Shopping in Albania

Before my "sabbatical" from blogging I was posting a series of photos from our time in Albania. Now that I'm back I would be remiss not to continue that series.

Shopping in Albania gave a whole new meaning to "fresh"!



We could have bought this turkey for Christmas, but chose a frozen one from Italy instead. In Albania New Years is the big holiday. In the months leading up to New Years you can actually buy a live turkey and a neighbor will keep it for you and feed it until you are ready to kill it and eat it! Have you found your turkey sitter yet?!?

Tirana

Mt. Dajti sits majestically behind the Tirana skyline. Tirana is the capitol of Albania where Marianne and I lived for three years from May of 2003 - June of 2006.

Skanderbeg Square is at the center of Tirana. The focal points of the square are the mosque and clock tower to the left in this photo and the statue of Skanderbeg, Albania's national hero.



The Mosque at Night



Skanderbeg

Albania

My wife and I lived in Albania for three years.
This is one of my favorite photos from our time there.
It was taken in the ancient city of Berat in southern Albania.
Over the next few weeks I will be highlighting other photos taken
during our time there.

Craziness!!!!

Our life has been a bit crazy for the past couple of weeks. We moved over the weekend and our phone line wont be turned back on until next Wednesday. My time on the Internet has been limitted due to this. ....thus my absence from the world of blogdom. I've missed visiting others' blogs as well as posting here on my blog. I'll look forward to rejoining you next week!

8 Random Things About Myself

I've been tagged by my wife, Marianne, to blog 8 random facts/habits about myself. So here I go!

Here are the rules:
1. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog you need to tag 8 people and post their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment and tell them they're tagged, and to read your blog.



OK...HERE ARE MY 8 RANDOM CHARLEYISMS

1. I speak Albanian and I lived in Eastern Europe three times for a total of five years.
2. I met my wife in Interlakin, Switzerland, did not see her again for 2 years and nine months, at which point we were engaged in The Netherlands, and then married in California.
3. In 2001 I moved from the poorest country in Europe (a third world country) to the richest county in America! ...talking about reverse culture shock!!!
4. I am a ketchup connoisseur, if it's not Heinz don't even think about calling in ketchup!!!
5. The only unflavored coffee that I like is Douwe Egberts from Holland.
6. I learned to knit from my Dutch mother-in-law and have knitted a fisherman's sweater for myself!
7. I'm 1/8 Cherokee Indian.
8. I'm also of English descent. There is a village in England called Pitchford. Pitchford Manor is located there. Could the owners be my cousins?!? Pitchford is one of the oldest English names because it comes from a place, a source of "pitch" near a "ford"!

I am tagging Benjie, Tim, Amy & Lorie (I'll need to think of four more that I can tag!)

A Quote

The quote below was taken this morning from the back of my Starbucks Coffee cup, "The Way I See It # 251". What do you think about what Andy Webster says?

"Our greatest prejudice is against death. It spans age, gender and race. We spend immeasurable amounts of energy fighting an even that will eventually triumph. Though it is noble not to give in easily, the most alive people I've ever met are those who embrace their death. They love, laugh and live more fully."

--Andy Webster
Hospice chaplain in
Plymouth, Michigan.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik is another of my favorite places on the planet!
Walking the streets of the walled oldtown is like stepping
back into time. This city nestled on the Adriatic coast
is only a six hours drive from Tirana, Albania where
we lived from May of 2003 - June of 2006. Join me
for some of the sites and you will understand why
we longed to stay just one day longer
when it was time to go home.

Ouachita National Forest

This past Friday my family and I, along with our dog Angus,

took a day trip to the Quaticha Natioanl Forest just outside of
Mena, Arkansas. We had a great
time hiking as we soaked up the beauty of God's creation.

Arkasnas is known as "The Natural State".
This part of the forest was once occupied
by homesteaders. How fitting that
it now has truyly returned to it's natural state!

Along with small animals, these are the only inhabitants
you'll now find in this forest.

Bled, Slovenia...one of my favorite places on the planet!!!

In 2003 Marianne and I celebrated our 2nd aniversary in Bled. It was quite a refreshing time after having spent our first blistering summer together in Tirana, Albania.