explanations (in a french accent)
It’s my first July in New York since since I was 13 years old—a very long time ago! It’s hot and balmy, but wonderfully splendid to be here.
I’m staying with my parents over this next month, and then my hombre is flying back in from South Africa. We’ll probably put in a few weeks of ministry travels and then we’ll be coming back to New York for me to have surgery to get my tonsils removed (dun dun dun). I’m not sure how I feel about all that yet—let’s just back burner those thoughts for the time being.
In the meantime, I’m enjoying time with family, all things Long Island, and an American summer. (It’s always been my dream to spend these months in America so that I can avoid winter in South Africa!)
I have a lot of catching up to do… So bear with me!
@mandythompson says:
i missed the french accent.
but snazzy screen capture.
i hope you enjoy the next month with your family.
;)
@atangie says:
This reminds of your post you’ve (probably) got (no) mail.
Aaahh, the memories. :-]
mandy — try saying “explanations” with a french accent. ex-pla-na-TIONS. that’s how i said it when i wrote it.
gigi — aaaah! so that’s what got you meandering back there. :)
@coloraturajoy says:
awesome, awesome!!!
@coloraturajoy says:
awesome, awesome!!!
WOW. Well, wonderful that you get to spend a year full of summers! Or maybe a year and a half! Much better than the other way around, that’s for sure. We have winter half of the year up here, and let me tell you – it really makes you appreciate the other 3 seasons!
508 items!!?!?!! Holy crow. You’ll need a week of non-stop action to cover all those. wow!
wow! that is a lot to read. you can do it! rah rah rah.. (was i just chear leading?) *gasp*
@mandythompson says:
ex-plan-ay-SHUNS.
i took french in college.
that ain’t even close.
:)
@cassgirl says:
What do you mean winter in SA?
It’s winter.. Like Christmas?
I think the French explanation for everything is either “c’est la vie” or “shay shay la femme” ( I hope I spelled the phrase right.
I had my tonsil out when I was nine or ten. All I remember is getting lots of ice cream afterwards. I hope the treatment hasn’t changed. :)
Has South Africa ever had snow?
annie — winters are long in SA, too… and yes my dream has come true of a year filled with non-freezing bliss! (i actually don’t mind american winters very much; it’s the constant-cold of african winters that is unbearable to me!)
hannah — thanks for cheering me on! ha!
mandy — pardon my french. thanks for correcting it.
heidi — christmas happens during summertime in africa. shorts and tanktops abound, yet my home is (typically) filled with snowmen. oh, the irony. but it’s christmassy cold in africa right now!
ed — from everything i hear, it’s a much harder surgery on adults than children. i wish i’d gotten mine taken care of when i was little, so that ice cream at the end made it all worthwhile. and… YES! we get snow every year in my area of south africa. people come from all over to see it (when the roads aren’t closed off because of it — there are no plows or anything so when it’s bad enough, everything shuts down!). here are some pictures of a snowstorm we had last year (all taken on our mission base):
PICTURES OF SNOW IN AFRICA
@cassgirl says:
Wow.. i never knew.
I think I need to take geography again.
I always imagine Africa as people who are barely clad… dumbsheep thoughts.
Snow.. wow.!!!
I love those pics…
most of africa is more like you have been picturing it. but south africa is so far south that we experience cold weather, too. and the area i live in is at a really high altitude. our mission base, at base-camp level, is at 6,000 feet — higher than denver! so that is why we tend to get snow when most of the country doesn’t.
“all things long island”.
I love you!
ha ha… you liked that, eh?
@cassgirl says:
Wow…
BTW I had my tonsils out at 25.
I’m not going to lie to you it really sucks for a couple days. Actually you cannot suck at all.
But the rewards are tremendous. You’ll feel like a new person.. TRUST ME>>
define “feel like a new person”. i need to hear more of the positive results of all this…
I knew there were some mountain ranges in Africa where there would be snow, but I am surprised to see snow in South Africa. I can see the shoreline of what looks like a lake in one of the pictures. You guys should charge people to go skiing. :)
On a list of mountains in Africa I see Seweweekspoortpiek which is in South Africa. Is that anywhere near your mission.
