Getting excited!

I had a busy night on the phone last night.  First, I talked to my friend Jan to see if she had also received her ticket and information packet and she has.  We had a good time reminiscing about our past trips together (I think this will be her sixth trip!) and rejoicing that some of our old friends will be going with us.  We're also hoping that we will be roommates again when we get to the hotel in Moscow.  (Rev. Clark, are you listening?)  When we stay in the orphanage in Tomsk, all the ladies will probably be in one room (one of the orphans' rooms) and the two guys will bunk together.  We will be flying out of Charleston on United and then taking a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, Germany and on to Moscow.  I've never flown Lufthansa before so that will be a new experience.  We will then take a Russain airline from Moscow to Tomsk.  My friend and neighbor Frances has volunteered to take me to the airport the morning we leave and I hope she's also volunteering to pick me up the evening we get back!  ;-)

My other call last night was to a good friend, Nancy Williams, who is a very talented artist and author.  Among her many talents, Nancy paints beautiful Christmas ornaments and I'm hoping to get one from her to take as a present to Orphanage #11 in Moscow.  That's the orphanage that teaches music, dance and the arts to the children, many of whom are afflicted with fetal alcohol syndrome and other challenges.  The orphanage director, Lydia, has requested that each of us bring an ornament to put on the tree at #11 and I want to take something that represents West Virginia.  I know Nancy will come up with something beautiful!