Morales22.com » donna kalla

H H H Harrogate

Debbie — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 21:21:49 +0000

In Hertford, Hereford,and Hampshire, Hurricanes hardly happen (ok, name that musical)!

After driving over Hill and Dale (and some of this area is called “the Dales” known for country wandering) we came upon the city of Harrigate. It is a good size, victorian, home to an Air Force Base as well as a large radar installation (Huge Golf Balls detecting anything and everything in the entire W. Hemisphere).

We were hoping to meet up with a JAG officer just assigned to the area and pass on a hug from his RB mother, but we didn’t connect. Beautiful flower beds, shops and a deeeelightful lunch at ” The Slug and Lettuce” restaurant (I didn’t have a salad, I had cottage pie and a strawberry cider).

Barnoldswick, UK

Debbie — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 21:20:20 +0000

The most pleasant of English country towns you will ever find! The Kallas’ and the Morales’ dropped in on friends, Gail and Karl, and cousins Carol and Chris…friends and family!

Picture rolling lush green hills, dotted with fluffy sheep and frolicking lambs, stack stone fences and corner pubs, steak and kidney pie, and puddings, pints and pubs. “oh to be in England, now that spring is here (name that author).”

Daffodils line every lane and drizzle freshens each morning. Tho’ we still bundle up as it’s in the 40′s and 50′s, inside it is cozy and the aromas of Karls cooking warms the soul.

Hoping to help Gail during her (English) Mothers’ Day rush,we found we were of most help staying out of her way in the teeny flower shop. Steve was a “runner” for some deliveries but we depended on Karl to show us more of his neck of the woods.

The State Hermitage Museum

Debbie — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:04:41 +0000

Wow, talk about an amazing experience at the Hermitage here in St.Petersburg. We spent most of the day on three floors of the palace of Peter the Great viewing famous art.

We were nose to nose with Rembrandts, da Vinci’s, Michelangelo, Rubens, Picasso, Matisse etc. We even managed to lose Donna, so talk about exciting!!

Four In A Shoebox

Debbie — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:02:44 +0000

The Kallas’ and Morales’ ventured north by overnight train to St. Petersburg — a 400 miles, 8 hour excursion on a train with sleeping cars. You’re placed 4 to a berth (so we were glad to be with folk we knew) and the minimal bathroom was at the end of the coach. I would generously estimate the space as 5′ x 7′ and you folded the 4 beds down from the wall. We hysterically undressed in the dark on our bunks as we chugged along,with our 5 suitcases tucked under our lower beds and also on the floor. Steve got a lower bunk for his mid-night runs to the bathroom!

Camp Games

Debbie — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:59:50 +0000

We had a Ropes course, Square Dancing, Swing Dance Lessons, Back to the Future costume contest and Rock Concert and lots of “ice breaker” games that started each session.

These are a couple…wrap your team’s head with strapping tape inside out and see how much “stuff” they could collect, and “pass the marshmallow” using a toothpick and leave your toothpick in the mallow. ( and try not to poke your eye out!)

San Fran And Points North

Debbie — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:15:52 +0000

We finished the Pfizer year with a convention by the bay. We had a great view high atop the Westin in the center of everything. The weather was blustery but it did not keep us from seeing the town and having a Montalcino reunion with the Rutters: Tom, Donna, and Justine!

Once again it was the HopOn Hopoff bus for me as I was on my own this trip. I rode the whole circuit before hoping off on the second go-around. Ghiradelli, Union Square,AG Ferrari’s,Williams Sonoma all enticed me.

But it was great to pick up Ken and Donna Kalla at the airport and journey up to Napa Valley. We had a super time and the wine wasn’t bad either! Since we had driven instead of flown, we had a car to go and see so much. Great food, good company, tasty wines and beautiful changing colors.

Steve and I had a magnificent year of travel, and the locations were made that much more special by the people we saw and spent time with. To God be the glory for being a great travel agent and guide.

Wall Wisdom

Debbie — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:27:43 +0000

Ultimately we are tying everything we do, together with Scripture verses. These verses were selected by a committee before we got here and then sent to us, translated in the native tongue of Chichawa. Then Awesome Ken and Donna Kalla printed it out in long strips in a healthy-sized font for us to trace onto the walls.

They are accompanied by paintings we did of some of the incredible birds of Malawi. I guess if I were a bird-watcher, I would know that this country has over 400 species of amazing birds. I’m not gonna translate the verses for you, look them up!

Trip to Cancer

Debbie — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:58:40 +0000

Last year was an awesome year of travel; 22 weeks away from home and on the road! The sights and tastes of the journey were incredible, awesome, priceless. From Barnoldswick, England to Pisa, Italy,to Orland, Sweden the adventure far exceeded all expectations. And the people; oh the kindness of Raymond, Alessandro, Gunner and Dieter, Miranda, Giovani, Father Piernino, and many many others.

We returned home with some inklings that all was not normal, so doctor appointments started lining up. Sonagram, pap,biopsy, specialists, waiting, and then the day you have a date with an oncologist. How do you be cheerful as you walk in that door, the one at the very end of that long hallway?

But just like the adventures in Europe, the doctors, nurse-practitioner, staff and volunteers at Scripps-Mercy Hospital, Scripps-Green and RB joined with all my friends and family to hold me up in prayer. Betty and Mary and Andy babysat me after surgery, Donna cooked and Steve e-mailed updates. I was so loved and cared for that fear NEVER had a chance to take hold. Radiation zapped some strength, but not the knowledge that God loved me and had placed me amongst the most wonderful people in the entire world.

I need to get a map with some bright pins to mark all those special destinations I hold in my heart. Just not sure where to put the trip to cancer pin, cause I don’t want to forget it…it too became a good memory.