Photos from Week #5

My happy, crazy tomato plant!!! It makes me so happy and exciting every time it "sprouts" a new tomato. I only wish they would start changing color so I can taste one before I leave!!! :-O Come on, tomatoes!!!

The "Petrie Three" - Rebecca's caregiver team for July-August, 2011: Michelle Cottingham, Jenna Wolfenson, and me.

We had a fun little photoshoot in the Petrie garden!

Hiding in the hydrangeas!

These hydrangeas are my favorite!!!

Tree-hugging...

My Belgium sisters! These girls are so wonderful, and it is a privilege to be here with them!

Bits from Belgium - Week 5

Monday, July 11, 2011

I am doing well. I was very busy today... and the last few days! I wouldn't have it any other way. Everything went smoothly, but I am tired tonight. Trying to do all the "normal" things, plus "host" and train the new girls (the next girl arrived today :-), is exhausting! Michelle is also 17, like Jenna, and has been settling in well. Michelle, like Jenna, is also very willing and eager to help. They're both great girls, and I consider it a privilege to be here helping them in their first visit to Belgium and also helping them help the Petries. If you think of us, please pray that I can be a good teacher to them both, set a good example, and also be a friend to them. It's a hard balance to be trying to teach and lead, but also want to be friend with them too.

I made my first crockpot meal today. It was a pork roast, and turned out well, even though it wasn't quite what I expected. It was quite tangy and almost sweet and sour-ish. I was just excited that crockpot worked so well and required so little attention! :-) The crockpots here run much cooler than in the US, so I had the roast on high for about 9 hours, and it was just done in time for dinner!

What else? I picked up Rebecca's shirt at the dry cleaners, got a few things at the grocery store, and went to the post office. All not very remarkable or exciting to do in the USA, but here, every outing is a nerve-wracking, exciting, sometimes embarassing adventure as I stumble my way through language barriers, cultural differences, and new experiences in general (I mean, how often do you see me going to the dry cleaners?! :-) This has been so good for me! :-)

I laughed earlier this week when I realized another thing God has been doing "to" me with this visit. Typically, my work is focused more on Rebecca and her care, which is great and enjoyable for me. However, this time, the need for me is in more of Annie's role, which happens to be helping "run" the household (meals, laundry, shopping, making sure things are stocked, etc.). God is having me "play house", which is great experience for me since I have lived at home most of my life, and probably have it pretty "easy". :-) Talk about good preparation... and God's sense of humor in working out a way to get that experience for me! :-)

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Today was a good day.

The morning was busy with laundry, taking medicine inventory, dishes, helping with the morning nurse and also teaching Michelle. At lunch, Paul and Rebecca ate alone in Rebecca's room, so us girls went out to the garden and had a lovely lunch in the beautiful weather, and then had a fun photo shoot. It was a nice, relaxing time together, and I guess Rebecca was watching us from her room and laughing at us. :-)

The afternoon was a little quieter. I helped Jenna with finding and understanding the train schedules and then went for a walk around the lake. It was starting to cloud over and some storm clouds were rolling in. I loved it! There were sailboats on the lake again, and when it started to rain, the kids' instructor (?) came around on a motorized, blown-up boat and "rounded them up". It was so cool to see all the sailboats turning and heading in the same direction together. I took a nice, relaxing shower afterwards, and then set out to defrosting the refridgerator (one of Annie's requested jobs for us this week). It was a big job, but I'm pleased to say it's done, and looks much better! We cleaned the whole fridge and shelves, and it was a very rewarding process when it was all over! It's cooler and windy tonight and has been raining off and on.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

I had a good day today. This morning, was up at 7 with Michelle (the newest caregiver). All went smoothly, and I had a quiet-ish morning while Rebecca had her quiet time. I read two particular scriptures that jumped out to me... The first was from 2 Corinthians 1, and was so, well, comforting! I shared it with Rebecca too.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶ If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷ And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

The other scripture was from 1 Corinthians 15:58:

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Paul took the three of us girls grocery shopping this morning. We got so much food... I felt like we'd surely never have to shop again while I'm here. But... with 6 mouths to feed, it will go quickly, no doubt! :-)

Tomorrow is my second to last day off. I am hoping to take a train up to the northern coast of Belgium and see the North Sea and beach, and then take a train back and stop in Brugge, another beautiful Belgian city with pretty churches and canals and chocolate and... stuff (I've been there once). :-)

The moon must be near full. It was cloudy, misty, and very chilly here today, but this evening the moon shined and was so beautiful and bright. I loved it. If you see it tonight, or tomorrow night, look for the reflecting coming from the east. I'm waving and smiling at you!

