It wasn't actually unexpected because we knew a day or two ahead. But our routine changed. Plus - We wore our church clothes all day!
For six months, in 1986 (?), Paul's family had an exchange student from Germany. Rebecca was a large part of their family. They talked about her off and on, so I'd gotten to "know" her too.
She and her mother, Christina, came to the states for a visit. They flew into Boston last week, and rented a car, coming to this area yesterday. They leave Thursday for home. They had visited Sharon's family this morning. And then Sharon brought them here early afternoon for a couple of hours and we shared a late lunch with them..
They are such two lovely people! Rebecca and Sharon reminisced a lot. So did Paul. It was so nice to meet them. I especially enjoyed meeting Christina. I was impressed that she didn't look a day over sixty, and yet she was seventy-six.
An interesting aside: One thing I didn't remember being told was how tall Rebecca was. Sharon and Greg are the tallest in the family. Rebecca was even taller - around 6 feet. (I'm 5 feet.) And yet, Christina was a little taller than me. Even though my camera didn't cooperate at first, we managed to get lots of pictures. They had theirs, and Sharon had her brand new one with her. It's beautiful with a lot of features. She'd just gotten it yesterday and took lots of pictures.
I can remember our two exchange students being here almost the same time Rebecca was, when my kids were in high school. Nathan came first and Lene came second - the next year. Nathan was from the Philippines, and Lene was from Denmark. Two different places. Two different personalities. Still memorable and fun to think about. So, I knew how Sharon and Paul felt. Unfortunately, we've lost touch with Lene and have no idea where she is. But we enjoyed her.
They both went to Florida with us during Spring break. Lene, coming from a northern climate, didn't enjoy it as much as Nathan did. It was too hot for her. She saw a Big Bug in the kitchen and nearly "had a heart attack!". Nathan felt right at home. (I mean the climate. And I guess actually the bugs are big over there too.)
Nathan came to Bill and Epril's wedding in the Philippines four years ago. He hadn't changed much at all. I was just so pleased to see Nathan, I felt like hugging him all the time.
Speaking of the Philippines: Epril is doing well in Florida, but she's still homesick, she says. All her friends "at home" tell her it'll take a year to get over it. Epril's an avid computer person.
I have an opinion about all these electronics. Having all these available, means that their life over there is "here"whenever they want. . . They can contact them whenever and wherever they are. So I think it's much more difficult to acclimate to our culture.
It's an unfortunate part of the electronic age we're living, that people are never far from their roots and don't get to become full observers of life around them in the "Now". Our exchange students couldn't do that then. They could call once a week, send letters.
But that's a seventy-two year old woman talking. . . Life is not the good old days. I'm getting to sound like my parents. Somehow I've got to remember that. And you young people remember it too. Because it will happen to you too, even when you try not to!
There was a community college professor (I really couldn't stand him and don't even remember his name. He had a comb-over and funny looking glasses.) He had a small segment on local tv news about politics, and at the end of his segment, he's say "Now that's my opinion." Then he'd take his two hands and point to the tv camera (us) and say. "What's yours?"
Paul's having his 78th birthday on October 25th. We'll still be up here. He has a business appointment on the 26th. I'm planning a family dinner party on the 25th. It's just in the talking stages. Should be fun. Sharon's offered to bake the cake. No gifts allowed.
So - what's happenin' in your neck o' the woods?
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