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!