Thursday, July 14

Happy Bastille Day! (France's "Independence Day"!)

I had a great day today!. Today was my day off again, and I took a train this morning from Genval to Brussels, then got off that train and onto another one headed for Oostende, the very northern tip of Belgium. It was chilly, gray, and wet today, which kind of "put a damper" on things, but at the same time, I found great entertainment and joy in the excitement of the various "elements" I faced, and, for most of the day anyhow, maintained a positive attitude and had fun with the elements. :-) There are many positives to having perfectly miserably weather to go "tourist-ing": 1) you don't find crowds, 2) you don't get hot and sweaty 3) you cover a lot of ground because you need to walk quickly to stay warm 4) If you ever visit again, in different weather, it could be a whole new experience 5) you see and do things you not otherwise have seen and done (like go inside buildings, shop, etc. 6) you have better stories to tell (like almost getting blown away, or meeting the family that went through 3 umbrellas!)

On the approximately 1 1/2 hour train ride up to Oostende, I randomly sat next to a family who... gasp... spoke American English! I was shocked at first, and then immediately asked them where they were from. Turns out they are from Macon, Georgia (just outside of Atlanta... we went through it on the way to FL! earlier this year) I had a nice time visiting with them and it made the time pass really quickly. The family is doing a little "tour de Europe" together, and are spending a couple days in Belgium, and were touring Brugge today. They had three kids, two daughters and a son, all who looked to be mid to upper teens? We stopped at Brugge about 15 minutes before Oostende, so I wished them a good time in Brugge, and jokingly told them I'd look for them later when I stopped by Brugge on the way back. Little did I know, I actually WOULD see them again there, but I'm getting ahead of myself. So, on to Oostende. We arrived in Oostende in a downpour, so I waited in the train station for about 15 minutes until the rain lightened, and then started walking. The train station is right by the marina and a short walk down a brick "boardwalk" to the "beach". I immediately discovered that the weather was going to win today. First, my feet quickly became soaked outside and in. Oh well, I've had that happen before. Next, the incredible winds of Oostende took care of ripping my umbrella up to the point that it got thrown out this evening. Actually, it was the Petries' umbrella, but thankfully not an expensive one! :-O I guess the North Sea beach is known for its winds, and today was, I think, worse than usual. I don't know that I have ever faced such strong wind gusts. At one point I was being blown down the sidewalk/road, and was slightly concerned that I wouldn't be able to stop at the bottom before crossing the street! It was almost hurricane like, but really cool too! There was a lot of construction around the beach, but I did find a nice spot to observe the roaring, surging sea, watch the sea birds, and smell... ick, fish! There were all sorts of cool boats around too (even one with an American flag on it! It also had a Belgian flag). There was hardly anybody around, and we were all soaked to the skin, carrying shabby, beaten umbrellas, and mostly smiling, laughing at the situation, and cheerful. Though I didn't get to touch the sea, (it was just too rainy and windy to get down on the beach) I did taste the salt in the rain. Does that count? :-) After walking around and dodging in and out of doorways to hide from the downpours, I headed back to the train station, made a stop at a magnificent church, and then hopped a train back towards Brussels, but first, stopped in Brugge.

Brugge is called "mini-Venice" because it has lots of little canals and waterways weaving through it. I had been there once, but it was fun to go back, and it reminded me a lot of Prague, actually! I walked and walked and walked all over - I had a map, but everything was so wet still that I just chose to keep walking around somewhat aimlessly, admiring the buildings, and half-lost most of the time. The city is surrounded by a circular-ish river, so I knew as long as I stayed within those boundaries, and in the areas where most of the tourists were, I was fine. There were also maps around the city for when I was ready to head back to the train station. So yeah, I was mostly lost most of the afternoon, but enjoyed it. I stopped and did a little chocolate shopping and found a couple shirts for Rebecca.

