The Time is Near

This weekend is that last Saturday and Sunday I will spend in Des Moines. I am leaving on Thursday 17 Sep. The weather is gorgeous - mid 70's, blue skies, bright Sun, just a few clouds. Gorgeous!!

I woke at 4:3o am thinking about my life changing journey to Iraq. Of course, working in Iraq will be a huge change from working/living in Des Moines and commuting to Omaha each weekend. Beginning in a few weeks I will be working/living somewhere in Iraq and commuting to Atlanta every few months. I know in my heart that living is Iraq for a while is the right thing for me at this juncture on the path of life. Where it leads I am unsure but there is reason.

As the time draws near for me to leave Iowa and begin my journey toward Iraq, I am beginning to feel a little trepidation and uneasiness. I think this slight nerviness caused me to awake so early.

At 6 am I was finishing my laundry at the Laundromat and called my sister Julie in Wichita. She is an early riser. My other sister Jan is driving Julie and my Mother (Shirley) from Wichita to Lawrence, KS to visit her son at KU and pick up her daughter Maryann for the trip to Des Moines.

I walked and walked from my apartment to Yoga in Park at Gray's Lake, to the bank, to the State Capital Complex to work a couple of hours and back to my apartment to get ready for my mom, two sisters and niece visit. I really appreciate them for coming.

Yoga in the Park led by Bridget and Stephanie was awesome. There were about 200 yogis attending and practicing. The difference between a good yoga teacher and a great yoga teacher is the great yoga teacher makes a personal connection to every student in class - a touch, an alignment, a gentle instruction. In an hour class, Bridget connected with all 200 students as she walked on the grass through the rows of yoga mats.

When I rolled out my mat and took off my sandals, my feet and my sandals were yellow. It liked like I had spilled Turmeric and walked barefoot through it. Wondering how that happened, I quickly wiped the sandals and my feet off in the grass. Teva announced that something in the grass, a fungus, produced a harmless yellow powder that sticks to shoes and feet.

My family arrived about 5pm. We toured around Sherman Hills where I have lived for the last 2 years, downtown Des Moines, the state capital campus, Gray's Lake and the Water Works Park. We enjoyed a great dinner and conversation outside on Court Ave. Many improvement have been completed in downtown Des Moines during the three years I have lived here - along the river the east village, Brenton Skating Plaza for ice skating, the pedestrian bridge and Court ave area and the park west of the new library.

On Sunday we meet for breakfast at the Drake Dinner. We hugged, kissed, and the left at 10 AM.

I am on my own this afternoon so I decided to start this blog.