My Day in Vienna

         Today we spent the day sightseeing in Vienna and recovering from jet lag.  It was a cold

         wet day but what can you do?  This is the day we have.  Here are some highlights.

         As part of my Amazing Race I asked the people familiar with Vienna what I could do for my 

         "road block."  They answered immediately, "You should climb the steps in the tower at 

         St. Stephen's."  

         So I did.

        But I'm afraid I'm not in the shape I once was and I'm going to be sorry about this tomorrow.

Oh, Mary, I need you to help me get in shape for things like this!

            I also took a tour of the Vienna Opera House, one of the most famous performing

            venues in the world.  They perform a different opera or play every night.  It was an 

           amazing place and reminded me of a challenge that they actually did on the TV race.

          Here are some pictures from the Opera House:

The box for the royals is in the back.

Boxes like this circle the stage completely.

Famous composers who have performed here include Mozart
and Beethoven.

                   Work starts tomorrow.  Students arrive Thursday.

          

Amazing Race Part 2

Haus Edelweiss

Some of you who keep up with me know that I have made it one of my life's goals to run my own Amazing Race (you can read more about it here and here.)  Last year I went to Denver during spring break to visit my brother and his wife and see the inner-city ministry they are involved in there.  You can find out more about that trip here and at the webpage for Cross Purpose Ministries.

This spring I am embarking on the second leg of my Amazing Race.  On March 29 I will depart for Vienna, Austria, to serve for two weeks in the ministry of TCM International Institutes.  There I will be working on the campus which brings students from mostly eastern European countries to work on advanced degrees in theology and ministry, so that they are equipped to return to their countries to minister to their own people.

My job during my stay there will be in guest services.  Basically I will be housekeeping, but I'm happy to serve in any capacity.

I got connected to this ministry through my very good friend Robin Beaumont.  She and her husband Terry live in Indianapolis, and I stay with them when I travel there to visit my aunt and uncle.  They have been going to Austria for several years now and are part of the regulars that make this ministry possible.  Ever since Robin first told me about this ministry I knew I wanted to see what it was all about.

Robin and Terry are two of the most gracious people I know.
Their hospitality to me over the last few years has been amazing.

At the end of my two weeks in Austria I will be traveling by train to visit my college roommate, Cheryl Winget.  She and her husband Steve have been missionaries in Budapest, Hungary, for many years and I am excited to see what her life is like there.  I tried to get my sister Penny who lives in Bulgaria to meet me there, but we were not able to make our schedules work together.  I guess that means I'll have to make a trip to Bulgaria later.

I'm so excited to be able to make this trip and learn more about the ministries that my friends are involved in.  It's going to be an adventure!

Doing the Grandma Thing

Hanging out with Madeline on Friday

I became a grandmother for the first time on July 16.  Madeline Elizabeth arrived and life hasn't been the same since.  It is truly the joy that you always hear everyone talk about.

Since the school year started I have been able to keep Madeline once or twice a week most weeks.  We have become fast friends and she always greets me with a big smile.  Phil doesn't always get the same treatment but she usually warms up to him.  Phil says, "She always looks at me suspiciously."

I just thought I'd share a couple of pictures from this week and videos of her as she's becoming mobile.  She's just shy of 8 months old but moving around quite well.  She's like her mom.  A friend who used to keep Kathryn often when she was small often tells me that Kathryn is the only child who could walk under her kitchen table without having to duck.

Wearing the shirt Uncle Will got her for Christmas
"Amuse me, Giants, for I grow weary."

I made links for the videos.  You can see her making lots of noise here.  And here you can see her on the move (this one is a little too long but she's crawling at the end).

She's quite the girl, and I love her very much.