calm before the storm?

It's pouring rain right now, and there's a bit of thunder, but I've seen no lightning. Oldest is out driving around, impervious to Mom's "suggestions" to come home before the road floods (flash floods actually are predicted). Friend is moving this weekend (I am unable to help, though I helped a different friend move last weekend) -- feel badly for the weather the crew is going to face tomorrow and Sunday. I need to clean my house tomorrow for a friend who is coming to spend the night, and I need to keep/resume packing for my Kenya trip. [Oh, and I need to go to "work" in the afternoon to register folks for the week-long conference I am supporting -- they are coming in this Sat. & Sun.]

The Kenya trip is crazy-making. British Air (our carrier) allows each of us to have 2 suitcases weighing up to 70 lbs. each. [Other carriers have dropped their weight max to 50 lbs. per bag.] I probably have enough stuff for 5 bags weighing 70 lbs. each. And I want to bring it all -- most of it is donations (medical and school supplies) -- and some are books a good friend asked me to bring..... I have to call the airline and confirm how much I can bring (pay for the extra bags) and how much it will cost me.

Planning the itinerary with our Kenyan hosts, and answering the questions of "my" American travelers is driving me batty. Wish I could remember (that is, successfully remind myself) that it's not all about me. That it's not that I'm being ignored (answering the same question over and over) and that it's not that I'm insignificant (when other people are asked questions that concern me). It just gets frustrating. I have so much left to do and so little time to do it, and then what? If I don't get it all done, how poorly does it reflect on me? Does it mean I'm not worthy? (I know the answers to all these questions -- but knowing and internalizing are two different things!)

I went out tonight to see "A Prairie Home Companion" with friends and family. It was fine, but unremarkable. Then spent awhile on the phone speaking with my brother, the father of my nephew who just lost his best friend in a seizure/drowning accident overnight. Am now praying for Travis' family, as well as for my friend Dick, who is in the hospital with a gangrenous appendix and he's suffering due to the infection.

I feel like the storm may be calm when I'm back at home in August, with no plans made....

life is crazy

But as per usual, I feel more alive this way. Today I had lunch with a Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) "hot-shot" -- is there such a thing or is that an oxymoron? -- a potential new mentor -- the joke was he had an expense account to treat me to lunch -- but it is the expense account of a non-profit organization, so we both just had soup (and the piece of baguette that came with it!).
Last night I was commissioned for my July trip to Kenya -- along with 7 of the 8 of my co-travelers -- at our Presbytery meeting. That was nice. We all brought luggage to compare notes -- no one ended swapping anything -- I think we may all try to just pay for our extra bags, so we can bring more donations -- hopefully all that we've received -- from laptops to syringes to sewing fabric to school supplies to choir robes -- you name it....
Oldest is testing at Mercer County College to get into pre-calculus class to gain college credit before senior year. Youngest is contemplating a 3-week stay at the beach with my parents -- all this while I am gone. Hubby was going to look into daycamp but never really got around to it....
I have a new therapist I like -- brilliant mind, good memory, non-judgmental -- actually helpful....
What else? Oh, my job in the chapel office. Amazing to see how people of God treat one another in the workplace....some consideration, but also some examples of real selfish, even intentionally hurtful, behavior.....
Painted part of my kitchen, humidity has been low lately, so that spices the place up a bit -- a nice new project to break the tedium of rolling choir robes and grouping syringes into baggies!
Was reading Gwen Shamblin's Weigh Down diet book -- but in the last 2 days I have rekindled my love of chocolate....otherwise I was doing well and feeling good for awhile....
Off to bed.