First, the Aus bushfires. You have probably seen some of the news stories. I have seen a lot of news stories. While New Zealand is keen to be understood to be not Australia, they have a deep kinship with Australians. The news is heartbreaking and horrific. Whole towns have burned to the ground. Whole. Towns. In Nebraska you can count on a tornado to wipe some small community off the dirt, but real human damage is light. These terrible fires killed some family members while passing by others. Many husbands lost their wives and children at home while they were at work. Some of those trapped wives called to say they were surrounded by flames. I can not imagine anything more terrible.
Some days I like to imagine that life has a balance. I try to see how tragedies give way to triumphs. That in death there must be new life. But on the third day of these horrid stories, I begged God to let it end. No sense of balance was possible. Words fail.
On more light-hearted news. NZer's don't really go for Valentine's Day. They see it as mostly pointly commercialism. You can still find an end-cap display of chocolates and a few cards, but this is a far cry short of the 3 seasonal isles of red and pink offerings in the US stores! Valentine's Day came and went with little flourish.
My parents had to return home on the 10th. It was a great month having them here. I am so glad they came and somewhat proud too. It was a big deal for them to decide to fly down. It certainly wasn't very cheap. I was very happy to show them around and we got lots of great pictures. Most of my photo albums have at least a few more snaps in them. I also posted more pictures on my facebook site.
Speaking of facebook... I started a profile there mostly to experience it first hand as research. Since I work in the mobile data industry, I wanted to see the capabilities of social networking. While I wouldn't consider it a replacement for blogs, chat, or email, it still fills a communication niche. If you like finding folks you may have lost, this app may beat out the rest. Something like 250,000 new facebook users a month are signing up. It is already changing the world and how we communicate. Also consider Twitter--another widget that may alter the world.
We have an increasing pile of things to take care of in the next month or two. We need to get our official NZ driver licenses. I need to work out how to file a court petition in Kansas so reflect that my income has been halved. We need to pin down the exact steps we need to follow to stay in NZ beyond 2010 (just in case). Work is really picking up with things to do. And somewhere in there I need to plan exactly how I'm going to see my kiddos in 2009.
Miles to go before I sleep.
Your plate over floweth!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Aussie bush fires were indeed horrific, but sadly, not covered much here in the American media. Indeed, it is hard to see any light in that situation. I was just watching Reign Over Me again.....how does one survive mentally and emotionally if one if the only one to survive? Your story of the fires makes me think of that all over again. My heart goes out to the survivors.
I think more and more Americans are losing their taste for Valentine's Day...at least the commercial end of it and at least people I know. A lot of us wished each other a Happy V-Day but did little or nothing else. It's nuts here, really. Ridiculous.
How cool that your parents got to visit so long and took the opportunity to do so!!! I've been loving the pics!!!
I'm enjoying Facebook. It has helped find some old friends, open communications with some family members and I play around with my daughter's friends, know what is going on there (bad mommy.) I am interested in Twitter.....maybe once I get my new cell next week. Hmmmmm. Just not sure my life is all that interesting.
You must post pics of the new licenses!!!! And the legal stuff...ugh.
Wear light durable shoes my friend.