The Long Awaited Visit

Ok, I have to back this blog up. Too much work has stressed my life to the limit. Not that I am complaining. But the most fun of October was when daugther Michelle, s-i-l Lexton and darling 7 month old Lyriella came to visit. I definitely know that I couldn't have raised a 7 month old myself at my advanced age. What possesses the 50+ year old women to have a baby? I guess they have nannies. Anyway, how did I forget that Christina crawled her way to freedom at 5 months and laughed when we couldn't find her, what possessed Kate to decide that she would never sleep again after her English Spaniel Ralph died and the sensitive mother told her that Ralph went to sleep. Oh well, as grandmother, the fun began as Lyriella decided her strategy. Move, look, try to decline sleep, persuade Grandpa John that she really needs all Mac products, meet and greet Great Uncles and Aunts (the vote from Lyriella seems to be that they are interesting, unusual, and she would like to see them more, and definitely want the Aunts to be a big part of her life. All in all it was a great week, and Grandma cannot figure out where it went.... I have put away the bed, found the leftover incredibly cute dresses and T-shirts, looked at the funny teeth pictures and thought.....I want my children and grandchildren HERE. But alas, that is there decision. And I will live with that!
Freedom...or fake coals, or the nasty sheepskin

It is very possible that Great Uncle Rick has something wonderful. It might need to be eaten, or at at the least given. These Great's. They are pretty wonderful.!

Great Aunt Kay knows how to deal with her babies. And Grandma is sad that she didn't have the camera for Great Aunt Anne who is equally adept. what was she thinking!

Aunt Julia had many attributes, but apparently the laces were the best. Lyriella adapted to all her family like she had been in North Cacki lacki for ever.

Grandpa John reminds Lyriella that he actually has nice things, not just the laptop, iphone and pager, and she has decided that she wants the Pakistani Wall Hanging...Oh, ok. But we have to die first. One thing at a time.



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Fiona Terry-Breathing New Life Into this Ngirilover

I love the mountains! A weekend with Fiona Terry and her two adorable children. John, Leaves, Pat and Quail, good whiskey, fire in the fireplace... what more do you need?

Make sure that the wood is ready for the fireplace!

Fiona is loving her kids!
So....what is it about this woman and her kids. Fiona is a visiting faculty member to the Kenan School of Ethics and Duke Global Health Center. She is an amazing woman, and she has given me a breath of new life. She has worked with Doctors without Borders (MSF) the International Committee for the Red Cross, and others, and has done so in refugee camps, in terrifying war situations, and in places that most of us would say a big NO! But there she is, literally on fire with her desire to slowly give us (in our working group) a new way of thinking. Ponder carefully what you are doing in a placement abroad, ponder carefully if you are hurting or helping, ponder carefully what the best way to work with refugees and internally displaced persons and provide them with safety...not to make life worse for them and to put yourself in such harm's way that you cause a mess. These are new ways of thinking and they make sense. Think in other words, in a different way and then act on it. WOW. For an old lady like me, this is challenging. Especially for an Irish old lady like me. Then, to top it off. She is so much fun. She is delightful, funny, charming and maybe a little sarcastic. But, she has the neatest kids, lovely, polite, creative, and actually pretty nice to each other. The natural fit for the weekend was to have our dear friends Pat and Quail over. What a terrific time. I just wish I were 29+ and could sign up for all the possibilities that are right in front of all of us for foreign service...and this time in the right ways. On the other hand, maybe we were guided by instinct and haven't done so bad after all!