2010 Week 47

Cold weather is setting in, but I saw one group of trees on my way to work that still had bright colored leaves. Our woods is beginning to look bare and everywhere there is a thick carpet of leaves.
The hunters' persistance paid off at last toward the end of the week. They have a buck and a doe so far, and keep hoping to fill their quota.

The week got off to a great start. We were finally able to get together with our friends, Dane and Laurie. We attended a concert in Fort Wayne, one of my favorite Christian singers--Fernando Ortega. The setting had an intimate feel, which allowed him to tell stories freely. We enjoyed the dry humor and appreciated his quiet and humble manner.

 

Teaching was fun Tuesday, and the exam on Thursday was not bad either.
From the first week I have used a little system that helps immensely. The first day everyone came up with a gesture to associate with their name, something that represented them. I then wrote each name and characteristic on a popsicle stick. I pull them out randomly throughout the class and call on the students as we go through a variety of activities. It is an easy way to keep track of absentees as well. An extra benefit showed up this week: a single mom, taking four courses and caring for her three children and three nieces while her sister works, reminded me of the descriptor we chose for her, la valiente (the valiant or courageous one), to replace the one she had come up with, la loca. She is encouraged to hang in there and will graduate from the program in one month!

Notice the mugs I use to hold the sticks--a special gift from dear friends. Unfortunately I cannot drink from them because on the trip back from Argentina, when my luggage was lost and took the long way back, delayed a week, they arrived broken and had to be lovingly glued in multiple places.

Our mail is not usually exciting, but this week we received a very special package--a book from Alberto, our host in Basque Country who gave us such a wonderful tour of his homeland.
When he asked if there was anything else we wished to see, Mike asked to visit a pottery studio.

We were all very impressed with the Museo de Alfarería in Ollerías. Any visitor acquainted with The Cave by José Saramago (Portuguese Nobel Prize winner) is immediately reminded of the novel when they look inside one of the large pots on display.
Alberto's accompanying note is a beautiful, a heartfelt tribute to Mike's dedication to creativity and to sharing his passion for pottery.

"The Cave reminds us that the pace of technology cannot strip us

of reverence for the simple act of creating a thing of beauty."

Today Laurie and I spent four hours going through her countless photos from our trip to Basque Country. Such wonderful memories!

For lack of my own photos today I will include a few from our tour in June.

Our tireless host and tour guide showed us cities, towns, churches, historic places, the countryside, farms, the seaside, and oh, everywhere you look is so beautiful.