Feeling the Love

This isn't just any grilled cheese and spiced apple.... this is the debut item on the second round of my grateful list.

... at about 11 today, Janice, one of the other foreigners living here, called and asked if she could bring me lunch.  I had just woken up from a nap, and I was a little confused... so I told her not to worry about it.  Besides, I figured Jacob would come home as he had the last few days and figure out something for me to eat.  But, about 45 minutes later, she and her little girl, Sarah Grace, showed up with warm, gooey grilled cheese and a mug that contained a warm, steamy, flavorful baked apple.  She apologized for not having the ingredients for chicken soup, but let me tell you... this was comfort food!  She even used real cheddar!! (Not something you can get easily here.)  And, turns out Jacob wasn't able to come home and force-feed me today.  So, without Janice, I would have been rummaging for something.  But instead, I sat and enjoyed a hot, homey lunch, pictured above.

... shortly after lunch, two of my Chinese co-workers showed up at my door.  They decided to take a walk on their lunch break, and thought my house would be a good destination.  They stayed for about 20 minutes and just visited.  It was fun catching up after the holidays!

... it wasn't 15 minutes after my 2 friends left that another knock at the door got me off the couch.  This time it was Ellie, my friend the nurse.  She came to check on me.  It made me feel very loved.  And, she said I looked better than yesterday, so that's a positive!  (I feel a little better, too.)

... Jacob got the scooter back today.  He ended up going with them anyway so that he could get money out of the ATM to pay the fine, which we thought could be as high as 1,800RMB ($270).  When they got there, they told him he needed to pay the fine and surrender the scooter OR pay the fine, go to jail 15 days, but keep the bike.  While parting with the scooter would have been a bit sad, Jacob has proudly managed to make it 1 year in China without ever* using a squatty potty, and he had no intention of ending that record in a Chinese jail.  (I told him it would have made a good blog post, but then again, I wasn't the one facing jail-time.)  So, it was going to be adios bike... until our friends deemed these two options "unacceptable" and somehow miraculously pulled some strings, and now my husband is coming home tonight WITH the scooter and only 520RMB ($77) lighter, having never stepped foot into any jail.  It is all about who you know here.

So... I know having this grateful stuff 2 posts in a row is getting a bit sappy... but I'm just feeling the love all around, and had to finish sharing all that I'm grateful for with you.  Hope you sense His presence and His love in the everyday.

*I'm serious about his avoidance of the squatties.  I honestly don't know how he does it.  I use them everyday, and if they're clean (which they rarely are), I prefer them to a western-style toilet.  I think Jacob should appear as a guest writer with tips on how to avoid squatties, as I know some of you who come to China for adoptions, etc. would be keen to have his secret.  I think it mostly involves very careful planning... hmmm... I think he'll be a bit embarrassed when he sees this one.  ;-)