it was in... but I loved the tree.

I asked about changing the pot. Through translation I was told that this is not the time of year to successfully transplant a bonsai. I am so eager to have this little tree just the way I want it that I ignore this sage advice. This dear, experienced nursery owner obliges me and changes the container for me... against her better judgement. So off I went, with my limited ability and my foliage challenged thumbs.

Everything was wonderful! I enjoyed my bonsai so much. I put it in a special place where it could get just the right amount of sunlight. I watered it everyday just as I had been instructed. I even bought the special mister that was recommended for watering. I told Sugar and Spice to stay far away from it's delicate branches while they played indoors. I sat and looked at it everyday. It made me so happy inside.

Then one day, within a week of bringing my new found treasure home, I noticed a few leaves on it's delicate moss hill. I thought it had to be due to the shock of the trip home on Daddy's lap, in the back of a taxi. The following days brought more "Fall" type activity. This should not be...this is an evergreen bonsai. Everyday I fretted over my little friend, hoping to see an end to it's loss.

I continued watering as instructed. I made sure it got daily sunshine. To no avail, nothing changed the continual dropping of leaves. I was powerless to stop it. At times I convinced myself it had stopped and it wasn't as bad as it looked. Eventually there was no denying it, something was drastically wrong.

It took a few weeks but eventually this is what it looked like.

My sad, little, pathetic looking, bonsai.

Is my story over? No not quite yet. Now it might end up, as it looks... a dead tree, but I am still holding out hope. Even though it has been a slow torture to see my treasure wither...and there are definite signs of death....I still hold on to HOPE.

You see my friends, there is a shred of hope. I am not giving up yet. You have to look closely to see it but it is still there....evidence of LIFE!

TWO LITTLE LEAVES!!!!!

They are lonely, and there's only two, but they are there.... hanging on for dear life!

I have learned so much from this little bonsai!

I was stubborn, unwilling to wait. I was selfish and proud, unwilling to take the advice of an expert. I went ahead with my own plan regardless of the cost to the innocent plant. I wanted my own way. I had to have it now.

I realized we can sometimes be this way with our relationship with God. He is the Master Gardener and He knows what is best for our lives. He directs us so that we will flourish where He plants us but we often ignore His advice. (Or we don't even consult Him at all!)

We complain about the "pot" we find ourselves in. We don't feel it "suits" us. Or we think there is a better one available to us. Perhaps He gave us that particular pot for a reason. Perhaps He will transplant us when the time is right but perhaps He wants us to stay in the "pot" He put us in. Maybe the pot He wants us in is FAR, Far away and we resist the "transplant".

Being the gentleman that He is, He does not force us to take His advice. We think that by ignoring the sage advice of the Master Gardener we will somehow avoid what may lead to disaster. We continue on in or own way and for awhile we blissfully enjoy the path we chose for ourself. We "nurture" and protect our independent decision.

When signs begin to show that all is not well we fool ourselves into thinking it's not as bad as it seems. We say, "This should not be". We deny the real reason for the upset in our life. We blame external circumstances, seldom looking back at the original decision that lead us to this point. Sometimes the "Fall" in our life continues and we try everything we know to stop it, to no avail. It seems hopeless and pathetic.

That may be the case for my Bonsai... but it is NEVER true with our lives when we submit to the Master Gardener! There is always Hope. Our God can revive our lives at any point regardless of how long we resisted His plan. That is the Hope that He offers and the patience that He displays toward us.

Christ is our ultimate Hope and He will never mislead us. His plan for our lives is the perfect plan! Trust Him.

Decorating for Christmas....

Our first artificial Christmas Tree... no pine scent (which I really miss)but we are happy to have one.

The girls did a great job decorating it.

In keeping with our family tradition, the "baby" of the family, Spice, gets to place the star on top. Not much of a lift up for Daddy this year.

Sugar uses some of the left over decorations in a creative way....Milly doesn't seem too fond of the idea!

To Market, To Market......

Common Market Place Scene....

Crazy Hat Day!

CRAZY HAT DAY!

Even the Teachers get into it!

Unique use of drinking straws. We used boxes to fashion hats for Sugar and Spice.

It was a fun filled day! Such creativity!

Sports Day!

SPORTS DAY! We sold Iced Tea w/ Lemon, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Sugar Cookies, Tuna Sandwiches, and Ham Sandwiches. We sold completely out with the help of our girls "street vending". Proceeds went to the school.

Sugar's decade celebration....

Sugar's Birthday Party! This is how our "girls" celebrated Sugar's first decade of life. Some school friends (pictured here) told us about a laser-tag place near our home that they enjoy going to . We had never experienced laser-tag so we decided to give it a try.

