Where did those 10 lbs come from?

Eating---
such a pleasant way to spend our time.
As we say our last goodbyes in Poland,
everyone wants to get together for a dinner.It's lovely! I haven't had to do much cooking
and we've really enjoyed the time spent
with our friends here.



The scales may be climbing,
but it's worth every pound to spend these
last few precious moments together.
And...
TWO more meals out today.

The Last Days

As we approach our last few days in Poland,
there were some things we knew
that we must see before we left.
These are places that are a sobering reminder
of Poland's past and a profound part
of its present too.
Here stands the aged gate to the
Jewish cemetery.
Tens of thousands of Jews who died in the
ghetto
from disease and starvation
during the war found a resting place here.

The headstones are in disrepair and and the
grounds are overgrown and unkept.
And myriads were simply thrown
into mass, unmarked graves.

We also felt it was important to visit Majdanek
---a prisoner of war and
extermination camp.
In this building thousands and thousands of Poles met their death as they were gased with Zyclon B.

Today a massive mausoleum honors the dead and their remains.

"Here are deposited the ashes of the victims."

It's not easy to see, to comprehend, or to write about,
but it is important to remember.

Item #53

People often ask,
"What will you miss about Poland?"
Item #53 is the strawberries!
These are grown in the fields just outside of Warsaw
and the farmers race to see who can
have theirs to the marketplace first.
There are so sweet and delicious!
They are sold on virtually every street corner
and the price is RIGHT!
This week I bought 4 1/2 pounds for only $3.00!

So, it isn't any wonder that we've had
strawberries on Cheerios,
strawberries on waffles,
strawberry shortcake,
strawberry pie and of course,
strawberry tarts.
MMMMmmmmmm.

Classic signs

Sometimes you have to wonder about
"progress".
Today, everwhere you look
your view is blocked by gaudy,
seductive,
" in your face"
signs advertising products and services.

A hundred years ago...
this is how you invited someone in
to your shop. . .



Somewhere along the way, we lost sight of
simple class.

Why Seek Knowldege?---for CHARITY

I know I'm not one to write very seriously on my blog, but this past week I came across a quote that created an "aha" moment for me. A medieval Christian writer named Bernard of Clairvaux wrote, "Some seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge: That is curiosity. Others seek knowledge that they may themselves be known: That is vanity. But there are still others who seek knowledge in order to serve and edify others, and that is charity."

I love it!

And our apostle, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, collaborates this opinion. He says, "The ultimate goal of an education is to make us better parents and servants in the kingdom. . . Education is a gift from God; it is a cornerstone of our religion when we use it to benefit others."
I relish learning and hope that I always will, but I also hope that it is for the right reasons. . .so that I can bless the lives of those around me.

??????

Wonder how we spent our weekend????

Having a "SUPER SATURDAY!!!"

Wet Monday!

Well, I have to admit it was fun!
Wet Monday turned out to be exactly that...
I tried to stay dry.
REALLY!
But they were waiting and plotting.

CRAZY kids!