Day 14 - We're Halfway There

Denys and an opossum.

I can't express what a delight it has been to have Denys here, in our home, these last two weeks. There have been stressful moments and the occasional rhetorical "What on EARTH are we doing" questions, but I am so very thankful we made this decision and chose to have this young Ukrainian spend Christmas and New Year's with our family.

My entire crew slept late this morning. Compared to some of you, we sleep late around here daily, but today I don't believe we heard from Denys until after 10am. They all had fun last night, but by the time Spencer (the 'possum) was actually dropped, they were about to drop themselves and ready to be in bed. (If nothing else we can wear a kid out around here!)

Cheering for the Dawgs!

We headed to Grandmother's house just in time for the traditional New Year's lunch of greens and black-eyed peas. Delicious! Of course, we added in some hog jowl, mashed potatoes and corn bread just for good measure. Denys chose not to partake in our Southern delicacies and, since he'd just eaten a bowl of Mini Wheats, I didn't push the matter. We checked in on the various footballing taking place around the nation and settled in to watch the Dawgs whip up on those Midwestern corn-fed boys.(I think I mentioned before that we are not afraid to indoctrinate our Ukrainian regarding the importance of God, Family, and the Georgia Bulldogs.) During most of the event, Denys was curled up with his new appendage (can we have that DS surgically attached?), but by the end of the game he was yelling "TOUCHDOWN!" with the rest of the uncles and cousins.

After Grandmother's we headed over to Mimi's to visit and check on Mamaw Sanders (quick trip back to the hospital for an allergic reaction, but otherwise home and doing better, thanks for asking). They were fine and attempted to feed us. And we were obliged to eat a bit more and watch more football. I had some errands to run with MG so I came back just as the Rose Bowl was ending and in time to load up my crew and head for The 'Poosa.

Cars at Mimi's

The boys are now finishing up Spiderman I. Thanks to Aunt Debbie, we now have the entire Spiderman Trilogy so I foresee a movie marathon in my near future. They are bathed and ready to hit the sack.

Yesterday I had asked Denys to check out an Oriental Trade magazine to see if he could find something he would like to take home to the children he lives with. He chose a Celtic cross necklace. It was one of only a hand-full of items they carry that was out of the budget. I found some dog-tag necklaces with crosses and verses on them as a compromise, and he agreed.


 Tonight was check-in with the chaperone. This was the first time I'd heard them talk and he do more than grunt a few syllables. He was animated and excited to tell her whatever it was he was telling her and I was very glad and relived he sounded happy. Apparently she asked him about photos and I told him I was working on a picture book for him. I had planned to keep it a secret, but he was concerned so I let him know a picture book was in progress.

Denys is gaining weight and looking good. He plays hard all day and sleeps well at night - No, he's not playing Guitar Hero into the wee hours. In our final two weeks we are planning trips to fun places and fitting in some more clothes shopping. If you have ideas of things we can do, please let me know. And feel free to join in with us on our excursions. We want to expose Denys to life and love here in the States and you are a necessary part of that exposure.

Happy New Year, Friends!

~Megan

Other Life Stuff - Tomorrow night some ladies and I are meeting at the church @7p for prayer time and to look at how God has moved in 2012 and prepare for Him to do so again in 2013. I'd love to have you join us!

'Possum Drop: More to the Story

Generally by this time of the evening I'm ready to dish out a play-by-play of our day. And, in spite of my doomy gloomy predictions, today was remarkably good. Unfortunately, I will not have amazing stories to tell about the 2012 'Possum Drop because tonight I am not in attendance. My plan is to have The Preacher catch you up on all the goings on at some point tomorrow. Instead, I am here to offer you a bit of insight into the story of The 'Possum Drop - as I understand it.

Let me preface by saying that I absolutely adore Tallapoosa, GA. There are very few locales enticing enough in which to consider working, raising my family, and serving a church - all at the same time. Here, in our little  metropolis we have it all. There are not many communities where you can find fairly equal dosing of Historical Society and Garden Clubs balanced by a strong Chamber of Commerce and Better Hometown crew. We have generous arts patrons as well as the gang that prefers whatever's on tap at Johnny's Bar. Yes, we have a dichotomy of culture, but that is part of what makes Tallapoosa fun and quirky and interesting and a delight to serve.

Knowing this background will help you better understand that not every Tallapoosian is a fan of the notorious 'Possum Drop.

Gasp! Who doesn't love this, strange though it may be, claim to fame? There are those, and those I love dearly, who hold strongly to the belief that 'Possum Snout and Tallapoosa were historically two separate entities and these two entities never became one. They say 'Possum Snout was more on the outskirts of Tallapoosa and, similarly to other early settled communities, it slowly disappeared until there was nothing left. It seems, as they tell it, there's not much even there today - perhaps a still or two - to mark that there ever was such a place. (And we will certainly not even entertain the thought that said still might be active!) Thus the feeling has developed among a certain segment of our beloved populous that a celebration of the place called 'Possum Snout with a New Year's 'Possum Drop is not a celebration of Tallapoosa. And, they feel, it is rather a base and vile thing to attempt the association.

Then we have the other side of Tallapoosa, the "New Blood," if you will. (It would be appropriate to note at this point that not all of the "New Blood" is new nor does all the "Old Blood" qualify as old. They are merely being used as appropriate qualifiers since any other and better term is, at this time, lacking.) This side of the town fence is always looking for ways to promote Tallapoosa and enlighten the world about the joys rural living has to offer. They are the ones who, much to the disgust of the others, would willingly plaster opossums, both dead and alive, to anything that is marginally associated with our 33 degrees North by 85 degrees West. The New Blood likens themselves to the idea that all exposure is good exposure.

Truthfully, I think most of us just fall somewhere in between the two Tallapoosa extremes. We don't let our disagreements about whether dropping an opossum is tacky or good for business come between us. We love each other, we like to have fun, and if a big, stuffed 'possum named Spencer hanging upside down in a lighted sphere helps out local businesses a few times a year, then why not?

~Megan

NOTE:

I would be remiss if I did not also mention there is a third, though not necessarily member of the community, group having something to say about our annual 'Possum Drop. There are those of the animal rights persuasion who suffer greatly on behalf of the opossums of the world; who are soundly disturbed that we are so insensitive and uncultured as to use and abuse a poor, innocent opossum in our reckless pursuit of New Year's fun. For y'all, let's get it straight right now: Our dear Spencer was more than willing to sacrifice the body his sweet 'possum spirit was no long in need of when the Lord took him on to Glory that warm spring morning in the late 90's on the side of Highway 120 miraculously near the home of the taxidermist extraordinaire, Mr. Bud Jones. The end. Thank you very much.