Funny thing happened on the way over to the school production of Aladdin..... As I was walking along a large black crow or raven swooped down behind me and decided to perch on my head. It rooted dug around a second or two... it did not hurt... and then jumped down to the ground and looked at me.... We looked at each other and I asked him what was going on.... he just looked at me and then finally jumped up and flew around again... I thought he might light again so I decided to head on into the school. There was another bird with him or her and I noticed that the bird that landed on my head had a red band on one leg and a black band on the other.... now.... put that in your book...... wow!

Well..... he did recognize me some how.... the story continues..... I went into the school last night and played in the concert and then walked home..... about a 1/4 mile away.... or something like that. This morning I had some ladies over and I was just telling one of them about my little friend when my husband comes out of the kitchen and goes out to our back patio because he kept hearing a bird cawing..... quite a ruckus.... guess who was sitting on a pole in my back patio.... yes... my friend the crow.... (I looked up crows/ravens on the internet) .... I couldn't believe it.... He was the same bird... with his little black band and red band .... he followed me home..... or he knows where I live.... I went out and visited with him and gave him some bread.... he came down on the wall next to me and I could almost touch him and then he picked up a piece of bread and flew up to a neighbors porch and ate. He came back and visited some more with my husband on the patio while I was inside with the ladies.... go figure..... Wow! 

If he comes back I will try and take a picture..... Cool!

Ice Hockey Group we play with in Jeddah

We are continually blessed on our "Adventure". One of the blessing we enjoy here in Saudi is the fact we still get to play hockey. We had never thought we would be playing hockey in Saudi Arabia but here we are..... blessed by being allowed to play hockey together, in a place where women are strongly discouraged from playing in sports.... especially with men. We  enjoy playing ice hockey and street hockey here, together.... what fun in our books.
Tim was placed in the hospital for three days last week after eating dinner out for our 33rd anniversary. He ended up in the hospital 2 days after eating out ....we thought he just had a bad case of flu with severe dehydration brought on by moderate to severe food poisoning. We had great care...  and a bit of a scare.... but he was up and about and playing ice hockey 3 days after being released from the hospital.
Then again ..... last night we played street hockey about 50 miles north of Jeddah.... had a wonderful time.... but on the way home our car had mechanical problems and we got to experience parking under the Saudi Arabian desert sky together.... buahahaha..... (not like teenagers.... just waiting for help to arrive) .... We were back to the compound and in bed by 1:30AM.... and then up to the alarm to prepare for work by 5:40AM plus a 10 minute snooze.... :)
All in all.... we are continually blessed..... Praise Him!!!!

I got to snorkel on the Red Sea. Yup, last Friday Tim and I joined a group of folks on a boat that took us 17 miles away from shore where we checked out 3 different coral formations.... I was in the water face down for over 6  hours looking at coral and colorful fish.... it was awesome.... a lifetime memory event. It was my anniversary present from my hubby. Tim went with me but this was a record for him to go so far out on a boat. He even jumped in the water a couple of times! He did not like the current carrying him away so fast from the boat but he did not panic and swam right back to the boat. Then he just jumped in to get wet again later on. I was proud of him for going. We both loved hanging our legs off the side of the boat and letting the water splash us on our ride back to land. We especially loved the school of dolphins that swam along side us so close that they almost touched our dangling feet. I saw.. a small stingray, an orange jelly fish.... and a tire.... tee hee... along with lots of other beautiful fish and coral formations! It was so clear down there... wow! Well .... here are a few pictures. Enjoy!

Me and Tim

Tim on a boat out to sea....

an orange jellyfish...

Can you see the stingray on the sea floor?

Beautiful!

Another pix of the ray... he had a blue tail...

Traveling to the snorkeling spot...

What Tim saw of me most of the day....

out with a friend.....

a tire... hmmm .... where is the rest of it?

I did not have the camera handy when we saw the school of dolphins.... and no it is not just a fish tale.... :) .... God Bless you all!!!