After taking lots of pictures, and did I mention that I walked a lot (? :-) through the misty rain and varied winds (it was milder in Brugge, but not by much!), I started heading back to catch my 5:35 train back to Brussels and then Genval. Along the way, guess who I ran into? Yep, the family from Macon, Georgia! It was so funny! They were on their way back to the train station too. They were taking a different train back, but it was nice to hear briefly about their day, and I was able to take a couple family pictures for them before they headed on. It's so funny how something as simple as meeting up with a couple other Americans and visiting with complete strangers can make such a difference in brightening a day! The train rides back home were quiet... wet... and relaxing. I got home, ate a little, took a warm bath... ooohhh.... ahhhh... don't think I've done that since the last time I was here?! I was going to bring along Leafy Luke today, but found him a little dry and losing leaves. :-( So instead, I grabbed a picture of Luke and I together, and was going to take pictures of that everywhere. But alas, the weather was such that I could not risk having such a precious photo ruined by rain or wind, and so it stayed in my bag. Nevertheless, it was there with me the whole time... through rain and... well, more rain!

14 days. I'm rounding the bend into the "bittersweet" part of my stay here. I'm already a little teary when I think about having to say good-bye to Paul and Rebecca. For everything I "give" them, they always give me so much more when I am here. At the same time, I am ecstatic about who I am coming home to! And so, I shall live with strong mixed emotions as I near the completion of this time. Once I am out the door and on my way back to Ohio, I will be fine, but walking out of here is always hard. Really hard.

Stephen Petrie Updates / Continued Prayer Request

Psalm 55:16-17, 22 - "But I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice...Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you..."

Psalm 94:18-19 - "When I said, "My foot is slipping," Your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul."

If you are all interested in reading more about Stephen Petrie's current situation, what has led up to it, and what he will be facing in the future (as far as we can tell...) he and his wife, Sarah, and family are posting updates at: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/stephenpetrie/journal.

Here is the most recent post, to help you as you pray:

Friday, July 8th, 2011 3:53 PM

The diagnosis is solitary bone plasmacytoma, which is essentially a single location myeloma. From what we can gather thus far this will certainly mean radiotherapy and possibly some stem cell work (all my own cells of course). The likelihood of this sort of cancer occurring in someone of my age and general health is truly minute and immediately statistics cease to be helpful. There are still more tests to be run. Please pray for our doctors. Probably the biggest danger now would be multiple myeloma. There does not seem to be anything that I could have done to avoid this. We will keep you posted. My head has been so foggy today, I'm not sure if it's the meds, the new place or the recent surgery (probably all of the above), but it is very frustrating to be unable to think clearly on diagnosis day. I am once again keenly aware of my many layers of weakness. My dear friends Matt and Sam are working in the driveway and I envy their legs:) I'm glad that on days like this the bustle of things to be done never slows. The cardinals outside the window don't care about my diagnosis and that seems right. Thank you for your prayers.

Stephen

9 Months

9 months (and a day) ago, I went on a first date, to a rodeo, with a college friend/co-teacher's assistant. I don't think either of us expected anything long-term to come of it and just set our minds to enjoy the evening. We had a marvelous time being ourselves and enjoying eachother. So... we got together again and made dinner and ate it together. That was fun too. So we did it again... and again. And before long, we realized we were doing something that people call dating! Gasp!

9 months later, this college friend/co-teacher's assistant has become one of my dearest, most trusted friends, who I still enjoy being with, talking to, thinking about, and praying for. These past four weeks have been the longest time apart from eachother since that first date in October, 2010. And yet, somehow, instead of growing apart, we draw closer to one another. We have had to work at new modes of communication and have had to arrange our schedule more carefully to get time "together"... and when we do get a chance to write, skype, or talk on the phone, it's not nearly as often, personal, or long as each of us would prefer. And yet, still, we grow closer...

"Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders You have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak of them, they would be too many to declare." ~ Psalm 40:5

Like a baby at conception, our relationship started with just a few small cells of attachment, attraction, attention... whatever you want to call it (or my case, denial)! Also like a baby in gestation, 9 months can bring about a lot of positive changes, resulting in something miraculous, beautiful, amazing, and unexplainable in any way other than: GOD. It was His design and plan and it happened just the way He wanted it to.

