The Beginning of the End

In just three weeks we are headed back to the US as our term under the Mennonite Mission Network has come to an end.

This means sorting through our 'stuff' and deciding what to take back and what to 'take care of'.  Also lots of cleaning, clearing out files, drawers, etc.  We were able to take back a lot of warm weather clothes when we went home for Phyllis' mom's funeral, and now we have a bit more room for the rest.

However, when we came over three years ago, we were allow two pieces of checked baggage without extra charge which they were only slightly concerned about the weight.  Now we can have only one checked bag with the price of our ticket and the weight restrictions are tightly controlled.

Our other leaving tasks are to do a few more things like a photo exhibit we visit every year at the Natural History museum, another walk on Hampstead Heath, breakfast at Kenwood house, Spitalfields market, Camden Town market, Borough market, Highgate Woods, one last play,......so much to do and so little time!

We have not been good at taking the camera with us lately and so we have no pictures to share.  We have been busy at the Centre doing a lot of cleaning, painting, rug shampooing, moving furniture from one room to another, etc. that we haven't gotten out much other than to get groceries!

We did travel down to central London the other night and ate at Wagamama's, one of our favorite places, and had a walk down the south bank....another favorite activity.

Our plans are to fly into Philadelphia, get picked up by family, stay a couple days at Ed's parents, watch the Super Bowl at his brothers house (this year at a decent time of the day rather than midnight)  Then take a train to New York City where we will visit Ed's sister, Sylvia for a couple days.  Phyllis has never been to NYC, just the airports, and Ed hasn't spent much time there either.

Then a train back to PA, buy a car, and head west towards our home via friends and family along the way.  Please pray that we have decent weather to travel in as we are staying north....Bluffton, OH, Goshen, IN, Chicago, and hopefully, Wisconsin, before we head further south.

We'll take the camera out on our next outing and get some pictures in.  England has had more snow this year than in the past 30 years and it has stayed cold enough that it didn't melt for nearly two weeks.  This put a major kink into the lives of many Londoners as they are ill equiped to deal with this kind of weather.

Until the next post....