Our Outlet Mall Trip exceeds expectations . . .

It is amazing how fast the mornings fly by when you sit down to have coffee with husband and brother Bob. He arrived back from a five-day trip to visit with his daughter, Christine, and her family in Melbourne. Christine's two children, Tommy and Susan, were on vacation last week. Poor Christine recently injured her leg in a bike accident. Her leg was in a cast, and she needed crutches or a wheelchair to get around. She was off from work - she's a pediatrician. Christine and family have a yearly pass to Disney World, which is about an hour and a half from where they live. The kids were offered the chance to go, and they said nope. They were tired of it. As Bob said - do they know how many kids would leap at the chance? I say this only to state that kids (being kids) never know how lucky they are. Not as a reflection on them personally. They went to a zoo instead. We took Jil to the Corning Outlet Store at the outlet mall in Ellenton to have him pick out some dishes. While there, a guy came up to him and asked him if he wrote a blog about the Philippines? He recognized Jil and me from pictures. This man had lived in the same province as Jil, (Cagayan de Oro, Jasaan). He'd begun reading Jil's blog since Jil and Epril had gotten married. (2008) This man, Albert, like Jil, also married a Filipino woman, and they decided to live in the States. Unfortunately, they weren't from the immediate area. He did construction jobs, traveling here and there living in a motor home. They'd worked here for a couple of months. She seemed like a nice lady for Epril to meet. She told me they even both spoke the same dialect. What a shame they won't meet. One good thing was - Jil and Albert exchanged e-mail addresses, and phone numbers. Albert talked about, and sent Jil information about an annual Filipino get-together just north of Tampa! This is actually, next weekend ! Now, isn't that just great news? He'll go. He should be able to make many contacts for Epril and him. I must say . . . what are the chances of meeting a stranger, at a mall, who reads your blog and lives half-way, like you, half-way around the world? What are the chances? That could be fate, or to look at it a different way - The Lord works in mysterious ways. I prefer that one. So - what's happenin' in your neck o' the woods?