Getting to Know You

I’ll bet most of you have received those 25-question “Getting to Know You” quizzes that you’re supposed to complete and send on to your friends.  Then they replace your answers with theirs and send it back to you, as well as to many of their friends, hoping for responses.  The notion is that we all get to know more about our friends this way…you know, like what color socks they are wearing, what their favorite pie is, what makes them laugh out loud, when they last cried, who’s most likely to respond, and the like.  Well, I’ve decided that it’s been a while since I received one of these posts, so I’m going to create my own.  This one has a theme.

1. Jesus believer or non-believer?  Believer.
2. Heaven or hell?  Believe in both; looking forward to a permanent residence in heaven.
3. Sinner or I’m a good person and that’s all that matters?  Sinner through and through.
4. Sanctity of marriage or shacking up?  Sanctity of marriage.
5. Helping the poor and needy or looking out for number one, baby?  Helping the poor and loving them too.
6. Church or I don’t need no stinkin’ church?  Church/communing with believers.
7. Agape love or pure sexual gratifcation?  Agape love which is a lasting love.
8. Forgiveness or vengeance?  Forgiveness, which can be hard to offer and also to accept.
9. Bible study or anything but?  Bible study; I want to know and understand my Lord better with every breath I take and every syllable I read.  How can I possibly obey and be guided by scripture unless I get familiar with it?
10. Giving up control to a higher power or in control of everything?  Too often trying to be in control of everything, but constantly desiring to give it up to God, for my style of control can lead to disaster.

While I hope those who know me would be able to answer all of these questions correctly on my behalf just based on who I am and what my life reflects to them, I’ve gone ahead and answered them.  When I lie in bed at night, or while I’m driving somewhere by myself and left to my own thoughts, I often contemplate these things and other related subjects.  And I always come out with the same answer.  I want to please God.  I want to glorify Him.  I want to leave my sinful ways and grow in His grace.  But, I can’t do that without surrounding myself with a community of believers, without studying scripture that was inspired by God Himself and has lived on through millennia, or without caring for those in need.

I may sometimes seem like what was once termed a square, but I’ve seen too many friends and family try out many things that are the exact opposite of what scripture teaches and, while it may have seemed fun or exciting at the time, such feelings never last.  God has put a moral compass in each of us and too often we see it pointing north…then we head directly south.  It’s no wonder we then get lost for a time.  With an open heart, He will always rescue us and lead us home.  Boy, am I grateful for that, for I’ve taken more than enough wrong turns in my life.  How about you?  Give it some thought.

A Good Friday to Remember

I’m glad I’m old enough to remember when Good Friday was an important day in our culture.  It was a day when schools either had the whole day off or closed at noon.  Most businesses closed at noon too.  Families joined together and attended afternoon church services where we heard homilies about the passion and crucifixion of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

In our current day, Christians still come together to remember the momentous events that took place nearly 2,000 years ago, events that fulfilled ancient prophecies and set the scene for the glorious Easter morning still to come.  Businesses no longer close, and many schools are loathe to mention the holiday for fear of speaking favorably about Christianity.  It’s a sad statement about the trend of today’s pop culture, when the gift of eternal life is disparaged in favor of nothing more than spring break.

This Friday evening, when I attend church and remember the sacrifice made on my behalf and yours for all eternity, I will also remember a more temporal matter of importance in my life.  It began on February 19, 1984 when I was dogsitting for a beautiful and very pregnant Golden Retriever named Chelsea.  Her owners had preplanned a ski trip, not knowing at the time that their family pet would be due to have puppies that same weekend.  But that’s the way it turned out.

Chelsea was so close to birthing her babies that she could barely make it around the block on a slow walk when we began the weekend together.  When we went to sleep at night, I’d awaken if she even breathed heavily, fearing that she might decide to curl up on the carpet in a corner of the living room to have her pups.  I was on edge, but happily so, when Chelsea climbed up on the sofa in the family room on Sunday afternoon and decided that her time was upon us.  It took the lure of fresh cooked liver treats to get her to move down one flight of stairs to her whelping box.  Soon after that short trip, the births began.  First one, then another and another until all eight babies were born.  There were four boys and four girls…and one of those little baby girls was to be named Aspen.  Chelsea’s Golden Aspen to be exact.

