Winter 2 Spring

We are sorry to have been able to share so little on the Blog during the last little while. The problem is that we are busy. We have been given several assignments that have taken a lot of time. One is a training meeting with two English-speaking sisters in Croatia/Slovenia. The training will be done through the Internet connection. We'll be able to hear each other, and I will be able to share my computer screen with them. So I planned and prepared a new presentation in PowerPoint based on the kinds of training we have given in the other training meetings we have had. Combining stuff from the old presentations with creation of a whole lot of new things has kept me busy even when there were other important issues on our plate as well.

They are finally getting the Microfilm Operating Center(MOC)integrated into the Church's "Storefront" computer system, but it hasn't been a simple matter. They use hand-held scanners in the MOC to identify locations in the drawers, and films in those locations, but the new scanners didn't work with the old barcode labels on the film boxes. They are scanning the old labels with one system, taking the information to another computer and printing new barcode labels, and then we are attaching the new labels to the boxes. We have spent a few hours each day with this work, though the bending over has caused Mom some trouble. She's had to switch to some related projects to relieve her pains while I've kept at the label work.
We have experienced a typical German type of Winter since the first of January. That means a little snow and cold (Mostly in the teens and above)with totally overcast sky. That finally broke on Friday, however, and the beautiful higher clouds, blue patches, and sun were visible. Saturday was gorgeous, and though we can still see piles of snow in protected places, the agricultural fields across the street were already green when the snow cleared off of them. I guess the tractors working on those fields throughout the better days of December did a good job. It was such a surprise and pleasure to see the green.
For nearly two months the visibility has been poor, and the sky just a grey layer of non-descript cloud cover. With the change, however, we could again see the skyline of Frankfurt, and there was great beauty in the variations in the sky.

But today, Sunday, the last day of February started with a partial return of the overcast, and now we are hearing the sounds of very strong winds blowing around. We went outside for a short walk, and found it to be quite a struggle. I'm sure we'll see rain before too long, but hopefully it won't turn to snow again. What a relief it was to have one good clear day.