I had an uneventful flight from Sacramento to Washington, D. C. Several times during the flight the crew announced that the weather was warm and humid or that it was showering lightly in the D. C. area. When we arrived the captain announced that we were going to think that we had arrived in Seattle instead of D. C. As I exited the plane, thunder shook the airport. Unloading of baggage was delayed for at least two hours due to lightning virtually closing down the airport. Ann phoned to let me know that she was about ten miles from the airport, but could hardly see due to the heavy rain and to tell me that she would be late as she was about to float off the freeway.
Eventually the warning buzzer sounded to let people know that bags were going to be on the carousel and there were my bags. I grabbed them and went to the exit, phoned Ann and in about 15 minutes we were happily reunited and on our way to her house.
We walked into the house to the delightful smell of some to the best chili I have ever eaten. My son in law, Terry, is an outstanding cook; he had filled the slow cooker with the makings for dinner and it had cooked all day.
We dined then I went downstairs and rested. Traveling makes me so tired, but by about 9:00 pm I was feeling good. Ann drew me a map showing me the way to take Hannah to her school.
I took her to school, met her teacher and will return to school at noon to help in the lunchroom. The teachers desperately need help at noon as the children require so much help during lunch. They eat in a large room at tables. There are Lunchables (sealed meals purchased from the grocery store) to be opened. Spills to be wiped up. Children with hands up, needing permission to go to the bathroom. Tables that need to be wiped down after the children go back to class. And then there are things on the floor to be picked up
I got lost on the way to the school so I had to apologize to the teacher. It was raining and I missed an exit. So after driving too many miles, I just returned home. As I was driving I saw things that were scary. A road was completely washed out. The paving material had dropped into a sink hole. The street was completely impassable.
I got an email from the Congo we have five new children in the orphanage and again they are mal-nourished. That is to be expected. Between 1996 and 2000 more than 1/2 of the children did not live to see their 6th birthday. Typhoid, starvation, malaria and other easily treated problems wiped them out.
Things I have yet to shop for: toys for orphans (2-3 year old), clothing for six month old babies, battery operated lantern for the orphanage and some twin bed sheets.
