ALTA Conference

ALTA (Academic Language Therapy Association) is the group I am licensed through for dyslexia therapy.  I still feel like I have a lot to learn to be a better therapist, so I decided to attend the national conference in Little Rock.  Being at the conference was an interesting dynamic.  All the displays and conference sessions were directly applicable to what I do every day, so that was great, but I didn't really know anyone and had no one to hang out with.  I've discovered that educators (well, maybe just all of us) tend to hang around in groups (hey, some of these groups even had their own T-shirts, which does seem like an educator thing to me!), and I'm not enough of an extrovert to really overcome that.  So evenings and most meals were just quiet, alone times.  I did take some pretty walks down by the river.  And I did make two new friends - one who hosts my favorite dyslexia podcast!  

The first evening, I got to have dinner with Casey Harrison, who co-hosts the podcast Together in Literacy, which is one of my favorites.  I hear her voice a lot when I'm walking and driving in the car, so it was so fun to chat in person!  

My other friend - an educator from Memphis.  We enjoyed hanging out together and probably would have done more, but her husband was also in town for business.  

All the rest of these photos are from walks along the Arkansas River.  There were lots of bridges and cool sculptures.   

Eclipse 2024

We had so much fun seeing the eclipse in 2017 (see this post), that I decided we'd see the next one in Arkansas if at all possible. Seven years went by much quicker than expected. You'd think with seven years to plan, we wouldn't have been trying to figure out where to view it from at the last minute! We settled on seeing it in Hardy, Arkansas, where they would have 4 minutes of totality.  We watched from the vacation home of Dale and Mary Beth Berry, friends from Knoxville.  

We stopped at a Sonic on our way to Hardy to try their new "Black-out" slush.  It looked an asphalt slushy, but it sure tasted good!

Hanging out and waiting for the magic on the banks of the Spring River

Ann and David had special T-shirts

Finally totality

A few magical moments of dusk in the middle of the day

On the way back to Tennessee, we decided to stop at Reelfoot Lake, where we'd never been.  Got a great campsite that had already been paid for by someone who viewed the eclipse and left.  

                                                    

We'll see if we make it to 2044!  

"Dangerous Dogs" of Lesvos

Ever since Dale Berry was attacked by a group of dogs on Lesvos in 2017, he has warned us about vicious dogs on the island.  And ever since then we have been on a mission to identify the "dangerous dogs of Lesvos."  Here is this year's version. 

At the corner store

Winnie, the camp dog

On the castle grounds

Camp

I'm not going to name the camp or the organization we were working with on Lesvos, but please ask me if you have questions or if you'd ever like to join us on one of our volunteering trips.  It is really life-changing!

First of all, the camp is not really called a refugee camp but a "receiving and identification center - RIC."  There have been quite a few changes since we were here last, but we saw some familiar faces.  The population of the camp has more than doubled since we were here in 2023, and a lot of the extra numbers are kids.

This is the job board.  Every morning we meet for singing and prayer and then volunteer for jobs.  I was very happy that unlike in 2023, short-term workers are allowed to work in "education."  I wanted to do this last year but couldn't.  This job involved going into a trailer full of educational supplies, filling up a bag of materials, and then heading out with a clipboard to either visit individual children or get a group together for a lesson. We would be teaching basic English, the official language of the camp. 

This tarp was where I held my first "class."  

I got to teach quite a few kids to write their name in English for the first time, had a hilarious session teaching "open" and "close" to a few brothers, and then taught a little boy and his neighbors while his mom made me this delicious fried bread!  Truly one of the best things I have ever tasted. 

I probably could have spent every day working in education, but I felt like I needed to experience the different jobs.  So I also worked prepping and painting the new library and handing out diapers.  All of us worked the daily food line fairly often. 

I was very humbled that God has been able to use both Terry and I with our specific gifts.  I got to work primarily in education and Terry got to build RHUs.  

We also got to work in the warehouse where donations are sorted and stored. 

This work situation gives lots of time to visit with other volunteers and we particularly enjoyed getting to know father/daughter volunteers Rinke and Celine from the Netherlands.  

Celine lights the candles on Rinke's birthday cake. 

Leaving camp on a windy day.  Rinke and Celine are the super tall ones on the right. 

At the cozy "Blue House" for weekly Bible study and fellowship

I am so impressed with this organization and its volunteers - most of whom are in their 20s and either from the Netherlands OR from the Mennonite church in America (though the organization is neither Dutch or Mennonite!).  The fellowship is so sweet, and the organization really helps to care for the volunteers.  It was explained to us that we need to develop some callouses to do this work without constantly hurting.  But we can't become so calloused that we don't feel (our groups are probably not even in camp long enough to get to that level, but I see how it could happen).  It's the job of member care to help volunteers keep this right balance. 

Sights on Lesvos

I feel like I have posted so many Lesvos photos on my blog, but all I can say unapologetically is, here are some more!

The iconic harbor of Panagouida.  I can't explain how fun it is to show up on a town on the other side of the world and be greeted by name!  

A hike on Lesvos

Some of our group stayed in this place instead of the Cosmopolitan.  It was very nice.

The corner store

In the town of Agiasos

We headed here on a rainy day when Elizabeth had been feeling poorly and then made some return trips!  It is the natural thermal spa on the edges of an inland lake.  It was under 15 minutes from Panagouida. 

The Mytilini Castle

The crypt

At the Olivewood Shop

Mercini, who has the biggest gift of hospitality of anybody I have ever known!  A truly remarkable lady!