water

Today, while finishing my friends’ Christmas gift,

(which I was very excited about how well it turned out) I decided to make some potpourri.

My Mom likes to boil potpourri on the stove in the wintertime, and who doesn’t enjoy a nice smelling home, so I thought I would follow suit.  I used some oranges that had been hiding in the back of my fridge and had shriveled up, some dried rosemary (more than I had planned since a bunch spilled out), and a little bit of vanilla extract.

For many people the Thai floods were just another story in the news, and for many here in Thailand they came and went quickly. Unfortunately for thousands, including me, they were a very grim reality that lasted for months, something we are still dealing with, long after the headlines are gone. I have been displaced from my new home for 2 months now but the waters have finally receded and we are able to go out an assess the damages. Driving through Nonthaburi, looking for a home, I wish I had brought a face mask to shield myself from the smells, dust and dirt that float through the air. It is apocalyptic out there and I am so lucky to have been able to escape. The devastation cannot be felt through pictures, it is something you have to witness and this being my first real natural disaster, it is like nothing I have ever seen in real life. Life goes on and we will all be getting back to our normal lives soon... but it is slow coming and a lot of work must be done.