Fredericksburg, Virginia

Greetings! (insert Bob Marley accent)

I depart Washington, DC tomorrow bound for Rome, Italy. I have been in my hometown of Fredericksburg, Virginia since Monday. It has been an interesting week to say the least.


On Monday when I arrived I called my grandmother at 9pm to let her know I had made it safely and would see her soon. When she answered she didn't sound well. As we would later learn, she was having a heart attack at the exact moment I called. It was a remarkable coincidence and a blessing that I chose to call at that moment. My parents and I immediately headed for her house. Fortunately my father is a police officer and was able to dispatch an ambulance quickly without having to use the 911 line. The scene at her house was as one would expect, very frantic and quite scary. She was quickly taken to the ER and thanks to some incredible medical professionals and some amazing medical machinery she is now resting comfortably in the hospital. She may go home as early as this weekend and is doing quite well under the circumstances. Life is crazy.


In addition to the good luck I brought with me from Oregon, I also brought the classic Willamette Valley cold to Virginia. I spent most of the week in bed at my parents home. I blame the Crystal Ballroom, which is like an elementary school with sickness being circulated constantly among everyone. :) I am now on my second round of antibiotics in less than a month, but I am on the mend.






The Labbe Home - Est. 1980


I love being in Fredericksburg and am disappointed I spent most of my week sick and unable to enjoy it more. However today I did manage to squeeze in some Chick Fil A, a Carl's Milkshake http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl and a stop at Sammy T's http://www.sammyts.com/ one of my favorite spots in downtown Fredericksburg. I look forward to my return in late December and until then I hope to have the adventure of a lifetime..... Peace Out America.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.