Thank you, Luke Adam Morrow, for leading and accompanying me on this journey of getting to know eachother and the Lord better every day. It's been a great 9 months... and that's a great understatement! :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

p.s. In case Luke (or any of you!) worry that I have perhaps "forgotten" about him on my Belgian adventures, I put together a little video, based on a true story about a girl in Belgium, which you may find enjoyable... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RwANoNXZvs

Une Visite va Bruxelles

Riding the train to Brussels!

The Grand Place

One of my favorite spots in all Brussels!

The Palace

Way cool! :-) Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I did not see the dog referred to...

Notre-Dame-Church-of-Sablon

Taking time to "smell the flowers" in one of the many beautiful parks of Brussels!

I am not usually one to admire art galleries - I don't understand most of the "art". However, I walked by this particular exhibition, and stopped... and admired! This artists gallery was covered wall to wall in laughing, happy people! I didn't go inside or get the artist's name, and kind of wish I had, but I did get a couple photos of his/her work. I was encouraged by this artist. There was something incredibly joyful about the pieces, and I walked away with a smile on my face, from nothing more than admiring the artwork!

Street entertainers are all over the place... and quite good! I passed a man playing classical pieces from memory on his violin, under a little arch that made the acoustics just marvelous! It was beautiful! These two guys were playing accordions, and there was a saxophone player jazzing away to some beats by the mannekin pis!

Speaking of the Mannekin Pis, here he is!

This is a classic street in Brussels. Cobblestone, narrow, and lined with restaurants. The list on the far left is just the kinds of beer that that restaurant offers. There are rows of Belgian flags hanging across the street. The Belgian National Holiday (their version of our Independence Day) is July 21.

I went into a little "fast food" "frite" shop to get the classic Belgian fries, and thought you all might be interested in their drink selection... :-)

There they are... frites classico! Mayonaisse, ketchup, and onions. I did have a bit of a stomach ache after eating them, but they were good! (The ketchup was a little sweet, so I avoided that, but the mayo and onions and frites... mmmmm!)

And of course, no visit to Brussels is complete without a Belgian Waffle! My favorite is the simple waffle with powdered sugar! Just don't inhale as you take a bite or the powdered sugar may go down the wrong pipe! :-) D-licious!

Photos from Week #4

Paul brought home flowers for the ladies of the house as a little "thank you"! They brought a little "sunshine" to my room and brightened my day more than I ever thought flowers could!

Marta and I took a lovely walk/stroller ride to the lake while Susannah and Rebecca had some mother/daughter time. We fed the "quack-quacks" with "num-nums" and admired all the "Molly's" walking with their owners around the lake. :-) It was so much fun!

The dogs always congregate around Marta's high chair at meal times! I wonder why?

Speaking of the dogs, here they are! From back left to front right, Penny (aka "Pooda", according to Marta). Penny is staying here while her "mother" recovers from knee replacement surgery. Penny has been my buddy these last few weeks, and sleeps in my room with me. :-) Molly and Maddie are the Petries' shih tzu's, and quite the characters! They are both sweet and fun, and also help fill my "dog void" while I am here. :-)

Jenna and I!

The magnificent Petrie garden!

Paul tending to our wonderful 4th of July campfire!

Rebecca looking sharp and ready for a day at the races! (or an evening around the campfire!)

First, we roasted sausages over the fire! Mmmmm! We also had "American" potato salad to celebrate.

And we brought out a few American flags to mark the occasion!

After the meal, it was time for MARSHMALLOWS! Mmmmmm again!

These marshmallows were only found in the "international" section of the grocery store... under "American" foods! Who knew?!

A delicious and fun night was had by all! Happy Independence Day to my American friends!

Bits from Belgium - Week 4

Friday, July 1, 2011

Thank you for praying and hurting with us. This has been, in some ways, an awful week, climaxing this afternoon. We all wish we could run away from it or re-wind and change what's happening - but because the Petries are going through this, and it's real, I am thankful I am here. Please continue to pray for miracles and however else you feel led. There have been so many ups and downs the last few days. I am okay and able to continue serving, but I hurt so much for this family and it hurts watching them hurt and suffer even more than me.

