Brenda is NOT a fan of Halloween! She does not appreciate all the zombies, monsters, blood, and general evilness that abounds in October in the USA. Going to stores was upsetting for her, and she avoided the holiday as much as possible. She just doesn't get it and I don't blame her. It's weird.
Brenda and Becky went on their first road trip for Thanksgiving. They traveled with the Clements family to rural Idaho (Burley, I think) and enjoyed a huge family gathering. The big news Brenda shared when I talked to her last night on the phone was that there was, "SO MUCH FOOD!" and she liked the "biiiig chicken" they enjoyed going to the movie Frozen. Becky has gone to the movie theater before with Grandma Susie and my kids, but this was Brenda's first movie theater experience.
Now that Christmas decorations are going up all over town Brenda is ecstatic! She loves Christmas lights and the different decorations popping up in yards. She said, "They put dead people in the yards but now that is gone and it is all lights. I don't like the bodies but I like this. It is good."
That sums up her impression of our holiday decor. It's so fun for me to see it all through her eyes.
Today I'll head over to their place after school and make sure everything is in line for December. Brenda is really responsible about making sure bills are paid on time and the first of the month is always when she gets everything paid. I hope to see if she has any extra in her account this month for her to buy Becky a Christmas present. I know she would enjoy having something for Becky on Christmas morning. It will be an exciting month, as this rings in the one year mark of their arrival to the United States.
It's been a wonderful year!
Just a quick note for you to share with Brenda as she has inspired me. I was driving down Federal Way and saw a lady running the other direction. She was carrying a large backpack and seemed to be in a hurry. As it was in the more industrial part of the road, and it appeared obvious she wasn't going to any house or job close, I decided to take a chance and see if she needed a ride. I turned around and pulled into a lot next to her and asked her if she needed a ride. YES!!! She was a new immigrant from Somewhere in North Africa and had only been here 1 week. She was grateful for the ride to the bus stop that was another 1 1/2 miles down the road. She then had to take the bus downtown and then to her appointment. Her English was very shaky and I was so glad I stopped to help. I did it because of Brenda! It changed my life by 5 minutes where I was headed but shaved 30 minutes at least off her commute in the cold. I wish I could have taken her farther.
ReplyDeletePam,
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome! Now that the weather has turned our refugee community is really in need! Thank you for reaching out.