You are right even a little snow on the road can making driving very dangerous. The roads are sometimes the most dangerous during the first snow of the year because drivers have forgotten how to drive on snow.
i’ve never heard of that mountain, but i’m cracking myself up over here trying to pronounce it!
the peaks on our mission base are called mooihoek (which means “beautiful corner”), mount everest (i’m serious!), and glen paul (that’s the official name, but it’s typically called “eagle’s head” because of the prominent eagle-looking peak).
@cassgirl says:
Okay..
I used to get terrible sore throats that would make me very lethargic and very cranky.
I couldn’t sleep, because my own snoring would wake me up.
I was always always always on antibiotics?
There was a constant infection going on in my body.
Today I’m healthy, I haven’t had a sore throat in 5 years or so when your darn Yankees beat my Padres in the world series. That was because I was yellin
Is the shoreline I see in one of the pictures a nearby lake?
I think it is a little grand to be calling a peak around 6,000 ft high Mt. Everest. :)
The highest I have ever been is around 9,000 ft in the Rockies. Will it take you any time to get use to the altitude when you go back?
i almost always have a sore throat. i’m exhausted all the time. (i’m hoping the fatigue ties in with this somehow…) not sure about the crankiness; my husband would be the best one to weigh in on that one!
i don’t snore, but when i bother going to the doctor i end up on a lot of antibiotics and yes — constant infection.
hearing how all that changed for you gives me hope. thank you!!
ed — yes! we have a few lakes on our property. (we are so blessed, aren’t we?! 2500 acres of all that gorgeous countryside?!?!)
we are making t-shirts that say “i climbed mount everest” with fine print, of course, that says “in south africa”. we figure lots of team members, etc. will want to buy ‘em!
it does take me a while to get used to the altitude, and surprisingly i never fully adjust. my asthmatic-ish lungs don’t really enjoy the thin air very much unfortunately.
@cassgirl says:
Don’t listen to the negatives.
Yes, Alece I won’t lie to you my friend. It hurts for about 3-4 days and yes ice cream feel wonderful, but coffee felt even better.
But the REWARDS are great!!!
:) maybe you do snore and niel hasn’t told ya!!
thank you for talking me through it a bit. and i’ll definitely be letting you know closer to the date because i want you praying for me while i’m having surgery!!!!
@cassgirl says:
do you peaberry yet?
I’m glad Heidi is here.
And uhmm…yes, I would buy a mt. Everest shirt that said that forrr sure.
Remember that one time it felt like we did vigorous exercise, but all we did was climb a small hill? HA.
Oh the altitude.
@cassgirl says:
miss
heidi — thanks for coming back to add in that “miss”. i kept staring at your initial question, wondering what it was you were really asking! YES! i miss peaberry a ton. i regaled my family with stories about her tonight, until they were bored out of their minds — or just tired of hearing about her maybe!? i miss her a lot. i keep looking at a few of my favorite pictures of her, to sear them into my mind’s eye.
becca — i’m glad heidi is here, too! it’s good to hear of the positive results that make the horrendousness worthwhile. and don’t you worry; i’ll make sure you get a shirt! and i laughed when i read “remember that one time…” cause i think it’s more like “every time”! but yes! i remember it well!
@cassgirl says:
Are you going to take niel to see her?
we probably won’t make it to ohio when he comes back… but peaberry & co. are spending a year in africa with us starting in september!!! i cannot wait!
@cassgirl says:
I was just thinking as I am ready to hit the bed since 4:15 a.m. comes very early…
Imagine us 30 years ago. Well You wouldn’t be born yet, but lets pretend we are over 60 k?
It would take weeks to recieve these wonderful letters from our friends, pictures we would be sitting by the post office for it.
Now, everything is so instant. So comforting.
Good night my friend Alece, going on my power walk tomorrow. I’ll be prayin for ya
Loving and prayin
Heidi
@cassgirl says:
Wow a whole year!!!???
Amazing!!
well, since i just turned 30 (!!!), i would be a newborn… but yes – let’s pretend we’re over 60… and you’re so right! even just a decade ago, when i first moved to africa, the thought of instant communication with home seemed impossible! i think the internet was god’s gift to me! :-)
thank you for committing to pray for me on your power walk in the morning. that means a lot.
and… what’s up with the ungodly hour of 4:15?! why are you getting up so early??
and yes! a whole year! peaberry will turn one in africa. it is going to be wonderful!
