If you blink

If you blinked, you missed the fact that I changed the background of my blog 5 times today! I love the sunflower design, but I would love to have a larger column for writing - which is after all the whole purpose of a blog! But it is incredibly complicated (to me at least) to create your own background. Even when I started messing with using a a non-blogspot template, it started getting complicated for me to keep my side messages in line. Since sunflowers are my favourite (for now at least), I may leave this in for a few days. (By the way, don't you just love Van Gogh's Sunflower? If I could own any original painting in the world, it would be a Van Gogh.) It is my first attempt at using a design that is not from blogspot. Since I like change and a challenge, it was good to try something different.
I was inspired to change today as I looked at my new passport. It is so beautiful. Every page has a new design and famous quote about the US. Makes you want to sit down and read it. If you haven't seen one, ask someone who has one to take a look-see.
I had to go downtown to pick up the passport at the embassy and since I was there, I hit the shopping district. After all these years, it still seems strange to see Santa Claus and see all the Christmas lights, while I am sporting sunglasses, drinking coconut water and sweating buckets. All in all, however, the decorations, did make me want to come home and put up my decorations. I have never gotten why I have to wait until December, when I would like to enjoy the decorations, which take so much work, for a little longer than a week or two. I am restraining myself, but probably next week I will get started. This year Christmas is at our house and I am looking forward to that. The girls and I have been working on our menu!
First, however, we have to get through something called "vestibular". That is the entrance exams to the university. I don't know how Sissy is surviving the stress. If I could do something for her, I would. But it's all up to her. After a year of studying 12 hours a day, 6-7 days a week, she certainly deserves to pass. Every year the exams gets more and more competitive. I know she knows her stuff. The problem is the limited number of slots. Only the top few get into journalism. There are 19 applicants for each opening. Her main exam is this coming Sunday. Please pray for her to have confidence and remember what she knows. This is a life-altering day for her and since she has all her eggs in this basket, we would like not to see them scrambled. I'll keep you posted on how she comes out (although the results are not posted until January).