Hymns to Fireworks: (Indiana Journey, last day)

Sunday was kind of an incredible day all round. It started with hymn singing in Indiana and ended with fireworks in Toronto.

Image from the Toronto Star, because my photos weren't nearly that good. You can see a video at this link.

The hymn singing wasn't technically part of the retreat--it was just how those of us hosting (plus a couple of friends) spent the last while together. (Reminiscent of the big carol sing in A Muppet Family Christmas.) Highlight of the goodbyes (you need there to be a laugh when you are asunder parting): one of the moms was doing her usual silly-deep-voice dog-to-English interpreting for Ronan the Giant Dog, and her toddler started mimicking her. She really nailed the deep voice.

A small group of us got dropped off at the Chicago airport mid-afternoon, and I had the option of taking an earlier flight than my ticket said. That was fine by me, so after we shared pizza and goodbyes, I headed off to my gate and got on a packed flight for Toronto. (They must have sold me the last ticket.)

When we had landed and were waiting for the ferry boat to get us the 400 feet to the mainland, there was one of those news-TV things on the wall in front of us that said there were going to be fireworks shot off from the CN tower that evening, to mark the closing of the Pan Am games. I got to the Apprentice's place of residence (I planned to stay there and get home by bus the next day), and mentioned the fireworks. When it got dark, sure enough, there they went, three minutes of you-aren't-going-to-see-this-often firework art. We could see them from her back deck.

And the morning came, and the bus ride, and Mr. Fixit was there to pick me up at the terminal. How else would I want to end the story?

But if I've forgotten anything, you can just ask.

The Retreat (Indiana Journey)

The retreat was held at a church, Friday evening and all day Saturday. What it was about, for most of us: celebrating friends and exploring the possibilities of family-oriented, lifelong learning. That was underscored for me by the presence of several babies, a few brave husbands (who were not just there to hold the babies), several older offspring who were there in various roles (playing music, working in the kitchen, packing boxes into vehicles, minding the info table, or just being themselves). When one of the speakers exhorted everyone to "love their children," that seemed to be  given.

And yet a lot of it was still "eek, my online friends!" Even dedicated moms need a break to hang out and enjoy some girl-time.

We had plenary talks and breakout sessions. If you wanted, you could learn how to do Swedish drill and nature study. There were children's notebooks on display, and also some book signings going on. (Not to be confused with one person's totebag signing.) There were serious points made, and some important stuff discussed over cucumber sandwiches and pie. I helped one person do a Google search for the essay where Plutarch mentions child sacrifice to Moloch (who knew?). This was a weekend to make whatever you wanted it to be.

And as the closing speaker quoted from Mary Poppins, it was (too soon) Time To Go Home. For those of us on the hostessing team, it was more like Mary Poppins' game of Tidy Up the Nursery, but we had a lot of hands helping, and also enough willing drivers to get everyone back to "Ma Bear's house."

Pre-Retreat (Indiana Journey)

Of buses and airplanes, I don't need to say much. Every trip has its quirks, but this one did go pretty smoothly, at least until I got to Chicago. I've only taken one other flight to the U.S., and that time I had a connecting flight in Detroit, our arrival from Toronto was late, and I barely remember anything about that except rushing through the airport. But squeezed in there somewhere, I must have gone through Customs, and so that second flight was a domestic one--no Customs.

This time I was flying nonstop to Chicago, and (of course) forgot about the fact that when you go through Customs, by the time you've been x-rayed and screened and everything else, you're sort of booted out a side door into the non-security part of the airport. The trouble was, I was supposed to meet someone from a domestic flight (you see this now?) at a pre-arranged spot in the security area, and I didn't have a phone, or enough American coins to use a pay phone to call either her or a third person who was picking us both up. The other tiny problem was that I knew her only by a photograph, and real live people can look quite different, so I wasn't a hundred percent sure who I was watching for!

I tried to think on my feet (literally, as I was dragging around my luggage), and tried a couple of different approaches to get an escort pass or at least a little help in connecting with my friends. Nope, I was not getting back in there and nobody very official seemed much interested in helping Find My Party. (I am not blaming airport employees, they have to do what they have to do.) Finally I asked an employee working in the baggage area of My Party's airline, and she got it right away. She let me use the phone in their office to call our Third Person, and it turned out that she was parked almost right outside the door. So we all connected up and, really, it hadn't been that long a delay--it just felt like it at the time.

So...over the next day or so, everyone on our team finished arriving.

Emily 'Ma' Bear: I'm afraid we're running out of room. Two of you will have to sleep on hangers on a hook on the wall.
Gonzo: What a fabulous idea!
Animal: Love hanger! Love hanger! (Muppet Family Christmas, 1987)

No hangers, but we were kind of all over the place.

Janice: [bringing out a basket of Christmas cookies] Hey, everybody, look what I've got: Christmas cookies!
Cookie Monster: COOKIE!
[gobbles up the whole basket, as Animal watches in amazement]
Cookie Monster: Oh, thank you!
Janice: Who was that strange blue creature?
Animal: Dat my kinda fella! Ahahahahaha!

Our charming hostess

Some of us made cookies. Some of us cut flowers. Some of us wrote names on calling cards name tags. Some of us cooked meals. Some of us cleaned up. We all ate chocolate.

Next post: The retreat!

(All images from A Muppet Family Christmas, 1987)

Home at last (Indiana Journey)

I will be posting some thoughts about the AmblesideOnline AtHome Retreat over the next day or so. In the meantime, I'm unpacking.

I am now officially airing my dirty laundry on the blog.

A magnet from the Ukraine. (Thank you!)

A new book by an AmblesideOnline Auxiliary member. (Review to come!)

A couple of retreat "specials!"

These came all the way from Poland. Again, thank you very much.

Retreat: Waiting to Start!

 

 

Doing some travelling

(The photos are for the benefit of those of you who like to talk about packing and purses. The purse actually came from a yard sale last weekend. The bigger bag I've had forever.)