Cape Town friends are HERE!

Last week we had an amazing visit with Mike Gathercole and Heather Wonnacott from Cape Town (Jul's former colleagues at 2 Way Travel), who are in the US for a business trip this month. Incredibly, in addition to contacts in New York, Boston, Houston, San Francisco and Cincinnati, they also have contacts in Indianapolis!! So on the back-end of their Indy stop, we got to meet up and host them for one night. The following morning the three of us (minus Jim) headed out to Cincinnati for a meeting at the University of Cin. and a four-day conference on community development held by the CCDA (Christian Community Development Association). Ask me about it sometime - it was a great conference.

It was truly wonderful to see them again, 5 months after saying good-bye and not knowing when we would meet up again, and show them a bit of Bloomington and journey together to Cincinnati. This was also Heather's first time in the US so there were lots of funny moments... "why don't Americans have electric kettles?" and "why are these portions so huge?" and "what are steak fries? are they made from steak?!"

Of course we had to have some ice cream... and hey, Heath, this ice cream has your name on it!

The night before we left for Cincinnati, we talked through the presentation we'd be doing the following morning at the School of Social Work at the Univ. of Cincinnati. It was a well-attended session and there was some great interest in bringing a group of students to South Africa.


After the social work session we walked around campus a bit and ate in the staff dining hall. It was homecoming weekend and the mascot was walking around. Naturally we got our picture with him. Also we heard the marching band practicing and saw a fundraiser by a fraternity (behind us in the photo) - pay $1 and take a swing at an old car. Ah classic American university experience.

Here we are in Cincinnati (sorry no actual photos of the conference itself). Through a crazy series of events we stayed for free at "The Ascent" (the blue building below) in a guest suite for three nights and at the Holiday Inn for one night. Tragically our intended host had a house fire the day before we arrived so we couldn't stay with her, but the city of Cincinnati heard the story and figured out alternative housing for us. She is now living with neighbors and many people in the city have pulled together to help her and her other neighbors who lost their homes and possessions.


This bridge spans the Ohio River, which flanks the city, and marks the Ohio/Kentucky border. It is a suspension bridge built in 1867 by the same architect, John Roebling, who built the Brooklyn Bridge (in 1883). Pretty cool! Every day we drove across this bridge from the convention center to our accommodation at The Ascent, right on the riverbank. The Ascent are actually pricey condos but there are two guest suites on the first floor, and the city allowed us to stay there. We even got to tour the 7400 sq. ft. penthouse which is still for sale - for $5.5 million!


But of course the days went quickly and we had to say good-bye once again. What a great time together!!! Perhaps next year we'll meet up again in Cape Town??

A Visit from Mom and Dad

We very much enjoyed a visit from Mom and Dad H this past weekend, on their way to & from the Taylor Homecoming and 40th class reunion (ahem). Though the time was short, the sun was out on Sunday so after church we walked around the IU campus and enjoyed the brisk air and fall colors. Then we had a nice lunch and took another walk in the neighborhood to a nearby park, followed by eggs and toast (it's Sunday after all) and Pumpkin Crisp (Jim's request). A good introduction to Bloomington, and we hope they'll be back before too long. Hey - anytime!!


This fountain is in front of the IU Auditorium and next to the Art building. It's called "The birth of Venus". We were inspired.




And here's the view from the gates at the west end of campus, looking down Kirkwood Avenue shops and restaurants, with the old Courthouse in the distance.

Autumn on Campus at IU

This week Jim took a few photos on his walk through campus from Eigenmann Hall (his office) to the bus-stop - a daily route for him. The bus line runs straight down from campus to our south side of town and stops just outside the Sherwood Hills subdivision. So he has a 15 min. bus ride and 15-20 min. walk every day.

This is not Eigenmann Hall, but it's very pretty and typical of many of the limestone buildings on campus.
Yes (above) that's the side view of the Wells Library. An "interesting" design. (There are windows on the lower two levels; you can't see them in this photo.)

Also this week we had two of Jim's colleagues and co-students over for dinner: Brian (1st year; shares all the same classes as Jim) and Debbie (2nd year and Jim's 'partner' in his assistantship in client services at NSSE on campus). Read some more about NSSE here. They were our first official dinner guests in the new place!! (after family of course) Debbie even brought homemade cream puffs and custard, a family tradition of hers.

Ahh... coffee on a chilly autumn morning

The fall season has definitely arrived... less daylight hours, chilly mornings, gray rainy days, beautiful red and orange trees, the urge to bundle up and watch outdoor soccer & football games, and of course the joy of wearing a sweatshirt and staying inside with a hot drink. In many ways this feels like our "first" fall in three years and we are really enjoying it. Bloomington is beautiful right now. And so is my cafe au lait!