We let the family have dinner alone together tonight. They are holding up well, considering the circumstances. People are obviously praying, and God is hearing our prayers.

I spent some time pouring over Bible verses this evening, and repeatedly came across "appropriate" and comforting verses. One moment, I'm upset and confused as to why God allows this to happen to a family already so heavy-laden... and to a young, newly married son, husband, and father. But then I also know there is Nowhere else to turn, No one better to trust, and Nobody who cares more than God does for Stephen and for this situation.

Rebecca went to bed peacefully tonight... a blessing and surprise. Stephen should be in surgery right now to have the tumor on his spine removed. We will probably get phone calls throughout the night.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Stephen came through his surgery well yesterday. Rebecca got to talk to him on the phone today. They have sent his tumor cells for biopsy and should know more by late next week. They're pretty certain it's cancerous, just not sure what kind. It's incredible, and heartbreaking, to be here with the Petrie's through this. Their faith is strong, and I'm getting a taste of what it must have been like when Rebecca fell. It's a privilege, though painful to be here. I had a special prayer and crying time with Rebecca last night after doing midnight and helping her call Philip and Josie and Matt (all are with Stephen in Michigan). While there is constantly a "heaviness" on our hearts, thankfully the emotions seem to come in waves for the most part, and we are all holding up okay.

The new caregiver, Jenna, has settled in well and is an eager and hard worker. Michelle Cottingham (the third caregiver) will be arriving around July 12. Annie is still here, but on vacation, and has written a list of things for the caregivers to do (deep cleaning, de-frosting, organizing, etc.) when there are several of us here working together.

I hope you all have a great 4th of July weekend! It's so strange here because there's no such celebration going on - it's just another weekend! I keep forgetting that it's a big holiday weekend in the states, until people remind me! At any rate, enjoy it!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Today was relatively quiet. I got up with Rebecca at 7:30-ish, and had a really good quiet time while she had hers. It is soothing, healing, and re-charging for me these days, to just sit (or lay) and pour over the Bible, pausing to re-read verses or pray. I am emotionally tired, which is wearing on me a little physically, although in general, I think I'm holding up well. The new caregiver is doing well, but with Annie on vacation, it is mostly my responsibility to make sure she knows what she should be doing, how to do it, etc. So I'm teaching/training on top of trying to "do stuff" that I normally do. Thankfully, Jenna has a great attitude and is a very willing worker and learner. Paul, Rebecca, and Susannah are dealing with so much emotional stress and exhaustion right now. I'm trying to do all I can to take care of "running the house", to enable them to be together, rest, pray, or do whatever they desire to help cope with all. It's really hard for Rebecca because she knows she can't go to see him, and she wishes it were her in his place. She's been through hard times like that before, but it's even harder for Paul, who has always been able to just go when something like this happens. He is physically drained still (he was just starting to get better before the news of Stephen's stuff hit), has a spasming back, and says he is "feeling his age". In some ways I think this is a blessing for Rebecca, who needs Paul here for her as well, but she also worries about him being so worn down. They are in this together - helpless physically, but strong spiritually. They take turns being strong for eachother, and I guess I am somewhere in there as well... constantly lifting them all up in prayer and trying to encourage, listen, love on, or cry with them as the Lord leads. I'm sorry I'm rambling and that this is all probably so depressing. Through all this heaviness and the intensity, I am glad I can be here to be whatever help I can. I think I understand a little better why God "needed" me here... and I'm glad he didn't tell me ahead of time!

Monday, July 4, 2011

Happy 4th of July!

