Careening Along...

Our plans are in a state of flux, here's the latest update. A Chinese couple from Manila, who were to teach a marriage communication seminar in CDO, had emailed and said they would be in town for the seminar, the 17th and 18th. I wrote back and invited them to stay with us, but never heard back. Sunday evening, just as we were driving to have dinner with Tom and Michelle (who were leaving their car at our house and taking about to Cebu that night), they called, saying they were in town, at SM mall. I told them we would be back home between 8:30 and 9 and they were welcome to stay, but they ended up at a pastor's house that night. The next two nights they were with us. They will be back for dinner and overnight on Friday, leaving the next morning after breakfast.

Scott called today and said they are having a retreat for the LRF staff at a local hotel. He wondered if they could have dinner at our house on Saturday night. They will buy pizza (but we'll order it) and we bought soft drinks and will make a lot of green salad. There will be 13 adults and two little kids, including us.

All systems go for Monday. The newly weds will arrive on Monday as well, not earlier, as we thought. Dad did not end up going to the wedding in the mountains (an hour + drive, and 3 hours driving through the mud up steep hills and across two rivers, just to get there!) after all. He wasn't feeling very good. Marylan went, and she is still trying to get the mud out of her clothes, and her back is still aching... I went shopping for gifts for the Christmas Eve bunch this afternoon. We planned the menu for 15: munggo beans in coconut milk with chicken, humba (like pork adobo only a little sweet), Bam-i (pancit and sutanghon noodles mixed), macaroni salad with fruit, and rice (of course). And we have cookies and banana bread. I don't know if anyone will be bringing any food, so I am preparing plenty. Marilou will probably bring a basket of fruit which we will cut up and serve.

All systems go for Christmas Day! Shopping done. Breakfast for 12: scrambled eggs, corned beef with potatoes, rice, pumpkin bread and banana muffins. Lunch for 20: Grilled fish (2), chicken and veggies, pork roast (last two brought by Mayen), spaghetti, coleslaw, pozole (Mexican pork soup with hominy, one guest is from Arizona), maha blanca (local dessert made from coconut milk, cornstarch and canned cream corn), fruit cake, more cookies, nut breads, etc. Jury will bring the maha blanca and the spaghetti. For supper we will all just graze on the leftovers.

We invited Pastor Cezar and his family (6) to spend the night here on the 27th and then go to a family camp at Seaside, but they had to go to a conference in Butuan instead. I am actually a little relieved...