Mail from Iowa!

It's crazy, but we got TWO pieces of mail from Iowa on the same day this week!  Wow - it was fun to open a package from Tim's mom (she sent lots of fun treats and baking supplies, and even a recipe for me to bake goodies for people here), and a large envelope from our neighbors across the street in Ankeny.  Curran, our favorite 4-year-old, made a pumpkin decoration which we posted near our desks in the teacher room.  There was also a note, a family picture, and colored leaf decorations.  :-)   THANKS for the surprises from Forest City and Ankeny!!  

The American Lector cabinet right by our desks has Curran's
pumpkin and their family photo!  THANKS, Curran!!  (and Julie!!)  

A quick run-down of the week's activities.... 
Monday we got groceries after school, did some emailing, and skyped with my dad on his 85th birthday!!  That's a big occasion!!  We feel so blessed to be able to see our parents face to face, like being in the same room, on our computer!!  
Tuesdays we always have staff devos before school, so we get up a little earlier than usual.  We had our Slovak lesson after school, then we had a light supper before my English student came for her lesson, and finally we played volleyball with a group from school until 8:30.  We were tired!!   
Wednesday (today) has been nice with nothing on the agenda after school.  We did venture out to locate a shoe repair shop (for one of my shoes) after getting info from colleagues at school, and had to use the Slovak phrasebook exclusively for the transaction.  :-)   But this evening we have just been taking it easy - warmed up goulash for supper - emailing - and we'll get to bed early.  

The English newspaper (yes, the Slovak Spectator comes out about twice a month and we get it at school), has been reporting on recent developments concerning teacher pay and funding for education. There is the possibility of another teacher strike in November - this one perhaps for 2 days or even a week.  Evidently, the union turned down the government's offer of a 5% pay raise.  That may sound like a lot to us in the U.S., but their salaries here are so incredibly low that it's a drop in the bucket as an increase for them.  So we'll see what happens next month!