Journey to 'The Lotus Bridge': Little things again

I was going to start back to this on the first Monday of the month, trying to get myself back on track as far as posting. Alas, as you can see, I muffed that one!! haha! However, seeing as how Monday was a holiday I could say it technically counts as a weekend and NOT the beginning of the week...so....yeah? haha. I also really didn't do a whole lot yesterday, not that today was any mammoth milestone of a day!

We had hoped that today would be my first day back to training at Yankee, but my employee number has still not come through so it will have to wait until next Monday. Means an extra week to just try and tackle the heaps and heaps of things I left behind. I am trying to be ruthless, throwing/giving away or selling anything I can do without, that I haven't thought of all year in China, or that I just know is silly to keep. This evening I started a Facebook yard sale in order to relieve the space of some of my things and try to earn some money for my return trip and life in China. I still have lots to post on it and I am hoping to be able to add things for many weeks as I continue to go through everything and learn more about what my return will look like etc.

The temperature has gone back up, which has been great in my opinion! I am not ready to let summer go just yet! I love that I can walk out in my bare feet to take the trash out, and yet not feel even so much as chilly!

For over a week I have been trying to get a quilt pattern for a friend of mine. The first time I couldn't seem to find it, and then once we finally did it wasnt open. Again then, Mum and I went yesterday. but of course it wasn't open. Today I went in and YAY, it was open and I got what I came for. Then, ended up staying for like 30 minuted talking to the guy whos wife owns the shopppe! It was kinda fun!

Friday, I went across the street to a neighbour's house when I saw her out. I got to introduce myself as I knew she had met my family while I was gone. She has a cute-a-bug one and a half year old which was one of my excuses for going over. The biggest reason....she is Chinese and I so wanted to be able to use Mandarin. We talked for five or ten minutes, all in Chinese which was awesome! I understood everything she said, and she seemed to have no trouble with my language either. In the end, we both said how close our homes were and that we should head to the others house when the desire to speak something other than English struck! She is here with her husband and son, but knows few other people and is often very lonely, I gather. "Everyday, we are here, just him and me. Nothing to do. You are always welcome" was what she told me.

Saturday, us girls struck out and got to the farmers market. after which we stopped in at another produce stand. Mum has been making meals with the Goliath of a broccoli we found for only three dollars! I LOVE IT! First corn on the cob I have had in a long time....which is silly seeing as how there is a street vendor for them right outside the gate of SIAS!

Sunday I went to the Mandarin speaking Church down the road. It was so nice to be back with Believers from China again! Because it was the first service of the month, they had the Chinese and English services begin together in order to share Fathers Supper. It meant there was only one song sung in Chinese, which made me kinda sad, but it was nice to hear it none the less, and thankfully I knew the songs that were sung in English. After the service I spoke with a couple of people and got high praise for my language, which always does me well to hear!

Everyday I grow more and more excited that Thomas will be here soon!

I still have a ton of things to get done and it is 11pm! But things are

ticking off my 'to do list' and making room for more!!

#ItsTheLittleThings

Here are a few photos from the past two weeks!