BEAUTIFUL BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS. Here's a photo of Mystic Lake, the destination today. Hope to do another hike next Saturday in a little different area, but in the same mountain range.


Lunch time lakeside.
Kathryn, yours truly,
Pat, Al.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
MONTANA COUNCIL ON ECONOMIC EDUCATION, a non-profit that assists high school teachers with providing methods of instruction that makes learning economics interesting and fun.

Connie brings to the Council a diverse business background, most recently as a Peace Corps volunteer working with the Small Business Development Sector in Morocco. Prior to her departure in 2006, she was Director of Training and Development for Payne Financial Group, and during that time served as a board member of MCEE. She received her B. S. in Management from Rocky Mountain College in 2000.

Her business career includes many years in the property and casualty insurance business in a variety of positions including underwriting, marketing, and training. Connie has received numerous industry awards for her achievements in that field. She has also worked as an independent consultant and presenter, with emphasis on ethics, customer service, and other soft skills under her company name Presentations Plus.

Ms Genger has vast experience with community organizations, serving in leadership, public relations, and fund-raising positions with Kiwanis, Habitat for Humanity, Miles City Area Chamber of Commerce, Montana Forward Coalition and others.

GREEN, GREEN, THE GRASS IS GREEN. Drove from Glasgow to Billings today via Malta/Roundup, and thought I was in Ireland for awhile! The countryside is so lush with green grass and trees. Beautiful.

Had fun last night at the Fort Peck Theater seeing "Wizard of Oz" then did the Longest Dam Run this morning...Here's my shirt from the first event (I wore it today) and the T-shirt given out today.
They have local artists design the shirts. I had a good walk; not as fast as several years ago, but did respectably well. It's a good challenge. Got to see a few old old friends and that was a special treat.

G-MA. (That's me) How fun was it to watch my grandson in a couple of Little League baseball games. Yeah, that's more like it! And lots more activities to watch in the years to come~

THREE CUPS OF TEA. Several of my friends recommended this book, written by a man who now calls Montana home and whose mission is building schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He relates something near the middle of the book that explains the title, as well as probably some of my current discontent...

"That day, Haji taught me the most important lesson I've ever learned in my life," Mortenson says. "We Americans think we have to accomplish everything quickly. We're the country of thirty-minute power lunches and two-minute football drills. Our leaders thought their 'shock and awe' campaign could end the war in Iraq before it even started. Haji taught me to share three cups of tea, to slow down and make building relationships as important as building projects. He taught me that I had more to learn from the people I work with than I could ever hope to teach them."

That's the kind of life I led in Morocco, and became accustomed to it, more than I realized. I thought that when I came home, I would be able to retire and just volunteer and be a gramma and work a little bit, but that plan has been put on hold for awhile. I find that I'm allowing myself to get sucked up in the busy-ness of life again and my priorities are in a bit of disarray.

Does one ever stop growing? Guess not!

MOROCCO UPDATE. Am sad to report that the PCV who replaced me has left PC service, so there is no one in Touama to carry on my work. The boutique is still open, from what another PCV in the nearby town says. I hear from her on occassion, as well as my dear friend and tutor, Zhour, and the Brit engineer and his American wife. I hope the volunteer who lives nearby will be of assistance to them from time to time, and hopefully, a new volunteer will be assigned there next fall.

You might be interested in knowing what some of my other friends are doing: one stayed in Rabat to teach English, and she just did a show at a cafe in Fes, exhibiting her screen prints. A couple now engaged to be married went to Korea for a year to teach English. A young woman from WI just completed a bike ride across the U. S. with her dad and brother. Others are just now securing jobs, some went back to school.

As for me, I am still trying to get settled in. Before I left, I had a goal, both immediately (be in the Peace Corps for 27 months) and following service. The goal and lifestyle of post-service of course have changed significantly and try as I do to adjust, it still seems to be a struggle. But all in all, I'm making progress. Must admit I don't do cloudy/rainy weather well at all and look forward to sunny, hot days!

Am wondering how many of my blog readers are on Facebook. I am finding that to be a great way to stay in touch with friends, and family, too.

BOYS AND THEIR MOMS. Am feeling lonely tonight...so thought I'd take a look at some family, who will all be with me mid-July...all five grandkids together again; it will be so neat! Wish Heide could be here as well, but not all we want is possible.