A week later, the puppies had more than doubled in size.  By six weeks, my little Aspen was already showing signs of the sleek beauty she was to become.  Finally, by nine weeks, she was weaned and ready to come home with me.  As I will tell you another time, I don’t believe in coincidences, and I think it was no coincidence that Aspen came to live with me and brighten my life on Good Friday of 1984.  This beautiful puppy grew into the sweetest dog anyone could imagine, and she and I spent more than 14 years together.

Aspen and her brothers and sisters at less than a week old.

Aspen at nine weeks with her "cousin", Jonathan Laidacker, who is now a a 28-year-old mural artist of note in Philadelphia.



Aspen was always a natural in front of the camera.  Here, she smiles for one of her very early portraits.  She made me thankful to God each and every day we were together for the warmth, companionship and beauty she brought into my life.



They Call Me Ms. Poppins

Did you ever think about nicknames…or the ways people refer to others (and I’m not referring to ugly things)?  There are the common ones like Rick for Richard, Dan for Daniel or Kate for Katherine.  You know, everyday nicknames.  Then there are the sweet nothings lovers choose for each other.  Some are common like Honey, Sweetheart and Dear.  And we have descriptive monikers for many of our sports icons like Bulldog, Dr. J, The Babe, Hammerin’ Hank, and The Rocket.

Well, it turns out I’ve been given a nickname too.  Karen doesn’t generally lend itself to a shortened form, so it’s nothing like that.  And while some people might get away with calling me Honey or Sweetheart or Dear, it’s not those either.  I’m called Ms. Poppins.  And most people, when uttering it, feel pleased with their cleverness, thinking they’re the first to invent it.  I enjoy watching their glee and fun-loving spirits.

You see, when I am out among Washington, DC’s monuments and memorials, leading groups of school children to and fro and helping them to engage in an on-the-spot history lesson, I carry an umbrella.  It’s not always the same umbrella, but it is always held high for all to see.  It gives my kids a focal point so they won’t get lost among the crowds.  And, for some, it’s also provided a fun activity as we walk from one venue to another.  When I have younger groups, usually 5^th graders, I often let them vie for naming rights for my umbrellas.  After taking many suggestions, one multi-colored canopy was named Nemo because it reminded people of fish scales.  A smaller one with flowers and frills was named Blossom in honor of Washington’s famed cherry blossoms.

Those of us who provide guide service for the company I work with are known as umbrella leaders because tour groups can spot us immediately by the sight of our trusty working gear.  And though I always introduce myself as Karen, I am often hailed from a distance by high-pitched small voices calling, “Ms. Poppins…Ms. Poppins.”  I happily respond with a smile and a chuckle.  And so do they.

Getting Untracked

Let’s be up front about it.  I want to be industrious, energetic, active and motivated…but what I know I am, of late, is lazy, slothful, indolent and shiftless.  Not such a great description to own up to, is it?  Why might this be?  Shall I blame it on others?  On the inequities of life?  On rising gas prices?  On my continual search for new dress shoes that are actually comfortable?  So, here’s what I’m thinking.  I’m going to point my finger at low blood sugar.  Or perhaps not. 

In reality, I think I got off track with regard to my new blog, and my intentions to post to it regularly, when I returned from Ethiopia and posted all of the March entries about the wonderful people I met and experiences I had there.  After I loaded pictures of Moriah boys playing kazoos and wrote about sharing breakfasts with street boys at the Peace Center, well, my mind just wasn’t prepared to return to mundane things.

When I visited Ashenafi’s tiny one-room home, yet picked him up following a 4-hour exam at the university where he is enrolled as a 2^nd year student, other things just seemed to pale in comparison.  My thoughts were on him, and his mother and their loving lives, even amidst the challenges brought by poverty.

