News from Allen and Cindy

Just received this e-mail. Was not even aware of bombings in Thailand.

"After receiving a few e-mails about our safety let me just reasure everyone that Cindy and Allen are totaly fine, healthy and in good spirits although feeling a little sad about the people living in Southern Thailand. We left Southern Thailand about a week ago so the 41 little message bombings did not hurt a lot of people but they were meant to scare off foriegn tourists and the evil education system that fundimentalists hate.
We are now in Georgetown, Penang Island, Malysisa in a predominantely Muslim Area with great Indian Food. We are the only Americans we have seen in five days - we will be pointing at westerners when we return to Bangkok tommorrow. While in the south we started a working relationship with a tsunami survival group of mostly Muslim women. We are very happy to start importing their goods through the help, development work and guidence of one of the oldest Fair Trade groups ThaiCraft who are the goods and coop developer and exporter of these Saori crafts. These people will now need even more help since tourism was their primary income 2 years ago - pre tsunami - and these mini-bombings are not much help. But we will be home soon - 20th- and after 12 days of jet-lag will be coherent again. (Doctors claim one hour of time change takes a day of recovery and that has been our experience. Although some claim I have been jet-laged for two years straight!!! )

See you soon. Allen"

Hurricane Alberto

The night Alberto came ashore I heard a loud crack, which I assumed was thunder. I thought it was odd that I did not hear thunder again, but it was the middle of the night, so I went back to sleep. Yesterday, during my lunch hour, I walked around the house to look for fallen limbs and found this--



A tree almost fell on the house. Leaning on the house like a pathetic drunk would be a closer description. Can not see much in the way of actual damage at this point, so we got off lucky this time.

About as much damage as Allen did with the truck when we first moved in. And it is on Rob's side, so my only worry is the leaky fireplace (the plastic bag fix did not work). The landlord needs to have the roof fixed anyway.


* * *

No other news at this point, just looking forward to Rich's 4th of July party. Once again, Adam is coming to visit, and hopefully we can persuade him to stay with Allen or Chrissy, and not sleep in his car or the Progressive Center couch. And of course, food, booze, and enough fireworks to liberate a small country.