I learned the Arabic alphabet yesterday. Well, learned is strong. I have a piece of paper that I can look at to tell me what the letters are. I knew once that Arabic is written from right to left, but I had forgotten it. It is hard to adjust to. The letters are written somewhat differently depending on whether they are at the beginning, middle, or end of a word. Fascinating stuff. One woman is learning Arabic because her boyfriend (and his friends) speak it. It is a surprise. One 12-year-old girl is learning it because she is interested in Egypt and going to work there.

The instructor, who owns a restaurant, has a masters degree in engineering from a US college (one I had heard of but forget the name of). He left Lebanon when he was 17. He was in charge of 35 men and they were behind enemy lines. They were shot with Katoosh rockets. Several died. One he carried for 2 1/2 miles later died in the hospital from his wounds. He was shot in the chest and the leg. Z. turned in his gun and left the country in 1976, while I was in college. He decided there must be a better life. And I guess he found it.

Yesterday at work: meeting with students from Leadership UGA. They are going to have a drive to see who can collect the most diapers, etc. Then took my lunch to meet with some leaders of other non-profits and the Director of Georgia Shares, a state organization that uses payroll deductions to allow employees to donate to non-profits.

Captain and Vanessa were working on the lamb stew when we got home. He couldn't find the recipe he had found on line yesterday, so I should him how to use History on his browser. They had used the food processor to chop up the cooked lamb. So we used it for the onions and celery too. Then I cooked them in butter and mixed everything together and baked it for a while. Vanessa seems much better. She said she walked a little yesterday and her legs were sore. The house is very pleasant this time of year, warm on sunny days, about 74 indoors yesterday. Ray's allergies are acting up...unless he is getting the cold.