BLOG 4 - A quick one

Just a quick note to say that things are looking alot brighter these days. I have changed agencies and am now working very hard to get my dossier going for Ethiopia! There is significant progress being made on the paperwork. It is something to get excited about again. I've been reading up on the culture, and researching the potential to learn a few words of native language, although I'm not sure yet which one, as there are a few. It was so strange to switch gears. Transitioning to a new agency, shifting my focus to a different culture all feels so strange, but it is such a relief to have a new direction. I floundered for a little bit there, had to do alot of thinking. After many phone calls, a few options, a few obstacles, I found an agency I'm comfortable with and now I am back on track.

It is still warm here in Texas. We are wearing the standard t-shirt, shorts, flipflops. This time last year, I was freezing in the mornings, needing a jacket. That must have been unseasonal. Next week will mark one year since I moved back, and it is still pretty warm. What happened to the fall weather? Can I buy a pumpkin when the leaves on the trees are all still green? It feels odd. I drove by the farmer's market today and in seeing all the pumpkins and gourds lined up out front, I thought, "nah, it is too early." Maybe I should have stopped. Tomorrow perhaps. Funny how your childhood shapes your perceptions. It feels like the time of year I should make chili or stew, but it is still too hot. I eat more apples in the fall for some reason, even though I can get them all year round. And the smell of cinnamon reminds me of autumn. Maybe I should make an apple pie this week and get my Halloween decorations out. It is time!