And then there's Halloween!

But, how in the world do you sort-out the candy and see what prize items you actually have?

We had exactly one group of trick-or-treaters knock on our 3rd floor door on Halloween here at Hampstead Rise. It just happened to be three dear kids we know quite well -- Reeve, Gabi and Rania. Ours was the last stop before bedtime for them after they collected quite a bit of loot from the homes of other ISKL teachers out by the school.



Alas, by the time Reeve got to our place his pirate hat had been relegated to to the car, meaning that "Grandpa the Photographer" (no relation to "Joe the Plumber") was not able to get the full effect. It was great having them stop-by, however. (Grandma Nancy missed the occasion since she had volunteered to chaperone students at a Habitat for Humanity "40-hour fast" down at the ISKL library.) - rw

St. Andrews Church Retreat

Last spring Nancy and I were the first ones to sign-up and pay our deposit for the church retreat at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, held over the long week-end of October 25-27 at the Swiss Garden Beach Resort just north of Kuantan on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
Under the general theme of "Living Out God's Purpose," the speaker, Pastor Ooi Chin Aik, spoke on six different occasions from the book of Acts. Food was very good and the worship singing was enthusiastic. The meeting room (pictured at the bottom) was very well appointed, and the use of Powerpoint facilitated both the singing and the main messages.

One of the more humorous elements in the week-end was that Nancy and I had decided long ago to ride the chartered church bus up to the resort rather than drive our car. So, we arrived at the church shortly before the appointed time, Saturday, 8:30 a.m. (The bus was scheduled to leave at 9:00.) Everything went well until the bus got off the east-west toll road near Kuantan. From there we proceeded a while until it became apparent that the bus driver didn't really know how to get to the resort! After turning around twice and using a cell phone, we managed to stretch the estimated travel time from 4 hours to almost 6.
One fascinating sidelight of the retreat was that many different Malaysians (mostly of Chinese ethnic back-ground) asked us about whether we had voted in the U.S. election coming-up next week. As a result we had the opportunity to explain how absentee ballots work in Marion Co., Oregon! (One guy at the retreat told Nancy that he thought everyone in the world ought to have one vote for the U.S. president since he is obviously the most powerful figure in the world!)

All in all, it was a very interesting experience. It was our opinion that the speaker took way to much time to cover his material; however, the content was solidly biblical, with a strong emphasis on prayer and mission. - rw
P.S. - The black golf shirts in evidence everywere were part of our registration material and had the church logo and "St. Andrews Presbyterian Church" on the front, with the retreat theme on one sleeve and "Kuantan 2008" on the other.

Meeting the Bus: Scene 2

Back in Silver Spring, Maryland it took a short drive to meet Daniel and Eli's bus at Oakland Terrace Elementary School after school. Here in KL in Scene #2 the ISKL bus comes right to our doorstep at Hampstead Rise! (Gabi gets off at 12:40 p.m. after her 1/2 day at "Prep Junior." Reeve alights at 3:15.)

Due to the tragic death of the father of Juvy (Doug and Tracy's nanny) in the Philippines, I had zero time to get over jet-lag before being pressed into "Grandpa Duty" once again.











Arriving in KL at 8:00 a.m. on 10/9 after 24+ hours on airplanes, I took a taxi to ISKL and shortly thereafter connected with Rania who would be my daytime responsibility on that day and the six school days to follow. (Gabi has only been with me for the afternoons and Reeve for just an hour or less prior to Mom and Dad's arrival from Ampang Campus.)

One of the amazing things about spending time with Rania has been my perplexity about why she's so devoted to a crude action figure of Darth Vader who accompanies her at all times! Sometimes if I look really busy at some task Rania will entertain herself with Star Wars figures -- or other small figures -- but if I look at all "available" she will press me into duty, giving me R2-D2 to "play with" so that Darth Vader can come up and say "Hello!" (Somehow ... that doesn't quite sound in character for him.)

All in all, it's been quite a week so far! Rania and I have been to McDonalds on one occasion and to KLCC on another. What a delight to have 50% of our "grandchild population" right here in Malaysia! - rw

Time with Mother at Friendsview

One of the major reasons for my extended stay in Oregon was to spend time with Mother at Friendsview Retirement Community. At 102 & 3/4, she has a very nice room in the Health Center (pictured below) and is able to get around with her walker. Elaine has been in Oregon for the past week and has been a big help in going through Mother's closet, buying a few new clothing items and getting some alterations done. Most often when either of us come into Mother's room she seems unsure of who we are. But, after some "introductions" she does seem to "connect" and expresses appreciation for our presence.



We're convinced that the facilities and the staff at Friendsview provide the best possible place for Mother to be. Some of the nurses still call her the Energizer Bunny; one other nurse -- for some mysterious reason -- calls her Spitfire.
One "seren-dipity" on my last day in Oregon was running-into old friends Ed and Martha White who are just moving into a new and very nice apartment in the most recent Friendsview development out behind the Newberg Hospital. - rw

Grandpa will miss you guys!

Daniel, Eli and Micah -

It was such fun being with you for two weeks! I'll sure miss you in the weeks and months ahead. Daniel & Eli, I really enjoyed taking you to school in the mornings and picking you up when #3998 arrived at Oakland Terrace at 4:10 p.m. And Micah, I liked taking you to pre-school and Forcey. Have fun in school, all of you ... and do well! Remember that you're all going to come and see us in Malaysia some day ... plus, we'll have a great time in Oregon next summer! - Grandpa

Ron in D.C.

No, we don't have any pictures of Ron and the boys at the White House, the Washingon Monument -- or even at a downtown museum. In fact, except for the trips to and from the airport on the Metro, I never made it downtown during my 2-week stay, September 17 - Oct. 1. What did occur, however, were two very significant things:

#1 - Upon arrival, Mark and I made a trip to Home Depot to rent a tiller and buy grass seed, peat moss and bags of topsoil in order to re-seed the part of the back yard that had become overgrown with crabgrass. So, as pictured, once the tilling was done and the clumps of root and grass removed, we had to smooth-things-out and prepare for the seed. After seeding and the light application of a peat moss covering, much watering needed to be done -- at least until the rains came a week later. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a before-and-after picture, but when I left Eccleston St. on the 1st of October the emerging grass was looking promising.

#2 - The most significant accomplishment during the 2-week stay was teaming up with Naigzy, Marta's Dad, to run the household during the one-week that Mark and Marta flew to Buenos Aires for an early "10th Anniversary Vacation Trip." (picture at the top was taken prior to driving them to the airport) During the week I did the taxi service, driving Daniel & Eli to school in the mornings and Micah to preschool Monday & Wednesdays. In addition, Micah had regular play time on Fridays at a church some distance away and Daniel had tutoring in math on two late afternoons during the week. It was always fun for Micah and I to drive up to Oakland Terrace Elementary School to meet Daniel and Eli's bus (#3998) at 4:10 p.m. each week-day afternoon.
Micah loved to wait for the bus and exclaim with enthusiasm, "That is my brothers' bus!" And, Daniel and Eli always seemed happy to see us. Naigzy and I divided-up the "chores" fairly well. He did all the lunch-making in the mornings and a good deal of the cooking at night.

When we discovered that Montgomery Co. Schools had a holiday on Tuesday the 30th for the Jewish New Year, we all drove across the Potomac into Alexandria, Virginia to do some hiking at a botanical garden. O yes, before Mark and Marta left for Buenos Aires, we did manage to put up the trampoline in the back yard which led to great fun for all three boys during the week. Anyway, it was all a great experience, and we trust that "a good time was had by all!" - rw