I just wanted to send you a quick update of encouragement. At the risk of sounding bi-polar, I wanted to share that we all had a WONDERFUL evening together tonight - like "old times". We made a little campfire and had sausages, sauteed zuchini, home-made potato salad, and marshmallows (I had to go to the "international" section of the grocery store to get them! They were with the peanut butter, microwave popcorn, "marshmallow fluff", and several other "American" foods that I didn't know were strictly "American"! ;-) All of our spirits were good this evening. It was sooo nice! There are still the ups and downs as the phone calls and/or fears or realities of the situation hit or sink in, and we miss Susannah and Marta a lot, (they left his morning) but it was refreshing to have a quiet, light, fun evening together. THANK YOU for the prayers!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

The morning was pretty quiet, as I got to sleep in a bit and didn't have too much to do until lunch time. The rest of the day was busy, but not overly so. I made lunch, did laundry, made Susannah's bed with clean sheets, did dishes, mailed your letter, dropped a shirt off at the dry-cleaners, and got in a lovely walk around the lake. (The weather today was beyond amazing! Blue skies, upper 70's, sunny...ahhhh). I was trying to remember some of the things I see here that I want to share and remember. One of those things that I thought you would like is that there are so many elderly couples (or single elderly men or women) who walk around the lake. I love to see them so alive and active, just out for a stroll around a beautiful lake. There's a lot of PDA here between significant others, but also just friends. It is not at all strange to see women walking together, arm in arm, talking like friends. And no, I'm quite sure they're not gay... just "normal" Belgians! There were bright colored sailboats out on the lake also. I wished I'd had my camera. I can't remember if there were other things I wanted to tell you about my thoughts as I walked around the lake, but I will try to write them down if I do! Walking here has always been a relaxing, fun, de-stressing activity that helps me "clear my mind and soul" for a bit. It's funny that I don't get into that nearly as much back home. I don't know why. I guess I just don't make it a priority. I didn't used to listen to music as much as I have been here as well, but I find it helps me worship and think about things I want to be thinking about while I walk. Kind of helps me "walk with God", if you know what I mean.

I made Mexican lasagna and sauteed green beans for dinner. Sometimes I can't remember what all I did in a day, but they sure are busy and sure do fly by! We watched the movie Sabrina last night (a cute and funny chic flick - I've watched here before, but it was fun watching Jenna see it for the first time) and an episode of Poirot (the Belgian detective guy).

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Slept great - was awakened once by Rebecca at 4:00, but we both got back to sleep quickly. It's so funny that I can almost bet it's either 2 or 4 a.m. (nearly on the dot) if and when she calls in the night. It must be something about the sleeping meds wearing off then or something. Anyhow...

Paul and Rebecca are doing well. He and Rebecca have been spending a lot of "together time" (private lunches, which can't hurt either. Rebecca is doing well too. She has emotional moments still in thinking about or after talking to Stephen, but she's holding steady and their faith isn't wavering. They should get the pathology reports on the biopsy by the end of this week, which could be upsetting again - although I think they're more prepared now. Stephen himself is recovering really well. I guess he's walking around a lot and doing great physically and spiritually and emotionally. His 25th birthday is tomorrow. Other than the fact that I know his parents and a few of his sibs really well and love them dearly, I think the other thing that really saddened me about all this is the place in life he's at. That could be me... ! Our lives are so not our own... and that's a good thing. But it's kind of a reality check to know somebody my own age facing what he might be facing.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Things are fine here. Rebecca and Paul are getting time together (private lunches, time visiting in her room, etc.), which is good for both of them. They should get word on Stephen's biopsy results by the end of this week. Today is his 25th birthday. Other than that, not much new around here. I am very busy, but not too much so or stressed about it (not too much, anyhow!) My meals are coming out okay so far and the errands I've had to run have gone smoothly. It's nice that Annie is still "here", though on vacation, so she can verbally walk me through things. :-)

I had a good time in Brussels. I did something fun, because I was feeling kind of lonely (I went by myself), and though I was excited to see all the usual sites again, I was almost "bored" and thought it silly to take a bunch more pictures in front of all the same landmarks. But then I had an idea (I think it was God-given :-) Remember Flat Stanley? Well, I didn't have a Flat Anybody, but I did find some pine branches and realized I could take and spell out "Luke" everywhere I went with those little pine branches, and do a little "photo story" about his visit to Brussels. :-) It turned into great fun... almost like a treasure hunt, as I visited each famous site and tried to figure out a creative way to get a picture with "Leafy Luke" in it. In the process, I of course had lots of stares and people trying to figure out what I was doing. Several smiled when they saw it, and all of that made it all the more exciting and fun. I ended up having a GREAT day, at some delicious waffles and frites, made some purchases that I am excited about, and was ready and eager to come home!