Videos of my Humble Abode

Okay, it takes forever to upload these videos so you'll have to wait for the rest of the tour! To be continued...

Grammar Girl Rocks!

I have a new obsession: Grammar Girl, a.k.a. Mignon Fogarty. She rocks. If you've never heard of her, check out her website or download her podcast. On her website there is a link to a photo pool of signs containing poor grammar. Well, this one takes the cake (pun intended). First, look at the picture. Then, try to figure out what it means. Finally read the comment below and let out a horrified laugh. Enjoy, and as Lynne Truss says in Eats, Shoots & Leaves, "Grammar Sticklers, Unite!"

Hee hee hee

I'm chuckling because Mac has a feature where the forecasts for both Madrid and Grand Rapids come up on my screen. Here's a quick comparison:

Madrid: A big sun every day this week, lows in the mid forties and highs in the low sixties

Michigan: Lots of snowflakes (although there is a sun on both Monday and Thursday!), highest high, 22 (get out the shorts!); lowest low, 4 (that's today...brrr...)

I'm off to play tennis! Have a good day!

Casa: Part Three

Here are some pictures of whom and what make Madrid casa. These are my good friends: Maureen (professional ice-skater redhead), Ana (Spanish roomie), and Liz (crazy Texan making a bridge with me).

We had a blast skating in Retiro park today! And no one fell! Gracias, ladies, for making casa "casa". :)

Christmastime in Michigan

Here are some pictures of whom and what make Michigan home! The top two are at my good friends', Jane and George's, house. We often have "Spanish Department Meetings" there with their munchkins. Nevermind that I'm not part of the Spanish Department anymore, and Julie is a science teacher...

The third picture is when, as Jeff said, my brother and I "stopped by woods on a snowy afternoon" on the way to go skiing.

Finally, the last picture is my group of high school friends (and offspring) after our 15th(?) annual Christmastime dinner.

Thanks, everyone, for making home "home". :)

Home

Before I begin, I must protest the lack of comments on my last post. Personally I found it pretty funny...after all, I am wearing a tambourine on my head. Oh well, I will continue to blog knowing that at least my parents and Laurie "no I don't pay her to comment but should" Guikema will be reading it. Now, to the subject at hand.

In the past year and a half I have often thought that I no longer have a home. I never feel 100% settled. My own house is being rented, I have "lived" in three different apartments in the last year, and whenever I go back to the U.S. I stay with my folks. Also, although I live in Spain, I remain in close contact with friends and family in the U.S. and when I visit Michigan I find myself e-mailing and calling my friends from Spain. The icing on this cake of confusion is that when I visit the U.S. I tell people I'm going "home", but when I come back to Spain my friends here e-mail and ask whether I'm "home" yet. And I say "yes."

Just recently in the midst of my latest "I'm homeless" crisis I read the following in a book by Erwin McManus called Soul Cravings: "Home is ultimately not about a place to live but about the people with whom you are most fully alive. Home is about love, relationship, community, and belonging, and we are all searching for home." That got me thinking. The cliché was right; home is where the heart is. Home feels like home because it consists of the people you love.

Now instead of thinking that I'm homeless, I think about both of the homes I have. (I never thought I'd be a multi-home owner!) There are many people and places I love in Spain and in Michigan. What a blessing to feel at home in each place...and what a blessing to be able to take a part of "the other home" with me when I'm in the opposite place (yea Skype!). Thanks to all of you for always making me feel at home no matter if my suitcase is unpacked or not.