---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Mara Anderson <Mara.Anderson@millersville.edu> Date: Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 11:44 AM
Subject: FW: Back in the USA
To: "
mara.mranders@gmail.com" <
mara.mranders@gmail.com>
________________________________________
From: Mara Anderson [mara.mranders@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 12:23 PM
To: Mara Anderson
Subject: Back in the USA
I returned from my Fulbright semester in Latvia (http://picasaweb.google.com/mara.mranders/LeavingRezeknesAugstskolu#) in June but haven't posted anything since I returned. I am currently in San Antonio Texas where Gerry is working at the Defense Language Institute. I considered also applying for a job at DLI but then remembered that I had retired from teaching! I arrived home from Latvia on June 29 and on June 30 my godson from Latvia who had spent a year as a Rotary Exchange student in Junction Texas came to visit on his way back to Latvia. We visited Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's capital. (http://picasaweb.google.com/mara.mranders/HarrisburgNewYorkCity#) We spent July 4 in Washington DC (I have pictures somewhere but can't find them at the moment - I hope I haven't lost them) and then took him to New York City (http://picasaweb.google.com/mara.mranders/NewYorkCity?authkey=Gv1sRgCN60otb9uMie-gE#) before he flew home from Newark. Shortly after he left Gerry and I packed up for the road trip to Texas. (I have to find these pictures) It was a great trip! I spent three weeks in Texas and then flew back to Pennsylvania because I had to start my foreign language student teacher supervision for Millersville University. I flew out to Texas again for the Labor Day weekend. Up until recently there was a direct flight from Philadelphia to San Antonio. Since that flight no longer exists I flew from Baltimore this time. We spent Thanksgiving with Gerry's mentor and family. On Black Friday (the Friday after Thanksgiving is traditionally the busiest shopping day, black because the stores make money as opposed to red when they loose money) instead of shopping we experienced a bit of German in Texas. We went to Fredericksburg (http://www.fredericksburg-texas.com) which is one of the many German settlements in Texas (http://picasaweb.google.com/mara.mranders/FredericksburgTexas#)
to see the Weihnachtspyramide (Christmas pyramid) which had been brought here from Germany. We didn't stay for the lighting which was to take place that evening. We learned a little about the history of the area from the guide at the Verienskirche, which is now a museum. We ate at the Altdorf Restaurant. The town seems to be a mecca for tourists and shopping - many small shops. We found a great music store and talked to the violin maker who was a graduate of the Chicago School of Violin Making. We came back to San Antonio in time to go downtown to the riverwalk parade which marks the beginning of the holiday season. Too many people ... we couldn't get very close to the river. We managed to find a spot on a bridge and after a wait of about an hour saw the lights go on. We didn't wait to see the parade of boats on the river. On Saturday we spent some time in the city and then visited two of the San Antonio missions
(
http://picasaweb.google.com/mara.mranders/SanAntonioMissions?feat=email#)
http://www.nps.gov/SAAN/index.htm We ended up at the Pig Stand a well-known restaurant for brunch.(
http://www.maryannspigstand.com<
http://www.maryannspigstand.com/>)
That was November.... yes, i started this way back then but today it is January 14, 2010 (Happy New Year to all!) and my resolution for today is to get this sent off. I've been working on two computers and realize that some of the pictures are on the other computer. I will not take the time to find them now but instead send what I have. I will post the missing pictures when I find them.