Trip to London

A very sad thing--a friend of Molli's from middle and high school died. The phone rang after 10 Tuesday night, but no one was there by the time Ray got it. Apparently it was Molli calling us. She called Amelia and Amelia called here early yesterday morning to tell me. I guess Molli didn't want me to read it on Facebook, but I haven't been on there much in a while. Now I am avoiding it, not wanting to read what people are saying. Amelia said she heard it might have been suicide. A beautiful, super-intelligent girl, graduated from Barnard a year ago, I never would have said she was headed that way at all. I grieve for her parents and her brother. I can see her face, having fun with friends at our house. Gerald was a friend of hers, too, and called me yesterday morning when he heard about it. I was at work, so we didn't talk long. (2 photos by Gerald)

Work went well, another new family moving in. I worked on a reimbursement request and started tossing around some ideas for the CDBG application due early in December. Taylor and Amanda handled the intake alone, as Kerri is working on her comps. I got a lot of calls, including more from the leasing company, which I hung up on. I did feel useful.

Ray drove himself in and stayed to have dinner with the speaker. So I came on home at 3 to work on supper, my Arabic homework and the window shade. I was a little out of sorts, feeling for Molli. Amelia called from the airplane and talked to the Captain mostly, learning a few German phrases before arriving in Zurich. I didn't ever do the Arabic homework, just couldn't get into it, and left a little late for class.

In addition to Wes and Scott and myself, Shelby arrived later. Zuhair's daughter sat in on the class. She was quite silly and I could imagine his conflict, adoring her, but wanting her to focus and learn her parents' language (she's in 8th grade, I think). I think she may speak it to some degree, but not read or write it. she could hear the differences in sounds that were harder for the rest of us. (h, aspirated or not, etc.) It is so hard. We spent some time reviewing the letters and the sounds they make. There are actually 3 vowels, but most vowel sounds are indicated by marks above or below the line. As there are also marks that are part of the letters, it is very challenging. Even the vowels can have marks on them, which makes no sense from our point of view. I am learning, though. I try not to feel guilty that i don't spend time studying between classes. I would get so much more out of it.

I got home from class before Ray did and ate dessert and watched some TV and worked on my knitting. He enjoyed his meal at the Last Resort.