Everything I Need to Know...Part 2

Kim J., Karen (our friend from college), Kim S.

I had a wonderful time chatting with my sweet friend Kim from Houston the other night. I have known Kim longer than I have known Keith, if you can believe that. We first met our freshman year in high school, in 1971. I am pretty sure Kim knows everything about me. That's what happens when you room together all through college, are in each other's weddings, share the same name and both have 3 boys. Kim's mom was like a second mom to me. Mama Frog will always occupy a big chunk of my heart. Anyway, I am little off the track...

Kim asked if I had ever thought about blogging a list of some of the things that are different about Doha. No blog is big enough to hold the whole list, but here is my attempt to at least share some of what I have learned from what is different about life here. It's surprisingly simple!


You can live without 95% of your own household stuff for at least two years. (Real proof that it's only stuff.) Houston drivers are wonderful compared to the situation I am currently in. You can almost understand Italian even when you don't know a word of the language, but Arabic is another story. Mints, gum and pills are just as good for change as coins are. In Qatar, when your kid has an out of town game, it is also out of the country. Church is the people, not the building. And you can run a Sunday School, even if it's a Friday School, without construction paper. Spanish rice is much better when it's homemade. And you can chop up frozen french fries to make hash browns for a potato casserole. Roses are beautiful in the winter. Pink is not such a bad house color. I love dates, especially Peggy's chocolate dipped ones that come from the tree in her front yard. The sunset in this part of the world is amazing. I could not live without a Vonage phone. Out of sight does NOT mean out of mind. It doesn't matter if gas is 75 cents a gallon if cereal is $8 a box. A neighborhood post office is a blessing. God is REALLY EVERYWHERE....especially in the places you least expect Him to be.

There is much more that I have learned, but if I share it all now, I won't have any ideas for Everythi ng I Need to Know....Part 3!

(sunset photo by my neighbor Adrian)

Time Flies....

The year was 1985. TWENTY FOUR years ago...hard to believe! I think I was in labor for at least TWENTY FOUR hours. It seemed that way, anyway, after the c-section was completed. Then there he was, our perfect little son. Well, maybe not little at 9 pounds 11 ounces and 22 inches long. But certainly perfect. It was love at first sight for Keith and for me. William Robert Shrull, a.k.a. Billy Bob, our firstborn, had entered the world. Life has never been the same. If I were in Texas, I would dig through the picture cabinet and drag out the baby pictures. But, I'm not so I won't. Suffice it to say, our baby's all grown up! We are proud of him and would give anything to be at home to celebrate. I am sure we would fire up the grill and cook up some steaks. The Birthday Song and birthday cake. Of course the traditional (yes, we have birthday traditions, too!) birthday banner and balloons on the breakfast nook shutters. And get out the red "You are special today" plate. Will, we love you more than all of the stars in the sky. Happy Birthday, Precious One!

All Dressed Up...and Someplace to Go!

About once a year (or maybe once a decade!) Keith and I get really dressed up for a fancy night out on the town. It was such a night last Friday when we got all gussied up for the American School Black Tie Gala at the Intercontinetal Hotel. I actually wore a long dress...first time since we got married! Keith looked soooo handsome in the great suit he bought a couple of years ago and has worn maybe twice. We had a wonderful night. Good company, good food, good fun. Yes, there was dancing....for most people there, but not us! (Keith is just not that into disco.) There was some black jack going on. I did pretty well, but am in no way ready for Vegas! And the silent auction...suffice it to say I wasn't as lucky there as at the black jack table. Just the same, it was FUN getting all dressed up. Maybe we will do another one of those gala things....sometime during the NEXT decade!

P.S. KVH~ My friends in Doha are as cute as my friends in Houston! See???

Christmas Leftovers ( or More Mi Tierra)

I know you are thinking, "Enough already! Christmas was over weeks ago!!!" I just couldn't resist posting these pictures. See why we LOVE to celebrate at this place???

Goodies from the Mexican market