Monday October 3rd

This is a draft, but if I don't publish it -- it will be next year and unshared. I publish.

 On Monday I went to an foster care/"orphanage" in Liang Fang.

Today orphanage. Tug, tug, tugging… (on my heart)

Today walking to YG100 – ate a WONDERFUL egg/fat wrap. (These things are absolutely DELICIOUS!)

Today April – never adopted from Tianjin orphanage. “Chatted it up” in Chinese. (She's around 30 years old now. She works at a factory in Liang Fang.)

Today met a doctor – conversations – the initiation, the exchange of numbers, the text message. (This was QUITE humorous. I have not heard from him since. Praise the Lord! His son and wife were also there -- so it wasn't as sktechy as it could have been. Good grief, me and old men.)

Today overwhelmed with the crazy reality of my life. (What's new?)
 

Today in the AM (early) – 2 minutes before I was needing to leave to go to the orphanage, I sent out an invitation for ladies to come over for a tea. I didn’t think most would be able to come on such short notice – particularly the moms.
I was wrong.
I guess the moms just want to get out. 

I am SO excited for them to come over!!! I haven’t had many mixed-aged ONLY ladies groups come over since being in China. I miss these types of things. (It was, in fact, slightly awkward, but lovely. I haven't been able to do it since because life has been BUSY, but I wish I could. It seems like this is a need in the community. And, I would enjoy getting to know these ladies anyways.)

 

Today I purchased red-skinned peanuts in their airtight packaging rather than kidney beans. (Foolish. English writing was on the outside, but I continue to mistake peanuts in the tight plastic as kidney beans. PLUS! I was rushing through the store. It was about to close and I didn't want them to walk up to me and say in Chinese, "You idiot. We are closing." Or, they would just stare at me. Normal, true. More background information: these kidney beans were supposed to be used in a vegetarian chili. I had to improvise. It worked out. The ladies ate the WHOLE pot. Booyah. I praise the Lord.)