...thanks to Ethel-Maria, a German friend who I met while we were at BFA. She gave us this amazing frother (battery-powered) that steams milk for genuine, great cafe au lait and cappuccino (the dryer the better, in my opinion). The trick of course is not spilling the milk when the whirring starts... Ethel, wish you were here to enjoy it with me! And of course some cocoa gets sprinkled on the foamy top.


And since it's Thursday, this is Jim's morning to stay home (from the office) to study until his evening class. He works 20 hrs/week and has class on Tues, Wed, Thurs, so he has long days and we often don't see each other until a late dinnertime. But today he's home so of course we have to celebrate with yummy coffee! Oh and we go to the YMCA together (a study break for him). Here he is on the couch. I have to stay upstairs so I don't bother him unless I'm bringing nourishing vittles. Just before this photo we had a Nutella-on-biscuits break.

A Painting Project (thanks Katie!)

This past weekend Katie came down from Wheaton (although this is the last time she'll be able to do that ... next time she'll be coming UP from Memphis, with Noah!) and she helped us tons with repainting the downstairs of our new place. To be honest Jim and I hadn't thought too much about what project we would do with her; we just wanted the wallpaper border and bright red/pink in the kitchen to be repainted. BUT Katie with her energy and creativity and vast house-project experiences inspired us to go ahead and repaint the kitchen and living room. Phew. And we're glad we did.

Here we are on Saturday morning in the midst of stripping wallpaper. Not a nice job, despite our smiles.

And finally beginning to paint in the living room. The walls are still the original dark brown at this point.


And by Sunday afternoon here is the finished product! The walls are newly painted - "Monroe Bisque" (a lighter brown with some yellow hues) that helps to open up the space and bring a "happier" feel - or, in J&J terms, the color is similar to tahini/hummus. We even put some things up onto the walls, thanks again to Katie's expertise.

Katie took this photo from the front door; we're standing at the counter in the kitchen with the back door behind us.

And here's the view on the left of the living room, with the coat closet and stairwell that leads up to the 2 bedrooms. It feels great to continue to unpack our things, settle in and make this Our Home with bits of our history and personalities to it. Yep, those are great-great-great Grandma's plates! And Jim's big trunk! And a fruit print from a Paris market! And a round table from a Beirut souq! And a lamp we got for our wedding and are finally getting to use!

Come visit. We'd love to share this home and new town with you all. Oh that's right, Dad and Mom H are coming in a week! And Mike and Heather from Cape Town are coming the following week!

Thanks again Katie! You are wonderful.

Welcome twin nieces (and congrats to Steve & Tiffany)!

On Tuesday 29th September at 3:20 and 3:21 PM, AVERY RUTH and ISABELLA SKYE GIESER arrived! They weighed 4 lbs 15 oz and 5 lbs respectively and were both 18 in. They are beautiful and perfect, and the new Daddy and Mommy are ecstatic - of course! (And so are we!!)

Here is Avery Ruth, with her dark brown-black hair and cute little nose

And here is Isabella Skye - Bella - with light brown hair and her cute little nose

And the sisters "together" at the hospital. There were some complications with Avery on the day of delivery so she was taken to the NICU. But Thank God for his protection! They are both safely here and will soon be reunited as soon as Avery regains her strength. Hopefully this week!! Eat up, little one.

Tiffany and Bella were released from the hospital on Saturday. Here's Bella buckled in for her first car ride. What a precious bundle.

Okay Mom and Dad, enjoy these first crazy days with your beautiful new ones! We are praying and hoping along with you that Avery will come home soon. (And special thanks for sharing the photos, reposted here)

I miss you, Rachel

I'm missing you today, Rachel...

So this morning I had a cup of tea in one of Grandma Miner's teacups. Remember these? Aren't they beautiful. Oops I'd already drunk two cups by the time I took this photo.

And Jim and I went to the YMCA and officially became members - Yay!! Jim then had to go off to work but I went to the pool to swim laps. Man, it's been a few years and it was a tough workout. The whole time I was thinking of you and Craig. (and fyi: the Durham YMCA is a lot nicer than the Bloomington YMCA, but I'm very happy anyway)


And for lunch I made a strawberry-banana smoothie. Didn't have any protein powder but I did add some wheat bran (for fiber).


I love you sister! (Can you tell I'm even trying to smile like you? Well in truth I didn't try to do that. It just happened.)