Another week in Budapest

My time in Budapest is over tomorrow so I thought I'd upload a few more pictures before I go. I especially like this first one...at least it makes me laugh every time I look at it. I was at Hero's Square (um, I think that's the name...I'm not a good tourist) and these huge magnificent sculptures are everywhere with this almost mythic sky as a background and I thought: I should take my picture here (not that I'm either magnificent or mythic, but to the mark the moment). However, being by myself posed a problem. So, I quickly held the camera in front of me and snapped the photo. And promptly laughed. The flash came on and I look a little thick in the neck and all that besides I thought: this is too Paris Hilton-ish...you know, almost...the glamor in the shot. And then as I started walking away, I tripped. Again, I was by myself. No glamor here. Anyway....













Some statues in front of the technological university.




These are some buildings across the street from where I'm staying.

Some lyrics...

From the Robbie Seay Band song Better Days:


Green grass, and I'm laying in the sunlight of you,
And the wind is moving through the trees ushering you,
And the better days you bring, the better places found,
Feasting at your table I am overwhelmed,
I lift my glass and drink to love that never gave up,
Clouds pass fading into memories gone,
And all I have to show for life is life and love and peace.
What else could there be?

Here come better days,
And here come better days,
Better days, and a better place I know...

(click the band name above to go to their website, blog, etc...and Jen, yes, they are based in Houston!)

Meditating...

Isaiah 57:19ish
"I decided to heal him, lead him, and comfort him, creating a new language of praise for the mourners. Peace to the far-off, peace to the near at hand," says God- "and yes, I will heal them."

Isaiah 58:9-12
If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other peoples sins, if you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourself to the down and out, your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight. I will always show you where to go. I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places- firm muscles, strong bones. You'll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry. You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.

I Corinthians 13:13
Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Song of Solomon 2:4
He has brought me to His banquet hall, and His banner over me is love.

Isaiah 63:7-9ish
I'll make a list of God's gracious dealings, all the things God has done that need praising, all the generous bounties of God...compassion lavished, love extravagant.

Isaiah 64:4ish
Since before time began no one has ever imagined, no ear heard, no eye seen a God like You who works for those who wait for Him. You meet those who happily do what is right,who keep a good memory of the way You work. (lavishly and extravagantly...)


from The Message

The train to Budapest

I'm never sure how to order these types of posts...do I start with the most recent thing that has happened, or do I start at the beginning and put post-beginning events after the beginning? I decided to do the later. Here are a couple pictures from the train ride. I, of course, took the first photo of myself. We had just pulled out of the train station in Bucharest and everything was golden outside as the sun was setting. I think if you look closely you can see the other side of my face in the reflection. The other photo is of some mountains in a town that I don't remember. They were pretty which is reason enough to snap a photo even if I don't know where they are or what they're called.

It's been such a gift to get away. As soon as I stepped on the train out of Galati all I could do was stare out the window. I don't think I realized how tired I was or how intense the last 4 months have been. I mean, I was sort of aware, but hadn't really put words to it or let myself feel the intensity. And, almost as soon as I left Galati I had a sore throat...which has evolved into a cold. That has been a bummer. Still, I have a week left here in Budapest and I'm hoping to rest and reflect and just be.

Oh, and I'm looking forward to being back in Galati. Here's a shout out (am I too old to give a shout out?)to my friends there...I'm missing you!

Budapest

Here are a few photos I've taken while being out and about in the city. Some are just ones I snap of pretty buildings, others are these straight lines of beautiful buildings, or a bridge, or Parliament, or me in front of the bridge and beside the Danube.
Many of you know that I was here 14 years ago but don't remember it being so gorgeous...but a lot has changed in 14 years in the city and in me. This may account for both how the city looks and how I see it.

Szentendre

I hope I spelled the name of this little sweet village correctly. My friend Jen lived here with her family before moving back to the states and I don't know how she left! (Jen also set me up with a place to stay here in Budapest...) Here are a few photos.

Songs of Summer

Turn around is fair play and I was tagged by my sister Elisabeth to share my 7 favorite songs of the summer...
I don't mean to sound super intense here, but I've had a fairly intense summer and so my songs sort of reflect that.
3 of my favorites come from The Robbie Seay Band. If you don't know them, I recommend them. They're bringing me back to 'Christian' music.
1. Go outside
2. Peace
3. Better Days
4. Rita Springer, can't remember the name but it's probably something like: Your Presence
5. Glen Hansard, from the movie Once, All the Way Down
6. Natasha Bedingfield, Untitled
7. India.Arie, Intro: Loving

Now, I tag Angela, Courtney, Monica, Frank, Joel (there's gotta be songs runnin' through your head while you're poundin' nails), my bro-in-law Adam, and Mel (my dad because he did such a good job being meme'd)and Aimee.

