36 HOURS OF TRAVEL

After 36 hours I made it home to Wisconsin arriving at around 5:30am. I was never so happy to walk off a plane in my whole life. Bob met me at the airport and whisked me safely home and after a hot cup of tea, a load of wash, I was off to bed. Sad part now, I was awakened at a little after 9am to be given the news that my dear sister in law, Sharon, had just passed away. It was as if she waited until I got home safe - which would be just like her. I keep going back to all the memories of this dear person and the one that sticks in my mind is being driven to college my freshman year. Sharon was 8 months pregnant and shouldn't have been making an 8 hr car ride, but my brother and her packed up my stuff and accompanied me to school. I remember starting to cry when they left me there the first night - she even called my mom at home and asked if they should bring me home - my mother said "absolutely not" - and so began my years as a student at Carthage College. Sharon was my biggest supporter in anything that I attempted, my biggest ally and defender - I can still laugh when I think of the times she would agree defending situations as if she was there when she didn't have a clue. She put up a valiant fight with lung cancer and will be sorely missed, loved and remembered forever.
So, that, jet lag and then trying to figure out what I came down with in the islands has thrown me for a loop. It has settled in my lungs now and I fear that I will have to go to the Dr to get something soon. Have any of you heard of the "dust fungus" that Mita referred to? Should have known that that air conditioning at Valentino's was the cause as I would get the coughing fits soon after I entered the room. OK, enough of that.
I have loaded some of my pics and am still waiting for all of you that took pictures to send me some too. I went through the hundreds that Jo Jo sent and selected my favorites and am hoping that Ta Ta has some good ones too. We will see.
Loved the experience in the Philippines. Would do it again in a heartbeat and will save for my next trip starting immediately.
Many thanks to the Ambal family. I went in search of my father's family and though I couldn't find them I found the Ambal's who have so gratiously included me in their family medical mission for the past two events. I am afraid they feel that I did not like their food when in fact I was more adventurous with them than in my whole life. I am, by nature, a pedestrian eater - I don't even try American foods that are different, yet in the Philippines I tried - jack fruit, halo halo, Filipino spaghetti, puron, gambas, buko juice, buko, ensaymada, pickled mango, gambero, gelatin, egg salad sandwiches on sweet bread, prawns, Philippine grapefruit, fish and tapas. Now when you look at that list you will surely know that I stepped out of my comfort zone. So, all of the Ambals, please know that I tried so very hard to taste as much as I could and thank you for making the effort to encourage me to do so.
More thoughts to come - more pictures to come - I love it all.