E M O T I O N S ! ! !

This week has been one long rollercoaster ride for me and I must be honest and say I haven't enjoyed it that much.

I have not been terribly well, but that is past now and I am in good health. I have been suffering from lack of sunshine (!!) and I never thought I would say "I don't want any more snow", but this week I did.

I visited one of my lovely and very special German girlfriends on Tuesday. She lives just outside of Basel in a very lovely little village and it was covered in a thick blanket of snow, but when I arrived it was raining and bitterly cold. I got off the bus, literally threw myself into her arms and burst into tears! Poor Ilona wondered what on earth was going on. (All the more difficult when language is a bit of a problem and when we are together we speak Denglish!!).

Anyway I survived the day and maybe I felt a little bit better at the end of it.

My motherly, tender heart was going out to our beautiful daughter Jocelyn as well and I felt I really needed to be with her for her appointment at the Neurosurgeon. But of course I am in Germany and she is in Melbourne. Completely impossible. I rang her on Tuesday night our time which was Wed. morning her time just before she went off to her appointment. I sank into bed covering her in prayers. Couldn't wait to get on the phone to ask how things went for her but when we rang she was not yet home from work.

So we spoke to Glenda and had the loveliest, encouraging conversation. So very special for me to have these conversations with my family when sometimes distance seems to tear my heart out. I love being where I am and I know God is always with me and this is where he wants me to be, but it's not always easy and sacrifices have to be made, though I don't look at it as sacrifices (if you know what I mean).

Wednesday we also booked (but have not yet paid for) our fares home to Australia on 31 July and coming back on 13 October. We would have been here 3.5 years by then. We had our 3 year anniversary on Tuesday actually (10 March). We officially arrived in Germany on 2 March 2006 though.

Our lovely African friend Johnny came to dinner on Wednesday night and that was very uplifting for us both. He 'had the talkies', which is most unusual for Johnny and great for us. We had a good laugh.

Today, Saturday, as I walked to Aldi to do a little shopping, Schopfheim was abuzz with people going to the Garden Centres to buy plants. I think Spring is here at last and today is 16C. I think I am finishing the week on a much better note than when it began - for which I am thankful.

Now I will get ready to meet Kevin in Maulburg and we are going to try out a new walk for our Basel hiking group to do next Monday 23 March. Roger is at a special Choir practise all afternoon. That's why I've conned Kevin into coming with me!

I had my Girl's Night last night which was great and there were 7 of us here. 4 Germans, 2 Aussies and 1 American! Roger and Kevin caught up at a local Schopfheim Gasthaus (one of the many Loewen - Lion!!). They were trying it out as we want to get the Aussies/N.Z'ders together for an Anzac Day dinner on 25 April. They gave it the BIG TICK. They were both a little 'talkative' when they came back at around 9.45pm!!!!!!