Home Sweet Home!

I got back from the States Sunday morning. My flight was delayed about an hour......I don't know if I'll fly U.S. Airways again.....They served a dinner not long after taking off from PHL which was at about 2130hrs local time. I didn't partake, as I had already eaten dinner at the airport. The lights were turned off in the cabin most of the way back and I was able to get a couple of hours of restless sleep. About an hour before landing they served a "muffin top" (very small) for breakfast...that was it! It sounded yucky, so I didn't have that either. By that time I was pretty hungry. When I had flown from PHL to CA they served food, but you had to pay extra for it....over $8 for a sandwich. The flight from CA to PHL they served no food whatsoever...not even snacks for purchase! I'd rather pay an extra $10 for my flight and get a meal. The planes were all older and kind of squishy, with not much room in the overhead compartments. On one of the flights a lot of people had to check their carryon luggage.  The flight was $400 cheaper than other flights I had looked at though. Guess I'd better plan ahead and bring more snacks on board next time!

It was wonderful spending time with my children and grandchildren. I was able to see one of my friends, Julia, while in CA. She lives close to Jackie...so we met at a nearby restaurant. It was great to see her!! I was able to devote the majority of my time to family on this trip, which was nice.

Andrew was at the airport to meet me with flowers in hand! He's so sweet!  We drove home and the first thing I did was make a sandwich-I was soooo hungry!  We went for a nice walk in the woods with Sammy. Although it was a little chilly, the sun was shining.

Yesterday and today it feels like spring...the sun is shining, the birds in the neighbors aviary are chirping away and you can see buds on all the trees and bushes!  Yesterday I spent most of the day cleaning and shopping for groceries. I usually have to go to 4 stores to get everything we need. This morning I went out and did some trimming and prepared the pots for planting. This weekend we'll go to buy some new plants!

Louise came over for tea this afternoon. She's such a sweet woman....I really enjoy her company. She and Gary are talking about possibly relocating to England. It sounds like it would be a good move for them.

I am enjoying our time here in the Netherlands. It's a beautiful country full of wonderful people (for the most part!). I know that I will miss it when we leave in 2014. I am feeling at home here now.....but I also know that living here is temporary.  On this last trip back to the States I realized more than ever...I loooooove America!  I never really realized how fortunate I was to be born and raised in America. What a country!  I've always been patriotic, but now I think I will be even more so.

***Head injury problems still affecting me***

I am still experiencing problems from my head injury (occurred in August 2010). While I was in the States I rented a car. Driving seems to be okay as long as I'm rested and I don't have to drive more than a couple of hours at a time. It's difficult now for me to drive at night. The worst part of driving is when I stop....my head is spinning for a few hours afterwards!  Maybe because I have to concentrate so hard to drive, and from the movement. It's no longer "fun" to drive...it's more a chore. I used to be able to drive for hours and hours and lovvvved it.......Now it's a way to get from point A to point B.

I guess maybe I will always have trouble sleeping now. When I lie down to go to sleep I usually get the sensation that I'm falling (like off a cliff.....) when I close my eyes. My ears are also ultra sensitive....just the sound of my hand moving on the pillowcase is enough to drive me insane. Last night I couldn't stand it anymore and just broke down crying. Sooooo, I stay up till I'm so exhausted I can sleep. I usually wake up after a few hours, stay awake for a few hours, then go back to sleep. So, I sometimes get 8 hrs. of sleep, but it's all broken up. If I don't get 7-8 hours of sleep I have to take a nap. But, I try not to sleep more than 30 mins. during the day or my sleep pattern gets even more messed up! Maybe I should go see a doctor and see if they can help me with my sleep and hearing/eyesight sensitivities.  The doctors I saw in the States wanted to put me on anti-anxiety meds......but I just don't want to take medication.

I'm soooo thankful I don't have to work right now. While I was working I couldn't think straight, could barely make it through the day (had to take a 10 min. nap everyday at work and sometimes two naps), barely made it to and from work with the drive. All that noise and multitasking was just toooooo much.

God kept me here for a reason. The other day while shopping at the airport I bought a book called "Becoming a Prayer Warrior". I had studied Spiritual Warfare in the past and I feel that maybe I have a "calling". When I had practiced it in the past I found prayer to be so powerful that it actually frightened me. Now maybe I am strong enough to practice it?!?!?

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Today is Thursday, March 7th. Sammy and I walked to the vet's office for his vaccinations. It's about 2.4 miles away...we were a little tired by the time we got home!