Memed

I was memed by Angela...now I'm supposed to share 7 random or weird things with you that you may not know about me. Which is difficult. Not to think of 7 random things about myself, because I'm rather 'quirky' as I've been told. But, to think of 7 random things that I haven't heretofore shared. I'm rather open regarding what I like and dislike. Anyway, and then I meme 7 other people at the end of the post. Good times...Here's the official rules as they are to be posted:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. When I was 4 I stepped on a nail just to see what it would feel like. It is a very distinct memory for me. I can still see my small, unshod foot poised above a 2x4 from which a rusty nail is protruding. Down came my little foot and then I kept it there. For some time. Yelling: Jesus! Help me...oh Jesus! (I don't remember yelling that, the neighbor heard me, who telephoned my mom who...)came running to the backyard in all her 8 month pregnant splendor to wrench my foot free. I had to have a tetnus...

2. Until about 2 weeks ago I did not drink coffee. I was able to get through college and grad school, teaching second grade, working with trafficking survivors without the mind-jolting substance. What, you ask, may have brought you to the brink of such caffeinated stupor at such a late time in life? Romanian. It has made all the difference in my language lessons. I still take it with plenty of cream and sugar, but thank goodness for coffee!

3. I don't like popcorn....especially microwaved, buttered. It stinks. And is gross. I do like kettle korn, though. So maybe I do like popcorn but am particular as to what kind it is....which brings me to #4.

4. I don't like ice cream. Well, not really. I'll eat gelatto. And Blue Bell Cookies and Cream ice cream. Otherwise, I don't like ice cream.

5. I was a cheerleader at Multnomah for 1 year. Some of you know this, others don't. It is very random...I still can't believe I did it. Today I saw a girl wearing our school colors and the first thought that came into my head was: ready, okay!

6. When I was a little girl I didn't really like to play with dolls. I'd play with them for a little bit but would much rather be outside riding my bike. Once I had $10 to spend at Toys r Us and it took me forever to decide what to buy (some things don't change). In the end I chose a Barbie, took it home and out of the packaging and then that night I didn't want it anymore. I was sick to my stomach disappointed that I couldn't return it. I really tried liking it and playing with it like other little girls, but I just wasn't into dolls.

7. I love home-makeover shows. It's seriously a problem. I had to give them up for Lent. I dream about the homes I could make-over or decorate. I love to see the beginning chaos and the end results. No offense to decorators, but if for myself I could find some redeeming value in doing 'flips' or interior decorating, I would. Along this line, when I was little I wanted to be a hair-stylist. My mom said I was too smart (again, no offense to hair-stylists. I've since learned how geometry and aesthetics play into this profession. I could do the aesthetics part, but I am not too smart for geometry).

Here are the 7 I meme: JoAnna, Jamie, Elisabeth, Dad (Mel), Jason (& Kris), Aimee, and John Koon.

Horse and Cart

So, I snapped a photo of a horse and cart near the drop-in center here in Galati...such as I mentioned in the last prayer letter.

Another Friday, another outing

This time to the art museum. It was a really great time...so proud of our kids who had never done something like this before. And the tour guide was super nice. I don't have pictures of the museum and again, no pictures of kids, but I also gave the camera to the kids again and this is what they captured. (Except the first one of the iron fence, I took that.)







okay, so not super exciting, but they did take some pretty nice ones of each other.
In other news, I thought I'd post a picture of my left hand, over which I poured boiling water last Monday evening. I was making pasta, using a towel as a potholder, the towel caught on the stove grate, and wallah, I had a burnt hand. It was a weird sensation as at first it felt cold, but quickly hurt like the dickens. Anyway, it did blister a bit, but usually when I'm hot and sweaty. It's itchy now because it's healing. Lesson to be learned: try to use potholders whenever possible.

Friday Outings

Since it's summer, we spend Fridays doing something special with the kids. 2 weeks ago we spent the day on the Danube River(complete with livestock which accounts for the picture of the horses) and BBQ'd.(Don't miss one kid mimicking Titanic while we were on the ferry crossing the River). Last week we had a scavenger hunt. Again, I can't show all my pictures just for kid's safety sake, but I'm showing the ones I can. Sometimes I let kids use my camera, so there can be funny pictures of me running after them trying to get my camera back.In the pictures at the river you'll see the skyline of Galati in the background from the soccer game.
Also, there are some funny pictures of David during the scavenger hunt, running after busses etc. Actually, we did quite a bit of running that day, me included. It was hot hard work and I was a little bitter that we didn't end up winning after working so hard. Still, you'll see some pictures of Galati here as a result.