Viking Wench

Well, maybe ONE more about Peru...

2006-08-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

Machu Picchu city scene. Note the steepness!

Jon and me at Sacsayhuaman near Cusco.

In the lobby at the Swissotel in Lima

Jon at Machu Picchu - lovin' it! :o)

Helen in a doorway in Machu Picchu

I said that the last post would be it for Peru but I have some of the pictures set up as a slide-show for my screen saver and as I watch them and relive the adventure, I just keep finding more I want to post.

After this, I promise (maybe) to lay off the Peru pictures. If you want to see more, come visit me! :o)

Peru too...

2006-07-07T05:01:00.000-07:00

Considering I took over 300 pictures on our Peru trip and Jon took more than I did, we had close to 700 pictures to share and there I thought I'd be content to show you only FIVE?! What was I thinking?

The one is a view from Machu Picchu, assuming you can actually look away from it! and another one is a view of the proximity of the lodge to the ruins. The lodge is where we spent the night and where the buses arrive and depart with their loads of visitors. As you can see, though, once the bus has dropped you off, it is a mere few steps until you are trundling around on hundreds (thousands?) of years-old steps, peeking into little houses and dreaming of what life must have been like up on this magical mountain. The whole Inca world seems to have been on top of the mountains! Amazing.

And just in case you thought for a minute that Machu Picchu is the ONLY thing to see in Peru, there is one of Sacsayhuayman, just outside of Cusco and where the Inti Raymi festival is held, and one of me shopping at Pueblo Machu Picchu. (There's a sign by the rail road that you read as you approach Pueblo Machu Picchu that says it is an error to call the town Aguas Caliente because the correct name is Pueblo Machu Picchu.) As you can tell, I am making a conscious effort to reflect that.

This trip was truly a high point in my experience and one I would a) recommend, and b) do again.

I will search for a new theme for my next posting - give you a break from all this Peru stuff - because I understand that it is best appreciated when experienced for yourself so I won't keep repeating what every Peru tour book has already said. But if you can manage a trip there for yourself, do it. It is worth every penny and day away from work!

Trip of a Life Time!

2006-06-30T05:26:00.000-07:00

I have just had the most amazing trip! Jon had meetings in Lima, Peru, and both of us have had the dream of one day being able to see Machu Picchu so this was the perfect opportunity. We spent one week in Lima which is very nice but a city is a city is a city...

When the meetings were done, we flew to Cusco - which is at 11,000 feet! - and stayed at a very charming hotel called the Marquesas. Here's a picture of the courtyard (that's Jon sitting in the corner :o):

The day we got there was the day of their biggest festival of the year, the Inti Raymi. It's a re-enactment of the old Inca Day of the Sun and they hold it every June 24th. It used to be on the 21st, the winter (southern hemisphere) solstice but for some reason it was changed to the 24th. Anyway, we got to see it and despite the worst headache of my entire life! brought on by 2 hours of sleep the previous night, travelling from sea-level to 11,000 feet, and barely enough caffeine to keep a mosquito alive, it was an amazing pagent and well worth the agony of getting there on time!

The whole point of the trip, though, was Machu Picchu (Mah-choo Peek-choo in case you're wondering). It absolutely exceeds any expectation you might have had of it. Totally amazing. Buses come up to the park about every 15 minutes between 10 am and 2:30 pm and they're all full. I thought the herds of tourists would spoil the effect but the park surpasses even that. It is the most amazing place. I was particularly fascinated by the little row of huts at the very beginning of the ruins. I can SO see myself living in them!

I must go back some day. The mind-boggling history of it all is overwhelming.

My job...sigh...

2005-10-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

There is a job description for me, and others, that I've known about for some time. Just recently - within the past few months - I have developed a deep suspicion that I need to take it seriously.

Along with the above suspicion comes the little partner-suspicion that is trying to get me to think I've failed at it already. Pray God I haven't. And pray God I will be continually aware and alert to this responsibility so that I don't fail my God...so that I'm "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed.

It is found in Titus 2:3,4.

Likewise, teach the older women (this is where I come in :o) to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

I have friends

2005-09-21T05:35:00.000-07:00

I know, lame title. But I meant it more than just an announcement. I meant it also as a thank you and a tribute to them.

There are those I have met and known for many years (all two of them :o) and there are those I've just met and maybe only talked with a couple of times.

Naturally, my truelove Jon and my lovely daughter, her husband and their wild and crazy little guy are at the top of my list, but there are those I've never met but whom I value as though I've known them for years (some of whom I have, in fact!)

Those last ones are the ones I've met through various on-line discussions and in particular the SDA chat room on BeliefNet. The ones like Justly, Sincerely, AndrewCyrus, LifeSearch, Search4Home, Veritas, and of course! the dynamic duo of Cathexis and Aveverumcorpus. I love you all and I just wanted to write this short thank you to all of you and the others I should have but forgot to include.

Even without having had the chance to see any of you, you have blessed me and enriched my life.

Thank you.

Ode to the Geographically-challenged

2005-08-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

I will not be adding pictures to this post. This will only be a rant and the sole purpose of it will be to offload this vitriole I'm lugging around. Be warned.

