a sight I miss

If you look closely, you can see Win peeking around the corner like he's on an episode of Scooby Doo. This was his way of saying hi without crossing the forbidden line into the stairwell.

Moving!

Tony, My Hero

My good friend Tony, who has been my collaborator in book club, decluttering, and decorating, helped me move. He even put my new furniture together!

We stopped one night at my uncle Jerry and aunt Sue's house in St. Louis, then at a Motel 6 in Dallas where I caught a little of the women's gymnastics finals:). The next day we made it to Waco!
I'm not sure how I would have driven 20 hours across the country without Tony. He is the most giving friend, a truly "cheerful giver." Anyone who knows him can depend on him. He's also a very easy-going traveler and find the humor in such things as the "Precious Moments Chapel and Gift Shop (Largest in the World!)" in Missouri.

Besides throwing me the most wonderful going-away party, and mailing all my books down to me this week (they're heavy--sorry!), he shared the driving with me and helped me move in all of my stuff at high noon in central Texas.

After we moved in, I dragged him to IKEA so I could use my rental trailer to haul furniture back to my apartment. IKEA is about 1.5 hours when pulling a trailer. We came out in the dark and pouring rain to find my car tire completely destroyed. Tony changed the tire and then drove home, pulling the UHaul on the spare, to get me home in time to rest for my orientation the next day, which he also drove me to. Then, he rented a car to drive himself to Dallas so he could fly home.

As one of our mutual friends said recently of Tony, "he's a peach." Ain't that the truth!

Win

I know Win has his own blog, but here he is roaring like a wild animal, trying to jump in the sink, and alternately showing his domesticated side by vacuuming and getting a massage.

My Last Wonderful Week!

For my last week in Holland, I did lots of my favorite things: hang out with Win, go to the Windmill, play bocce with Bible Study, and go out to breakfast with my parents the day after my amazing going-away party.