@cassgirl says:
Well.. Long story short.
On Monday – Friday. I made a commitment to God that I would pray through prayer walks. I have only missed 2 in 6 months. 4:15 allows me to have a devotional time, coffee time, Joyce Meyers time and then off to walk and work @ 6am.
But you know what.. during these times like right now. With Paul’s dementia and I am feeling low, I know because I stood up in the gap for someone else then my needs are met.
God rocks.. He hasn’t let me down.
wow, heidi. i feel so humbled. thank you for your precious heart and your faith-filled obedience.
i am going to sleep praying for you and paul. (i know i am long overdue in an email reply to you; i’ll write soon!)
goodnight, new friend o’ mine!
@cassgirl says:
Good nite
lovin and prayin
@tamhodge says:
haha! i was stressing over 66 in my reader tonight!
tonsils out? ick! im sorry! does that beat winter in africa tho?
oh… American summers. I’ll stop now lest the tears come…. ENJOY IT!
tam — it MIGHT beat winter in africa… it just might…
christen — i’m making a pouty lip face. i know the feeling. this is my first one in well over a decade. once again there’s that feeling of “i forgot what i was missing”…
@danielleH says:
i miss you. i want to talk to you. i will call soon.
Oooohhhh… walk down to the beach and take in some ocean scenery for me…
It’s been so lovely to see you again as you catch up with our blogs. It seems like you’ve done pretty well so far catching up :) Sounds like you’ll be having a great time over this next month with your family and seeing your husband again, yay! What’s it like being back in New York again after so many years?
@moweezle says:
I think we both found the key to being missionaries in AFrica… going back to the states during summer while its winter back there. hehehe. Hope you r enjoying ur summertime with the family. :)
kitty — oooh… i will! remember our failed photo shoot on the beach?! ha ha! (i love your new avatar picture! you are beautiful!)
birgit — it’s actually wonderful. i’m discovering all sorts of new and great things — like a local farmer’s market, a town fair/carnival over fourth of july, etc. it’s fun!
moweezle — that’s definitely the way to go!
@20BOLD11 says:
I’m so happy you’re back. I am literally doing the happy dance! You’ve been doing great at responding. I had a stream of comments from you and it just made my day!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
believe it or not, my reader only says 51 right now! woohoo!
what’s your happy dance look like?
@cassgirl says:
I don’t know about her… but
You’re exploding my page :) :) :)
My cartwheels go for miles along the beach of San Diego!
now THAT is a workout!
@cassgirl says:
trust me. for me it would be.
You’d probably have to call 911.
i can’t even do one cartwheel. i’m serious. i never learned how. i always felt like the odd-girl-out.
@cassgirl says:
guess what?
me neither!!
It just sounded good. Ha!!
I can do somersault but that’s my gymnastics!!
i’m so glad i’m not alone in the cannot cartwheel corner! YAY!
@cassgirl says:
I thought cartwheels were for prissy girls.
I climb trees and jumped my bike with all the boys
ha ha!
i don’t know who/what i was then. i didn’t cartwheel. but i didn’t climb trees either. i was somewhere in between.
@cassgirl says:
That’s probably better.
I couldn’t decide if I wanted a Holly Hobbie or a GI Joe.
I was so mixed.
ha ha ha! i played with all my brother’s he-man toys and never wanted to play with dolls (much to my mom’s chagrin). i played school a lot. and store. and caught lightning bugs. and made crazy singing videos with my neighbor.
who knows what all that means.
@cassgirl says:
What are lightning bugs?
serious?
ummm.
maybe you call them “fireflies”???
@cassgirl says:
Remember… I’m from the West Coast.
I went East only once, Fla for boot camp.
hmmm… I heard of both but never seen one..
seriously!
i didn’t know they were only on the east coast. i wonder where they “stop”, and how they know not to cross the border…
hmmm…
@cassgirl says:
I just googled it.
They like hot summers and cold winters.
They are usually not found past the Rockies.
Amazing huh?
very! i had absolutely no idea.
we don’t have them in africa either. while they might not like most of the country, i think they’d enjoy the hot summers and cold winters of harrismith/qwa qwa (where i live). too bad i’d have trouble getting them through customs.
i sure do enjoy watching them li’l buggers.
random lightning bug story:
i got my hair cut in ohio. when a wasp came into the salon, my hairdresser told me about her extreme fear of all things insect. “even lightning bugs!” she exclaimed. i was stunned; i mean, really, how can you be afraid of a lightning bug? “anything that can make its butt light up is just wrong!”
i laughed really hard.