I currently, as already mentioned, reside in the worst possible place to live in this country. I won't go so far as to say "in the world" but for the sake of this rant, my sphere of reference is the U.S. of A.

Avaunt!

For 15 dubiously-glorious years prior to my move, I lived in Ridgecrest, in California. But not in the cliche California. No. I lived in the Mojave Desert and was surrounded by dry and stark landscape, little reptiles of delightful variety, and people with a certain casual, laid-back, demeanor. People who were completely capable of occupying themselves during periods of unstructured time. They could as easily go off and climb Mt. Whitney as they could take a drive up to Death Valley and ooh and aah at the heat. And any number of other persuits that they managed to think up all by themselves.

Then I moved here. And I swear to you it was like moving to a foreign coungry! I've been here about six years now and it hasn't gotten any better. Or I haven't assimilated. Or something.

The people here are basically hostile, one-dimensional, pretentious, totally devoid of any creative imagination, and geographically challenged. They think the only "W" of significance is you-know-who (of whom I am a huge fan, by the way, so don't go getting any ideas!) and that that same symbol on the few compassas they come across must be of historical significance or a typo because they sure as heck don't act as if it has any current relevance!

Just suppose you were to encounter a neighbor (and assume you actually spoke to your neighbors) or a co-worker (see previous aside) and you discovered that they were going away for a weekend or even a vacation. What do you think the chances are that they'd be going north or south? Probably in the neighborhood of 95%. How about east? About the same. But west? and they'd probably get a really dumb look on their face like "what's there?" I am about to the screaming point only because I've recently let it get to me. I'll get over it eventually but right now I'm in the throes of being seriously irritated by these people. I am disgusted by deliberate ignorance anyway but this particular brand adds the annoying aspect of condecension and pretention to the mix and that makes for a completely intollerable attitude.

As far as they're concerned, the entire relevant universe is between Boston, at the extreme north, Washington DC to the south, and of course New York, NY, in the middle. Anything else is quaint, boring, or non-existent. What do they honk on about, you ask? Well, "there's so much to do there!" I suppose they mean that every vestige of inspiration is 100% external. They don't have to use their imaginations to find something to do. They can wander aimlessly through the interminable streets until they stumble on a restaurant they haven't gorged themselves in yet. Or they can traipse from one bar to the next (and wonder why they're so bored. Trust me, one bar is as boring and inane as the next). Or they might try for what they hope is a more sophisticated explanation for their blindingly narrow little universe: "There are the arts!"

...I will allow a few moments to enable me to collect my calm and resume typing without destroying the key-board, and then conclude with this thought:

If you want the arts, paint a damn picture. If you want music, turn on the radio or learn to play an instrument. And if you want variety in your diet, learn to cook!

And figure out what the W stands for on your compass because this is a big beautiful country and your ignorance of it is not a sign of your sophistication as it is a sign that you have diminished capacities - capacities to think for yourself, see beyond your street corner, and use your very own imagination when asking "what shall we do?"

Under-cover Gitmo-cam!

2005-08-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many of you are Rush Limbaugh fans but if you go to his page, you already know that he has started selling "Club G'itmo Gear". Naturally I had to get mine :o)

This is me, a vastly out-numbered conservative Republican in a den of tree-hugging environmentally conscious liberals.

Take the time to check out the stuff Rush has. It is way too in-your-face to be left un-appreciated!

Of course, I have tried to send my picture to add to the seven pages of "G'itmo Gear" that Rush has on his page but this is also my very own statement in support of our troops and our President's policies.

Black Hawk Down!

2005-07-19T04:52:00.000-07:00

What was I thinking!? There I posted a few pictures from our Ft. Benning weekend and totally forgot to add this one! Sorry. Must be my age-appropriate dementia kicking in again. Remember the movie, "BlackHawk Down"? Well, it was based on the true story of a blackhawk helicopter that was shot down in Mogadishu, Somalia, and the pilot survived the crash, then was dragged out of the wreckage, kicked and beaten, and then imprisoned. He was ultimately freed (after Clinton wimped out) and returned home. He, Michael Durant, was the guest speaker at the banquet for the 75th Ranger Reunion on their last night of the reunion. A very impressive and inspiring speaker. Wish you could have been there. Really! This is Jon speaking with Michael.

Why we love them!

2005-07-18T06:09:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, from the 6th to the 10th of July, Jon and I went to Ft. Benning, Georgia, to attend the 75th Ranger Reunion where we were priveleged to watch the Ranger Change of command and attend a Ranger demo. These are just a few pictures of that adventure.

Since I live in the greater Washington DC metro area, you can imagine how refreshing it was to be surrounded by so many real men!

Intro

2005-06-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Good morning. Today is the first day of this blog and is not intended for any purpose other than to share insights or interests with my nearest and dearest and casual acquaintances. If you aren't one of those, no worries. You're still welcome and if you feel the urge to sit a spell and introduce yourself, that too is welcome.

I live in Fairfax, Virginia (USA), and am the wife of Jon, the mother of Lissa, the mother-in-law of Pat, and the unbearably proud grandmother of Devo.

Until I manage to figure this all out, there may not be a whole lot going on in this web page but hopefully I'll visit it regularly enough to make an occasional visit varied and worth it.

Talk to you again soon and with more interesting things to say!