Well hello everyone. I am not very faithful about blogging lately. My life in Saudi has fallen into a routine. That is ok. Tim and I are blessed to be here together and have this experience. I used to have a desire to travel the world and go everywhere.... just around the corner.... now I appreciate home. :) Right now our home is on a compound in Saudi Arabia in the middle of a big city. I have met many Saudis.... many national, workers from other countries working here in Saudi, and many westerners, also working here in Saudi. Tim's working for a company here that works with the Saudi's and I am fortunate to be able to fill my time in by helping at a nearby school. We both get up.... enjoy a little hockey on the TV via the internet.... catch up on our reading.... and social networks... via the internet... and then we are off to work. We come home and find some activity to occupy the early evening... such as exercise... or shopping.... we play hockey one night a week (YEAH!) .... I get to play in the schools orchestra one evening a week.... I even have ladies over one morning for a study.... then we relax watching old TV shows we have have collected and then we go upstairs and read and fall to sleep.... There you have it our routine. 314d 17h 06m..... is the countdown on the computer till the end of Tim's contract here.... but again...we consider it to have been a blessing. My early morning walking partner is here.... gotta go. Have a great day and be blessed!

In Memory of Hoover

    Well we have been in Jeddah over 1 year now... or Tim has. I am coming up on the anniversary of my arrival, March 15th. It has been an experience... I am glad we came... and will be glad to go home.
   Today our daughter called us at 5AM. It was about time for us to wake up and go to work..... I was actually up already, before the alarm. So it was our Sunday morning, March 3, 2012, and it was still Saturday night for Josh and Patty. They were finishing up a day of work and studies.... they had let Hoover out and the unthinkable happened. Hoover died ..... they found him on the side of the road.... his body still warm.
   Hoover was a blessing to our family. Patty got him when she was just 13 and we had just moved to the farm in Minnesota. He was her buddy and she was his. You could not have found a more gentle and loving spirit.... We loved him and he will be missed. Thankfully, we are blessed with many wonderful memories of him. Thank you Hoover.... enjoy chasing kitties in heaven.
  
Here is a link to a slideshow I created "In Memory of Hoover"..... http://vimeo.com/61087160

We are coming up on one year in Saudi.... or the anniversary of when Tim arrived to Jeddah. We have another year to go and we are making it. :)
Patty and Josh came to visit. They arrived on the 4th of January and then left in early  on the 12th. We spent our time with them walking along the Red Sea on the Corniche, shopping at the Mall of Arabia and the Red Sea Mall, touring the old city center (Al Balad) and dining Moroccan in the family eating section on the top of a 5 story mall there, site seeing up to KAUST, walking up a near by street that is lined with store fronts, shopping and eating at Shatea Souk, driving up and feeding baboons on the encampment road past Mecca while enroute to Taif, snorkeling in the Red Sea at Marjan Beach, dining with friends here on compound and just enjoying our time together..... in general... miss them already!!!! Oh and who knew a game of UNO could last over 2 hours..... something must be wrong with that deck.... :) I love them both and am so proud of the couple they have become.

Ladies shopping trip to Mall of Arabia

Josh and Patty on the Corniche

Having a good time on the Red Sea in Jeddah

Starbucks at the Red Sea Mall in Jeddah

Patty and Josh along the harbor at KAUST

Touring Al Balad at night...

Josh and Patty snorkeling in the Red Sea

walking the end of the pier at Marjan Beach

one of the local baboons

this one took a shine to Josh

stopping on the escarpment road for pictures

Ramada Inn Coffee shop

daughter and mom under cover

UNO Pizza on the escarpment road

Arabian Camels only have one hump..... did you know that?

Happy New Year 2013!!!!

