90 days!

Hello all! Sorry it's been so long since an update (I sound like a broken record, don't I?). So much has happened! Where do I begin?

Well, where did I leave off? Getting ready for Boston, working on my research, enjoying my new class. OK, well, Boston has come and gone. My joint presentation with 3 of my colleagues went GREAT. We are even talking about publishing our action research. We didn't present until the last day and expected to have very low attendance. We had nearly 50 people! They were all so enthusiastic! We were delighted and overwhelmed with their response! It was AWESOME. AND I got to see so many friends there....I roomed with a special friend, Michael (we were in grad school together), who also interviewed for a job at QU. I am so hopeful for him! I think he'd love it here and I'd love having someone from HOME! I worked the QU table for awhile and loved meeting so many new people and seeing my boss in regular clothes instead of a thobe. He planned to play a trick on us and pretend he was looking for a job at QU...we really didn't recognize him at first, but a colleague gave it away! :) I bought a few books, was given a few books, attended several sessions, ate a delicious turkey sandwich at the Boston Convention Center one day and Michael treated me to a delicious monstah lobsta (monster lobster) on the last evening in Boston. I saw him off on Sunday at the airport and then my friend, Amy and I had a blast spending the day together shopping a little bit. Only a little bit. I didn't have to get divorced when I returned! Hahaha!

So! Great news! Shortly before leaving for Boston, we were presented with an opportunity to help a young lady here in Qatar with her endurance program/horses. Anyone who knows me, knows I love nothing better than mentoring, helping new people in the sport, teaching and sharing what I know and spending time with people who love horses as much as I do. She needed somebody to "manage" things. Since Nelson is pretty fed up and disgusted with the freelance shoeing thing, he was the perfect person, with me "helping" him manage, to get things straightened out. We've revamped the feeding program and exercise program and have some really fabulous horses to work with. There is a little money involved as we are doing this for a few months on a trial basis to see if it works well with our personalities and schedules. Nelson is really happy to not be UNDER a horse all the time...he's working the horses, training them and the groom/rider.....helping me with feeding, translating with me for the groom (they have a special horsey/sign language they developed while I was in Boston!), and basically enjoying himself. He deserves that. I'll enjoy it even more once I get over being jet lagged....I plan to ride this week. That's the best perk of all....being able to RIDE! :) And Nelson can, too....there is a very nice Spanish horse there who is just the right size and temperament for him. And one of the mares we are working with comes from the midwest! Woo hoo...it's a small world! So, I am really looking forward to this experience and maybe this fall I'll be riding in the marathons! I can't wait. And so far, I'd like to say that great minds think alike...anything we advise her to do, she does, or anything we ask of this young woman, it HAPPENS! Many talk the talk here, but can't walk the walk. She talks, walks AND rides! :) This is a unique experience for us here, plus she truly has the welfare of her horses first and foremost in her mind. The sad thing is we have been trying to meet for so long on Facebook and always miss each other! Well, it has finally happened. As I always say: Stay tuned. Our lives are always changing in strange and mysterious ways. I think God/Allah really has a plan for us that we just have not been able to fathom yet!

What else? My sick brother, Orv. I know many of you have asked about and prayed for him. Out of respect for his family, I will only request that you continue to pray for him. He is in a lot of pain with few answers. I was not able to go visit him when I was in Boston. I maintain that he is a tough old bird and I'll see him in July. He is at home now. And that's all I have to say about that (Forrest Gump).

My level 3 class: I love this group of young men. They are special. All of my students are. However, these young men remind me daily of my first Saudi students and cause me to miss my own son so much...what is this maternal instinct for them that I don't have so much for the women? I can't put my finger on it. I hope I get to teach men again in the fall, maybe level 4! I really, really love my job, in spite of frustrating days (like invigilating and marking exams this weekend!).

In any case, the newest news is that we will fly to Egypt on Friday to spend several days with Maryanne Stroud Gabbani, as Nelson does some teaching with the farriers there, while I work on a good book and do some riding (Nelson will, too) and hopefully see some pyramids! :) So, you may not hear from us again until AFTER spring break.

Happy Easter! Happy Spring! Happy, happy everyday!