January 6th, 2012

Hi Everyone,

I've taken a good break and had a wonderful holiday with family and friends. I'm ready to get back to blogging some and am not sure how many of you are still following my posts. It has snowed a few flakes here and there in Maryland, been below 30 degrees on a few occasions and I'm simplifying and going with the philosophy of less is more and cleaning out the clutter that has massed itself in my home. If I had to move tomorrow, would I be willing to move... xyz item with me. If not, than it goes to the next lucky contestant or whoever can make good use of said item.

I want very much to do another shoe drive, but want to do some things a little differently. I have some ideas in mind and have been brainstorming about warehouse facilities and potential storage facilities as well as adding another county to the collection. Ideally, I would like to host the shoe drive each September ending around the first week in November. Still not sure that I'm game for it again, but I'm beginning the planning process.

I will be going back to Kigoma, Africa in June. Six months exactly from today. I'm excited to see the kids again and have asked my brother to go with me.

A part of me also is struggling with concern about the needs of people right here in our United States. Consequently, I have been doing a great deal of thinking about philanthropy and work involved in that aspect.

When I stop and ask God what I should do? The answer is to simply be in your own skin and be comfortable for a while. Therefore, I've been drinking a lot of tea (ginger and lemon has been a favorite) and hot chocolate. I've been doing the laundry, sorting through the mass of mess and just trying to be comfortable sitting and reading a book. It's kind of strange, but I'm living in my skin and being in the present.

Ok... that's it for now. It's Friday night and that's Pizza Night in this house.
Hugs
Rachel