Well just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year 2013 from Saudi!!! The above photo was taken at the Oasis Cafe on compound here in Jeddah. Tim and I are sharing a dinner with Randy and Kim and Leu and Kay..... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Christmas Display on our compound 2012

our Christmas bush

another shot of our Christmas bush

It is December 23rd here in Saudi. Tim and I are at work. I do not have to work on Christmas Day or the day after as I work at a school. Tim will be working.... that is just the way it is here. The weather is very pleasant and there are holiday lights up on the compound.... maybe I will stop by and take a picture of them to post to this blog. Patty and Josh are coming for a visit in a couple of weeks. We found some Christmas lights and have strung them up on a plastic plant I have in our living room so that our daughter will not be disappointed. She loves Christmas! Yeah! I went to a Saudi Wedding last Wednesday night. It is for women only and is part of a several day celebration of the new couples marriage. I believe there was an engagement party.... a guys event.... an actual wedding ceremony... and then there was what I went to ... an all night women's celebration and reception. We were given coffee, juices, cappuccinos, tea, candy, deserts, munchies and we gathered in a grand ball room at one of the up scale hotels here in Jeddah. There were a couple hundred women all dressed to the hilt in formals and we listened to a middle eastern style of music all night long and danced on a center stage that was set up for us in the center of the  room. It is a different style of dancing but fun. One lady put on a bally style dance for us all in her formal.... wow... she could really wiggle... We were not allowed to bring cameras but there were still those who did and pictures were taken... they will not be posted on public forums or blogs due to the not wanting women's pictures posted but I might get some on email from a friend who had a camera phone with her. Although language was somewhat of a barrier it was still overcome by lots of smiles and a general good time to be had by all. We arrived around 10PM and we were the early ones. The festivities continued on through the night. At around 3AM the groom and his groomsmen showed up for a formal procession and presentation of the bride from the brides family to the groom. The groomsmen entered first and all the Saudi women had thrown there veils on and covered their exotic formals up under their black abayas. Then the groom entered in a grand style with music and Saudi cheers.... from the other end of  the ballroom on an upper balcony entrance the bride then was escorted in by her father... Her dress was gorgeous and much like any fancy dress found in the states.... the father, groom, and all the groomsmen were in their finest Thobes, robes and headdresses.. the groom then ascended the stairs to the balcony where the father handed his daughter over to him and kissed them both , then the father came downstairs and joined the groomsmen on a viewing stage. The bride and groom looked down over the ladies in the ball room and the single Saudi women gathered beneath  the bride and groom .... the bride then sprinkled flower petals on ladies beneath her and  tossed the bridal  bouquet. This  is then followed by the bride and  groom coming down the stairs .... attendants are scurrying around the  bride with each step she takes altering and adjusting her long bridal veil for the professional photographer  that is documenting the event  for the wedding party. The bride and groom  make it to the stage and are  welcomed and congratulated by  the bride and grooms families and wedding party. Pictures.... pictures... pictures.... The couple then parade over to the opposite side of the room where the 10 foot tall cake is  waiting for them. They  do the ceremonial cake cutting and the drinking of something that looks similar to champagne but is not alcohol... after all this they go back to the stage  and more photos are taken.... the groom and the father of the bride and the groomsmen head out to the banquet hall for supper... it is now around 4:30AM.... the bride is left on the stage for all the women to come congratulate her and take photos....she was beautiful.... we then left the grand ball room and headed to the banquet room where there was a table filled with food that must have been over 50 foot long... lamb, seafood, beef... no pork... and veggies and rice and deserts.... no need to go away hungry. We sat with  three Saudi women and enjoyed a conversation through  many efforts to translate and our own translator, a lady who has lived  on the Raytheon compound for many years. I  walked back into my apartment on the compound at around 5:30AM .... just an evening out in Saudi. :)

AISJ 60th Gala, Big Night Out

It is December. Tim and I are still in Saudi Arabia. Our days consist of going to work and coming home.... We get to play street hockey and ice hockey, which is just amazing and quite a blessing and gives us a pleasant break from the routine. Patty (our daughter) and Josh (our son-in-law) will be coming for a visit in January. We have had a myriad of plans just placed in our path for their visit.... we find that we are blessed to have many things just out of our control.... We are pleasantly surprised each time events are orchestrated by our lord and master much better than we could have planned.... why are we so surprised.... lol. Last week there was a big formal "Gala Night" at the school I work at. American International School Jeddah held a 60 year anniversary. There was entertainment, horses and riders, fireworks, red carpets and a large spread. Tim and I gave up our hockey for the opportunity to attend... lol... and were happy we chose to experience this night with the school. Here are a few pictures of the event.

Hello all!

