WE FORGOT OUR CAMERA!!!!!

One day last week we tackled our first train adventure to Banska Bystrica, a lovely town we'd visited our first summer here in 2007. The trip turned into a serendipity kind of journey, since a gentle, lovely snow had fallen during the night, turning our train ride the next morning into a winter wonderland: farmlands and valleys filled with red-tiled houses knee-deep in snow, ravines blanketed in deep white with stalwart evergreens stubbornly clinging to their steep inclines in snowy array, and solitary train shelters along the way for lone travelers from nearby villages. On the return trip that night, if the shelter merited a "manager", he would stand along the tracks waving his glowing lantern to alert the engineer of an awaiting passenger. But December's blue moon reflected so dazzingly upon the snow that, to me (Br), the lone lantern seemed amusingly superfluous!

Can you tell that this Florida person was smitten? The town we visited was beautiful in its own way, of course, but the train trip took first prize!

And, wouldn't you know it, the Fasts forgot their camera!

These past 3 weeks have been fairly low-key since the entire campus shut down for the holidays, which Larry described in his last post. But we've had wonderful opportunity to spend in-depth time with the folks who have remained here for the holidays. We introduced one family and their 2 little boys to the Southern New Year's tradition of Black-eyed Peas and Cornbread. I think the "culture shock" was on their side of the table that evening--but they asked for seconds, so apparently the shock was on the pleasant side! (Thank you, Kathy Blair, for the black-eyed peas!!!!!)

We've had several opportunities, also, for one-on-one conversations with folks dealing with grief and loss in recent times--a listening ear seems timely. Please pray that the words from our mouths will be wise and beneficial.

We took one last stroll in the snow this past week to add to our plethora of Christmas pix. If you are not "burned out" with Christmas, you might enjoy them.

A few days before Christmas (once Mother Nature indicated that below-freezing temperatures were to linger!), the city erected a small ice skating rink in the town center. It is small but ample for little ones (3-year-olds and up is my guess) to experiment with and discover the mystery of ice-travel! We stood and watched these little tykes, stuffed into their snowsuits, as they slid upon the ice--some on their skates but many on their buns. They looked like plumply stuffed sausages sliding across a greased skillet!

Emmanuel! BFast

P.S. Just to keep you updated, I go back to have my arm X-rayed Monday to determine whether I can remove the cast for good.