You're not keeping us informed

The last day of the Fast. Always a day of mixed emotions; glad its over going to miss it. It is hard to explain to those who have not experienced it. There is a real sense of a higher purpose in life during the whole Fast, even when it is almost completely drowned out by other more physical feelings of hunger, thirst and tired. Once the Fast is a couple of weeks old, I sometimes think that I should just continue fasting even when it's over. But as soon as it is over I stop fasting completely and immediately - so much for lofty thoughts. The extra prayers are so good for me. Again, I am struggling with how to express the concept. I haven't always said extra prayers during the Fast but the last few years I have and there really is a difference in how I think and feel about my life and my purpose and what I focus my thinking on.
I found out from various sources yesterday that February was the wettest in history in Springfield and March is approaching the wettest March in history and Monday's rainfall was the most ever on one day in March in Springfield. You Springfield folks are really letting us down. It is boring to talk about the weather except when it is setting records. So give us a little feel of home when the disastorous weather hits. We may even take shelter during Tornado warnings just to get a sense of being home with you all.
We have heard that Russ & Deb went over to our house a couple of nights ago to visit Tom, ransack the house and see what they could find that we have asked for. I was just thinking that it would be so nice to have something that been done with the video camera since our departure. I know it hasn't been that long but just a little CD of something to make us cry and weep and miss everyone in Springfield.
I think of Naw Ruz in Springfield and in Sioux City and realize that most of my New Years for the past 30 years or so have taken place in those 2 cities. Tonight we will add a third city with a new set of traditions and new people to celebrate with. We are going to one of the better restaurants in Tianjin tonight - an Italian place - to have dinner with all the expat friends. We haven't met them all yet so it will be a new experience for us.
For those of you who may be interested, Peter Hessler, the author of River Town has a relatively new book out called Oracle Bones, about China today, It is really interesting and well written. It follows some of the people introduced in River Town after their graduation from the school he taught at and their subsequent life in China.