Thursday, October 07, 2010

Fun With Czechs

We started out a little rough.  They did not know how delighted I was to finally have them here, how much I was looking forward to working with them, learning from them, experiencing things with them.  They were not able to know these things for several weeks.  Midway through their time here and our season, the bonding and healing began.
We went to Cape Henlopen, one of my favorite places.  We explored the Great Sand Dune/Spur, climbed the Observation Tower, and visited the Nature Center.


I taught them the fine art of eating steamed crabs.
I sent them down the Assawoman Canal armed with only paddles and vague directions and panicked the whole time.
We went to the occasional happy hour at Mangos.

They shared Czech specialties with me.



We played Rockband and my heart was filled with gladness as I went to bed listening to rock songs sung with a Czech accent
.

We walked the beaches and trails of Assateague Island and were amazed at the appearance and boldness of the ponies ("Quick!  roll up the windows girls!").

We spent hours exploring the nature and history of Harpers Ferry.

and we ended the day sitting on the screen porch of Auntie and Uncles, drinking numerous bottles of wine, telling stories, and finally listening to Uncle read his journal entry of the day he heard Vaclav Havel speak, the girls fascinated.

We tasted delicious wine.

The showed their school spirit at Shepherd University and met up with a friend at Univeristy of Maryland on a separate trip.
More Czech specialties with a bit of help from Auntie on weight vs volume.

In the midst of cooking for 40 some odd people, the made a separate anniversary dinner for me and My Handsome Prince (we didn't eat stuffed shells after all).

We went to Baltimore where we met up with my girls and toured the Aquarium.

Through the kindness of people in the Christian Church Capital Area, they managed to get a ride to Washington DC from a couple who have daughters their age and treated them as such also.  They received lodging and transportation from another woman, tickets to various attractions and tours from others.

This is only what we did in our time off.  Everyday we broke bread together.  Everyday we worked together.  Everyday we communicated with patience, respect, interest and kindness.  When not working together, we even sat out back of the house they lived in, silently, in the sun, comfortable with each other.  And then all too soon it was over.
We toasted one another one more time, this time at Li'l Sis's house, where once more they were welcomed as family and cared for.

As I left them at Ft. McHenry our last time together, I hugged them all and said goodbye, told them that I would miss them, and shooed them off to start their day.  After they left, I sat in my car and cried.  I cried for our rough beginning, for their rough beginning, remorseful.  I cried for the wonderful time we had together.  I cried for they enhanced my life and  I will miss them. I cried for joy at the fact that my season was over for their leaving signified a job well done.  I have tentative plans to visit the Czech Republic in October 2011.  I have many friends there now.