With a little apprehension at first...they suited up. While getting their gear on there were many questions of concern.... Will it hurt when I get shot? How does this thing work?

Of course Mom couldn't answer their questions because Mom had never done this either! Our friends began translating the questions to the attendant and then the answers to us. No, it would not hurt. It works by vibrating on your vest if you get "shot".

If I get shot am I out of the game? No, you have five lives, then you are dead and your gun will not "shoot" any more.

With all their questions and concerns addressed, we divided into teams....Girls against the Boys! (Although one Dad joined the girls team to help even things up I guess.) They posed for the picture above with their most menacing grin they could muster. And they were off!

The boys immediately had a game plan and tore off to the far edges of the battle field, taking up positions in bunkers and outposts..... the girls began strolling off together as if they were heading for a picnic. The Dad who volunteered to even up the girl's team huddled them up and explained some battle strategy.

Soon the girls to were in a bunker but still a little unsure of how all this was supposed to work. And probably wondering, just how hard does this thing "vibrate" when I get hit? The school friend, who had done this before, began to demonstrate. She showed them how to aim, shoot and "reload" the gun by tipping the barrel up toward the sky when the "sound bullets" no longer were heard as the trigger was pulled.

Pretty soon they were running all over the field, hiding behind trees, jumping in fox holes and traveling in ditches toward the boy's team. Sometimes, just standing out in plain view discussing how uncomfortable the helmet was or how their vest needed tightening.

There was some dispute at the end of the 40 minute "war" as to who had won. As an objective by-stander I'd have to say, given the 3 against 6 ratio....the boy's team won (but don't tell the girls).

First attempts at baking here....

These are the first two cakes I've made in our new home. Even with all my years of baking experience I must relearn some things. There are adjustments that must be made.

The ingredients are different in appearance, texture, and to a small extent, taste. Some ingredients are unavailable or very difficult to find. Even if they are found the supply may not last and the search begins again for the needed ingredient. Sometimes substitutions must be made.

The weather is different here, and as you bakers out there know, weather can have an affect on baked goods. The weather can also have an affect on the baker's mood. (ha ha)

The equipment for baking may be slightly different then what I am used to. Ovens are not standard equipment in kitchens here. It took us nearly two months to procure an oven. The oven is an over-sized toaster oven. The only means of turning on and off the oven is with a timer. The timer's limit is 60 minutes, therefore if your bake time exceeds 60 minutes you must be aware, listening for the "ding", and reset the timer. (I am not looking forward to cooking a turkey in this baby!)

I am slowly learning these differences and making the necessary adjustments... just as we are learning to adjust to the differences in our lives now. We must be aware, listening and always ready to "reset" our viewpoint.

"Here" we are....

We are "here" and you are "there".... so much has changed in our lives and I can tell you, we are definitely not in Kansas anymore Toto! There are MANY things different "here" from what we are used to "there"... it is almost a hobby of mine now to observe the many differences and try to relate them to you. I will start with our entry into the Country. We had a layover in a major city for a few hours connecting us to our part of the Country we now call home. As we were waiting for our flight we were seated very near a typical airport "convenience" store where weary travelers can purchase a quick snack or refreshing drink. Typical right? Yeah....except one thing was not so typical. We spotted a refrigerated glass case similar to one you may see displaying pastries or the like, "there". My weary eyes sat looking from a distance, for quite some time, at this display case. I tried to make something familiar out of what I was looking at. I could not in my wildest imagination conjure up what I was viewing. Upon closer examination I finally recognized what was displayed in the case. Yes, I had seen this before....but NEVER in an airport. It was live crabs! You heard correctly, live crabs. Each tied with string, in a bundle for traveling with the claws safely tucked away. I don't know what that conjures up in your mind but for my ever curious mind I was racing with questions....Who would buy a crab just before getting on a plane? Did these crabs have to go through the security check point to get here? Is it possibly a favored gift giving practice, or custom to arrive with a live crab? Should I be buying one so I don't look out of step? Do they plan on eating these cute little guys or are they possibly pet crabs? If it's to eat, are they cooked first or are they eaten raw?.....the questions go on and on. Now imagine every day seeing many things like this. Something that just does not register with your experiential knowledge. It is bewildering sometimes. For a curious person by nature, like myself, it can be downright frustrating. The questions come at me rapid fire. The answers seldom (if ever) come. It's the unanswered part that can drive you crazy if you let it. I've become comfortable with the fact that there is an answer....I just probably will never know it, and that's okay. I still find it all fascinating!