Well...it has been 8 months. On March 15th I stepped off the plane into Saudi Arabia..... I wore my Amazon purchased black abaya and scarf and nervously followed the rest  down the isle of the plane behind other westerners like myself here for work and pilgrims ...the men dressed in nothing but what appears to be a large terry cloth robe and the women who where covered entirely in black abayas,scarves and other black accessories which they put on during the last half hour of our 14 hour flight.. Pilgrims are what they call all the thousands of Muslims that travel to Jeddah to make a holy visit to Mecca, their holy place.... They are required to visit once in their life time if possible.  Oh there I go off on a tangent...tee hee.
Tim and I got to travel home to Minnesota on the 4th of October and did not fly back into Jeddah till the 2nd of November.  I visited my mom in Wisconsin and we enjoyed a few days together roaming the roads of Wisconsin with stops in boutiques, cheese stores and even a winery/apple orchard. The fall colors were wonderful. I got to attend church with my mom for the first time since I had left the states the past March and found myself with tears streaming down my face as we stood to worship as a community of believers together..... wow..we sort of take our freedom for granted..... I had more opportunities to gather with other believers while I was back.... I went to a communion service with my mom in Wisconsin.... I got to attend a service in Rochester the next weekend.....We attended a service at our home church in Leroy,MN and got to play on the worship team...and we were blessed to be asked to play at a funeral service where we listened to and where blessed by the testimonies of how God used this women to further his ministry during her lifetime....we were invited to a small group meeting where they wanted to ere of our life in Saudi...and we even got to attend service in a Parish Church in St. Madoes, Scotland, where the pastor preached from Genesis and reminded us that God doesn't forget  us and he is with us everywhere as he was with Joseph in Egypt...so he is with us in Saudi....so timely....oh and did I say that we got to receive the sacrament of communion in three different communities...wow!
Tim and I drove down to Missouri to visit Jon and Pat Rank, life long friends...sort of chosen family really,...we drove our old 1993 Lebaron convertible down hwy 65 into Missouri...had the top down... the colors were wonderful.

Mom on our drive about in Wisconsin... this is the center point of Wisconsin...

Tim on our convertible drive to Missouri

taking a self portrait  as we cruise along in the convertible

We enjoyed our time with the Ranks.... as we always do.... lots of laughs...relaxing... and just being together with loved ones.... we said our "see ya next time" and "XOXOXO" and then headed back to Minnesota,missing them as soon as we walked out the door.
Oh I forgot to say we ran a 10k run with Josh and Patty the weekend before we drove to Missouri..... It was The Big Woods Run  outside of Fairbault, MN and it was beautiful and fun... well it rained  on us but it was a pleasant rain and since Tim and I had not seen rain in the entire time we had been in Saudi it was welcomed by us and immensely appreciated.
After our Missouri trip we got to spend time at home with Josh and Patty. I even got to take a daughter  and mom jaunt up to the cities with Patty for a n over night trip to enjoy a Women of Faith Conference in St. Paul at the Excel Center....It was again wonderful to be among so many fellow believers .... and women in a public place not wearing black abayas and worshiping freely together.....FREEDOM!!!!!

an overnight in the cities...just me and my daughter....Yeah!

Women of Faith Conference Patty and I attended.....everyone is lighting up their cell phones during a worship session...

A young family friend from Wyoming, who is presently attending college just three hours away from our Minnesota home, came to visit us over our last weekend at home and brought a dorm mate....we enjoyed pumpkin carving and a girls weekend with them...Tim and Josh endured all the girl activities and were great host.
we flew out of Rochester on the 25th to head back to Saudi....with a slight detour on the agenda...Scotland.....
what a beautiful and old place..... gorgeous winding country roads...villages....sheep ind stone fenced green meadows...history, history, oh and did I say history...we would like to go back someday and explore more.
we flew into Jeddah early Friday morning and friends picked us up at the airport. It was good to be back in Saudi and we were ready to continue on our adventure here... I will try to blogg more ....talk to you next time....God Bless!!!

The pumpkin I carved....

The gang back home on our last weekend...

We lodged at Pitfour Castle while we stayed in Scotland...

This is where we attended church in Scotland.....:)