Tutoring English as a Second Language

A really nice guy in the Placement Office at the PC headquarters suggested we may want to get involved with a TEFL program in our community. Called the local technical college and they seemed pleased that we wanted to be volunteer tutors.

We started last week and it was a great experience. I think we will both really enjoy tutoring. I worked with two ladies from Korea on the phonetic alphabet. They both have a good command of speaking English but now want to be able to read and write. John worked with a Korean lady who is further along in her writing of the English language. She had work sheets she had completed at home and John reviewed them and helped her with questions that came up.

Our medical deferral is up on May 7th. This is a special day for a number of reasons. It is John's birthday and it is the day one of our girls graduates from college. We are going to see the cardiologist soon after the 7th and she will "interrogate" John's Pacemaker so see how his body is doing in accepting and working with it. She will write a letter to the PC medical screening office with her conclusions and we will see if that helps us. Oh yeah, and we also need new lipid profile and BP checks on him. That should be a no-brainer. The man is healthy as a horse. Out playing golf today in 50 degree weather! Yeah, and he played yesterday too!

Pacemaker n Peace Corps!

Received word this week. John is on medical deferral for 6 months.
That takes us to May 7th, 2007. We were to go to staging in June '07.
Once/if he gets medical clearance then we will be on medical restriction
for countries we can be posted to - it is our understanding there are
three or four countries that can support cardiac monitoring. The
Pacemaker has to be checked once a year. In the interim we are to
rewrite our cross-cultural essay as well as our motivational essay.
Guess that is what has to come next. (Besides waiting)

The Package Is In The Mail!

Woo Hoo! Mailed off another 20 pages of medical forms and information this morning to the PC Office of Medical Services. Now, once again, it is waiting time. BUT, in the meantime we now each have a bicycle and will start a routine to build up stamina on riding. I never should have given up riding a bike when I was 8 years old. Its a little daunting to start again at 63. Did do it though and will continue. It is good cardio on top of going to the gym. If only it could also take some years off (Ha Ha). 8o)

Hello. This is me.

Functional Orthopaedic Evaluation

Got through this part of the medical information requirement today. What a relief! We both had to physically demonstrate our abilities to a physical therapist in the orthopaedic practice.

Good to know we can both lift 40 pounds, squat, lunge, ride a stationary bike, go over and under what looked like a bunch of limbo sticks. We can only hope that the rest of our documentation is found in favor by the PC and we can go to our assignment in June '07. We are trying hard not to get too stoked!

Grandkids

Got to show off the little ones at least a tiny bit.

The Medical Clearance Saga Continues

Medical clearance for the PC can be a long and patience-testing experience. But - God Bless the Medical Staff. They asked for more information shortly after Thanksgiving. First on the list was a follow up with our cardiologist. While in the office, hooked up to the EKG she observed a dangerously irregular heartbeat. We are now the proud owner of a Pacemaker! His heart could have just forgotten to beat at any time. No heart attack just no heart beat. The Peace Corps saved John's life.

We have a check up in early Jan with the cardiologist. She will write a letter as to John's medical needs and we will see if PC can use our skills. We have our fingers crossed.

I promised a regatta photo. Here is one of many. The boat represents Georgia State University.

Waiting For Medical Clearance

Well, we submitted all of our medical bills and have received checks to cover our expenses. At least we know that the Peace Corps recognizes that we exist! Cannot wait to hear we are cleared and waiting for that wonderful invitation letter!

In the interim we try to remain optimistic but patient. On Nov 11th DeaSha will be rowing in a regatta on the Savannah River. That will be fun to watch.

Thanksgiving will be here at home this year. Next year? Hopefully by then we will have successfully completed training and been sworn in. Right now we both spend time reading blogs of volunteers in The Gambia and Namibia.

I plan to post some rowing pictures. Oh yes and Leah is now walking on her own! What a cutie!

Medical Kits Delivered

An update - checked Fed Ex on line and our papers were delivered to the DC offices today at 10:30 am. Hooray! Now if only Thanksgiving were tomorrow. 8 )

Woo-Hoo Medical Packets Complete

Well today was the day! Picked up the last two required lab reports and headed to Kinkos. Made copies of all papers and FedEx'd to PC Medical Screening. 58 pages for me and 36 for him. Whew! Now it is time to wait. Our recruiter says we will see if we are medically cleared for assignment some time around Thanksgiving. Hurry up and wait.

Generate

Well we continue to try and get our stuff together for the PC medical kit. Whew! What a chore. Mamogram can't be more than 6 months old. Mine? Well of course it is 7 months old. Had to get a new one this week. Now have to wait for the radiologist to read, make a report and get it to my GYN before I can get a copy. Oh yeah, and a new PAP smear report too. Let's see. Oh yeah. Was going through the paperwork against our checklist and discovered our Fam Pract guy forgot to give us copies of the urinalysis lab reports. Of course each of these things requires more waiting and more visits to offices far and wide around town. Maybe by next week we will have a complete package that we can then copy and get in the mail. It has taken us 2 months. (this included a colonoscopy! -- Ouch) Maybe the next posting will be the good news that we have copied and mailed our med packets. 8 )

Thanksgiving 2005 - All Together

Well, here we all are. Probably for the last time before we head out on our PC assignment. Kids are flung far and wide. When we return guess we will travel a lot just visiting to say hello!

junehart

junehart: junehart

junehart: junehart
Well lots has gone on since last entry. We have been nominated for a tour of duty with the Peace Corps. Very exciting. Have been through interviews, fingerprinting, background checks, physicals (that feel as though they will never end), dental exams, eye exams and are anxiously awaiting our last dr visits so we can mail off our medical/dental package for review. IF we are medically cleared it look as though we will be heading to SubSaharan Africa. I will teach Science and John will teach IT. I sure do hope my assignment doesn't include teaching Biology - never took it in school. I am an analytical chemist!

A search of the PC Web page and description of each country's needs has led us to conclude that we may be invited to serve in The Gambia. Have been monitoring the blogs of a group of volunteers who arrived in The Gambia this past week. It sounds challenging but also exciting. They say it is hot and humid. But I would imagine after some time to aclimitize it should be OK. The oldest person in this group is 44 and a three time volunteer! That is pretty darn good if you ask me. Oh well, just two more doctor visits and we should be able to mail in our package for review. I can't wait!

junehart

junehart
Today our soldier is much on our mind. Is he safe? Is he out in the field? On Saturday we made up a box to send along to the blogging Grandma at Camp Adder. Soaps, shampoos, a couple of McDonald's toys found around the house. All items will be ditributed to civilians around and near Adder. Am hoping the blogging Grandma may run into Cris and let us know how he is doing. He does write but never often enough for us. He has only been gone a short time but it feels like forever from here.

Gonna send along several dozen boxes of Girl Scout cookies for him and his friends as soon as we know he has settled in.

Daughter #1 (left), me, Daughter #2 (right)

junehart

junehart

We have volunteered for the Peace Corps. Apparently it is not easy to find an assignment for a couple (in their sunset years). No luck getting an assignment during the October 05 sweep and no luck for the Feb 06 effort. Next try is May of 06. We'll see what happens. Our contact says that he expects a number of openings that will match our "skills" during May. Got my fingers and toes crossed.

My Dad and Stepmother served when he was in his late 60s. They really enjoyed the experience and felt as though they contributed. We are hoping for the same opportunity. 27 months of challenge. I look forward to representing the US in a positive upbeat manner. Hopefully we will have something somebody needs. We'll see.

Hello World

Here we are. Now a blogger. Scary thought.