Where Am I?

The past six weeks have been a blur of activity with travelling to my doctor in NC, visiting with several churches, and attending our youngest son’s wedding.Then our travel back to Australia.Most everybody has awaken in a different location and wondered where they were, but on this trip it happened to me and Frank more than usual.And the older you get, the longer it takes you to figure out just where you are!:-)

Airport Security and Candles

After finding a couple of candles that I liked while in the USA, my oldest granddaughter helped me pack and she wrapped them up in plastic sacks to protect them.I stuck them in my carry-on bag and forgot all about them.Two days later as I was going through the walk-through x-ray machine at the Albuquerque, NM airport, a male security agent held up my bag and loudly asked whose it was.Time seemed to stop and I looked around to see if everyone was watching.Somehow just his asking made me feel nervous like I was in Nazi Germany.I timidly raised my hand and said it was mine.He then told me to follow him and in an abrupt voice told me that he was going to have to search it.At the time, I couldn’t think why it was flagged.He then said that I was not to step close to him or to touch him or my bag.As he slowly started unzipping it, he asked if I had anything sharp in it.I said, “No, not that I can remember.”I was pretty sure that I had removed the little pair of scissors in my “office Ziploc” that carries pens, mini stapler, tape, and so forth as I travel.That’s all that I could think of that would be sharp.He then tested for explosive materials using the swab test.Next he looked around at my magazines, “Reader’s Digest” and “Crossword Daily.”Then a pair of socks, pecans, protein powder, mission and personal bookkeeping information, and my neon-green neck pillow for the long flight from Los Angeles to Sydney.---Nothing too sinister.Then he asked me if I had a candle?I couldn’t understand him at first because he had a strong accent and I wasn’t supposed to stand too close, so I said, “Excuse me?”He then said each world slowly and loudly so that even people who have a lower mindset could understand and I did and said, “Yes, I do.---Actually I have two of them so they won’t get broken in my luggage.”Then I asked him if I had done wrong and should I put them in my luggage because I’m travelling on to Australia and don’t want to get pulled out of a security line again.At that point, he completely changed his demeanour and acted like we had known each other all our lives and suggested that I take them out of my carry-on to be scanned separately.He cheerfully discussed airport security and its various issues as he placed things back and zipped up my bag.He then handed it to me and kindly motioned me in the direction of the revolving security doors.Frank wasn’t allowed to come close to me during this interrogation, but afterwards said he couldn’t believe how things always seem to happen to me, and therefore he would take care of my carry-on bag for the for the rest of the trip. :-)

Arriving in Oz (Australia)

We rode the train (subway) from the airport to our suburb of Sydney and then Sis. Michelle Jackson picked us up and brought us to our home.We appreciate her kindness and for looking after things while we were away.

A thing that makes Oz unique to me and Frank is all of the big birds.We live near a wildlife sanctuary and therefore have quite a few in our neighbourhood.They are beautiful to look at and like to sit on our window sills, but can make a mess.Three days ago, Frank was on a slope of the roof cleaning off the second story window sills.At times like that I wonder if he remembers that he’s not that young anymore and is doing something dangerous.Though he would say he was out there on the ledge because I asked (maybe three times) if we could hook up a hose inside the house and squirt it on the upstairs’ window sills to clean them off.

    A friend in Christ,
    Sister Cyd James