@cassgirl says:
Ha!!
It’s amazing how things are so different.
I love it.
But sometimes in my sheltered life, I feel a little dense that I don’t know.
So how is Long Island? has it changed?
not knowing just means we get to discover and learn. and that’s a wonderful thing.
long island has changed in some ways. mostly i think i’m discovering things that while new to me, may not be new to long island. i grew up in a different part, much closer to NYC. my parents moved out this way shortly before i moved off to africa. so while i’ve come home to this part of the east-end of the island many a time, it’s never been in the summer.
and so i’m not sure if the nearby farmer’s market that runs every thursday from 11-4 is new, but i’m gonna check it out tomorrow. and the carnival that’s being set up in town for fourth of july weekend? maybe they’ve done that since forever, but i was pretty excited to see it for the first time in my life.
i found a new-to-me coffee shop today. and while it wasn’t fantastic, it had more potential than i first gave it credit for. seeing the sign for live music on weekends made me pretty giddy inside. i learned that borders (the book store) removed all the couches, which is sad.
this is also the first time i’ve been home with my brother (both at my parents’ house at the same time) in many many years. there is a lot of joy as well as heartache mixed into that.
so… to answer your question, long island has changed. i’m also discovering parts that haven’t—but things i’d never experienced before. and i’ve changed, too.
the combination of all three is making this an interesting ride.
@cassgirl says:
I could not live with my parents, not even for a couple weeks. I’m in rebuliding stages right now with them. My mom is the hardest.
My two sisters I haven’t seen one in umm 17 years and the other 8..
i’d love to hear your family story sometime, if you feel like you can share (via email)…
@cassgirl says:
Sure. yeh, trust me not here.
I love new coffee shops. I just found one here in Lil Italy and it’s quaint and has the best leather sofa in it. They had blueberry rhaspody today with croissants.
No I didn’t turn up my pinky!!
i’d actually love to hear your story on that comfy couch. i’d drink a hazelnut latte. and we’d share our hearts as well as that croissant.
@cassgirl says:
Yeah…….
The croissant was good, but it would have been better with a friend.
i love that we keep chatting over here in the comments. thanks for the night-time company, heidi. you are in my prayers.
@cassgirl says:
I cannot believe you are still up!!
It’s still pretty early for me.
I love building friendships. Too me that’s something I am passionate about.
mmm… relationships have always meant a lot to me, too…
and yes – it’s almost 1:30 here on the east coast. i should plan to head off of here pretty soon. (sigh!)
@cassgirl says:
Oh by the way…
Thank you so much for praying for me. I’ll take each one and hold onto it. They are priceless when it comes from a friend.
i smiled that you said you’ll “hold onto it”. i know God does the same.
@cassgirl says:
me too…
My undies are in the dryer and now I can take a shower and sleep.. my walk is only in a few hours.
Hey the next time you have a Hazlenut Latte (btw it sounds delicious) Know that I sent a prayer.
Loving and prayin for ya!!
thank you for your faithful praying. i was telling someone today how humbled i’ve been by your constant prayers and encouragement. you are a mighty woman of God. thank you for being so steadfast amid the storm.
enjoy your sleep, and your morning walk.
(and i love that you just told me your undies are in the dryer!)
Yup, I was new too when I got my tonsils out. Totally worth it. So maybe you should just push that button “mark all items read” and be done with it…? Just a thought. I am so happy for you, experiencing the Fourth and all the wonders of American life again while you are there. I hope that you are getting all filled up. I love that for you.
i actually got all caught up! it now says zero. and i’m glad i was finally able to catch up on the happenings in everyone’s lives (i sent lots o’ comments your way!)
love you.
@atangie says:
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Wow – you are amazing! 500+ blog entries in 2 days. Let’s see that is roughly 21 blog entries (plus comments) per hour. Whew! I think that motorcycle ride had some long term effects on your brain. Or maybe you are – just! – that! – good!?!?! :-)
Thanks for making us in your blogging world feel so very special!
xoxo
funny enough, i read your “congratulations” in a french accent as well!
and…
thank you!