Some of the other culinary treats I've enjoyed:

Krystals (twice)

Starbucks (3 or 4 times, I lost count!)

BBQ plate at the Dyer County Fair

Courtyard Restaurant (I got so full from bread and dinner I didn't order one of my favorite desserts in the whole world! What was I thinking?!)

I also requested two meals from Kelly: Country-style steak and crappie (both were deliciously enjoyed)

On my remaining list of to-dos (probably better called to-eats):

Eat at a sushi restaurant*
Eat at a Mexican restaurant*
Eat some ice cream at Marble Slab
Eat some American pizza!*

And I requested sausage balls from Mom

And if time--and room in my stomach--allows, I wouldn't mind another plate of bbq, a piece of cookie cake from Great American Cookies, an ice cream potato from Courtyard Grille, and Aubrey's strawberry salad.

It's been interesting being home. And at times, I could even say it's been a bit weird. Honestly, it's kind of like I have entered a time warp. As I am driving around these familiar streets and seeing so many familiar faces, it almost feels like I never left. And yet... I have been gone for quite some time. I'm reminded of that when I walk down the cereal aisle in Walmart and I'm blown away by how many different kinds of cereal there are! I mean, it's astounding! Cereal on both sides of the gigantic aisle from one end to the other... aside from a few things of poptarts and oatmeal--also in abundance. The only yummy "kid" cereal I can get in Namibia is Frosted Flakes, and those are ordinary compared to Walmart's selection! Hello, Cap'n Crunch!

Really, it has been interesting. And perhaps what has been most interesting is how I view this life after having lived in Namibia since last summer. Of course I've had thoughts during these last several days that are pretty common for many missionaries when they return to the Western world after having lived in anything but. Homes here are huge. (Too huge in my opinion.) Air conditioning is cold. Choices are overwhelming-- where to eat, what to buy, what to wear... TV is still showing the same junk as when I left. And, "I haven't heard of any of these movies!"

But that's not what I'm talking about. Those thoughts I expected. What I didn't expect was how observant I am to all the little peculiarities of my daily experiences and encounters. Or maybe not just the peculiarities, I think in my observations of everything in general. I don't know if it is because I have been documenting so much of my journey in Africa through writing on my blog, but I am observing life in Tennessee in much the same way as I observe it in Africa. I am paying more attention to people. What they are saying. Little things they do or say that make me smile or laugh that I don't even think other people notice. I see the beauty of the South in a way I don't think I ever have before. The landscape. The people. The smells. The tastes.

At the nursing home, a nurse was wheeling a lady back to her room. "What room are you in?" "310" the woman replied. Another nurse said, "I think she's in 302." The first nurse asked the woman in the wheelchair. "310 or 302?" "302," the elderly woman replied--as if that's what she had said all along. It made me smile.

Gordon Howe, a neighbor of my granddaddy's for 50 years is now living across the hall from him in the nursing home. He wheeled himself into Granddaddy's room today. Granddaddy wouldn't wake up enough, but Gordon just stared at him. I wish I could climb into his head to know all the thoughts that were flooding his mind at that moment. Concern for his friend. Respect for another life lived valiantly. Sweet moments from the past. "You two have shared a lot of great memories, haven't you?" I said. "We sure have," was his soft reply. (Later I witnessed Gordon taking of

f outside, down the ramp, and into the parking lot. "Are you trying to escape?" I asked breathlessly after running out to catch him. "Yeah," he nodded simply.)

My heightened observations and attention to what's happening around me--and the significance of those events--is not just inside the nursing home. It's everywhere. It's in the joy I feel seeing changes in my Granddaddy's wife as she is doing better accepting and adapting to this new reality. Knowing my companionship this week is an encouragement to her reminds me that I am exactly where I am supposed to be at this moment. It's the reminder once again that just being there is important. Just sitting by my granddaddy's bed, reading a book while he sleeps, but being there for him the second he awakes, makes a difference. It's buying a pizza for his so-content-it's-irritating roommate who says he never needs a thing. He finally told me that he likes personal pan pizzas from PizzaHut and it blessed me to bring him one for dinner. Ok, those last two were back in the nursing home... :) But hopefully you get the point. And if you don't, that's okay too. I know that God is taking me on a journey and He is letting me know that to really experience life and make a difference, you need to observe the world around you--especially people--outside yourself, your own needs, your own desires, and your own timetable.

I'm thankful that God is not done teaching me. And the day He stops using me to bring hope and love to others is the day I pray He takes me out of this world. It's been encouraging to see how He is speaking to me here at home--just as he does when I'm serving elsewhere--and showing me this part of the world with new eyes.

Bekah commented that when she comes home, she gets the giggles more than any other time. She says we make her laugh in a way no one else can. It's true. She, my brother, and I can hardly take a picture together without giggling our way through it. Her comment was a great reminder of how special my family is and how wonderful it feels to laugh until your face hurts. There's no place like home.

It's too bad some ruby slippers can't swiftly bring me back to this sweet place more often.