I’ll get back on track, and you’ll see new photos, and perhaps even some old ones.  You’ll read about all kinds of weird and wonderful things in my life, like the time I drove my parents’ Chevy Impala up a ski slope (without their knowledge), or the birthday party I attended at the Vice President’s house.  But that’s for another time…soon.  Gotta get you to come back, right?  RIGHT?

Moria'h Boys and Staff, We'll Miss You (March 9)

Jerry and Wanna hand out gifts and certificates from Moria'h House to our small mission team.  Here, Jerry holds a certificate recognizing  my home church and our dedication to international mission work.

Jean receives a hug from Wanna as she, too, gets her gift and certificates.  Our time with these devoted people at Moria'h House was very special, indeed.  Hugs were the order of the day...every day.

Here, Brad demostrates an Ethiopian greeting by shaking Wanna's hand and then touching his right shoulder to Wanna's right shoulder.  This was a sign of affection we often participated in.

Jean received this lovely deep red scarf as a remembrance of our time here.

Here, the whole gang gets together for one last photo before we prepare to depart for the airport.  We had a wonderful time getting to know everyone.  We sang praises to our Lord together.  We prayed together.  We laughed and played together.  We ate together.  We built relationships that spanned two continents, two cultures and thousands of miles.  We came together with one thing in mind...to glorify our Lord, Jesus Christ, by serving the "least of these," our new and eternal friends at Moria'h House in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Our Awassa Trip Concludes (March 8)

Here I am on the boat on Lake Awassa with my good friend, Esaiyas.  Please take note of his Penn State Nittany Lion cap.  Anyway, Esaiyas lives part time in Addis and part time in Awassa, so we were fortunate that he was able to join us for the Awassa trip and serve as our unofficial tour guide.  This gregarious man seemed to have friends everywhere we went in Awassa.

This was just after we disembarked from the boats on Lake Awassa.  All of our Ethiopian friends were donning these straw hats and I particularly liked this photo of Jerry and Million.

Bikes are abundant in Awassa.  We didn't see so many of them in many of the other towns we passed through, but in Awassa, it seems to be big business.  I think there may well be hundreds of bike washes/repair shops lining the sidewalks throughout this city (the second largest in Ethiopia).

Here, Million makes his first attempt ever at playing miniature golf.  None of our Ethiopian friends had ever encountered this game before, but we saw the course at the Lewi Resort on the Lake the night before and decided it would be great fun to try our hand at it the next morning.  Hana had natural putting abilities, but Jerry took the prize along with her teammate Brad.

Esaiyas and I came in at runner-up.  I was just lucky he was carrying me on this day, for my putter was definitely lacking.  Ah well, it was great to be in the sun enjoying fun and laughter among friends.

Brad and Jerry took the win in a playoff.  It was a good way to cap our brief time in Awassa.

It's a Great Day for Hippo and Stork Viewing! (March 8)



We hired two of these little boats to carry all nine of us out to one end of Lake Awassa where the hippos live.  I'd waited three years for the chance to go see them in the wild.  The boats had an inch or two of water filling the hull, but they moved about on the water just fine.




Million and Addis took advantage of the binoculars we had along to get a close-up and personal view of the sites along the lake.  We saw plenty of fisherman, the famous Haile resort (named after a very famous Ethiopian track star), the hippos and the storks.



There were at least a half dozen or more hippos, but it was difficult to get close-ups of them together, so I opted for these shots.  One mamma was keeping a close eye on her baby.  They also kept a close eye on us, but our boatsman knew the proper distance to keep us from causing them any fear or aggressive moves.

And this little baby decided to give us a beautiful pose.  I think I'll call her Thelma.  Isn't she a cutey?

These birds are huge.  They can be found all around Awassa and often sit in the very tops of trees.  One can't miss them, for they stand out among the leaves.  I'm not a bird watcher, but how can anyone not find these creatures intriguing at the least?

A gaggle of storks?