Posted by: Atalie Gaines in Indiana, 2009 on
May 02, 2009
Oh my, this is going to be tough to leave. We've experienced some fantastic places and people whilst we've been here and it's going to be hard to leave them.
I've had some great vocational visits. It is amazing how different and yet similar the healthcare systems in our two countries are and how they respond to Long Term Neurological Conditions. Their nursing homes over here appear bigger and brighter, and yet residents share rooms as it is cheaper, in the UK that would be more or less unheard of.
Posted by: Atalie Gaines in Indiana, 2009 on
Apr 30, 2009
Wow - I think that this trip just gets better and better.
We left Terre Haute at 8.15 this morning and we were driven out to a nature reserve to look at birds. Not really my cup of tea until we stopped to look at a big nest high up in a tree that contained a Bald Eagles, that was soon joined by its mate! WOW. We took some photos which are a bit hazy, although Mark managed to be clever and took one through the lense of binoculars and it's come out really well. What a fantastic experience. How many people can say that they've seen birds that big in the wild and not just in captivity.
Posted by: Atalie Gaines in Indiana, 2009 on
Apr 28, 2009
www.wthitv.com
Check out the team on the TV being presented with a proclamation by the local Mayor that 28th April 2009 is dedicated as Terre Haute (the town that we're in) Good Will Day between District 1260 and Terre Haute.
Posted by: Atalie Gaines in Indiana, 2009 on
Apr 26, 2009
I think that we're all sad to have left Bloomington Indiana. We made some fantastic friends there and caught up with Gabe Coleman, one of the indiana team who certainly looked after us well.
Yesterday, Emma and I were lucky enough to accompany Gabe to a winery and after a little testing we bought a bottle of wine and sat in the grounds to drink it. Roger spent the day on a boat, Mark went to a baseball game with his host family's children and Charles went to watch the Little 500 - the cycle racing equivilent of the Indy500.
Posted by: Atalie Gaines in Indiana, 2009 on
Apr 24, 2009
We went to Lilly Rare Books Library at the University of Indiana in Bloomington this morning. We handled over $30 million dollars of books including original James Bond Manuscripts, The original Peter Pan and one of the first copies of Shakespeares Completed printed works. Incredible.
Perhaps the highlight though was being allowed to hold a real academy award! AN OSCAR. Mark is still raving about it 8 hours later. Although theory says that if you hold one you're not going to win one... so perhaps we'll all have to give up that dream.
Posted by: Atalie Gaines in Indiana, 2009 on
Apr 23, 2009
I've had a really fantastic day. We're now in Bloomington with new host families and I was really sad to leave the last one as we got on so well and I'm sure that I'll keep in touch with them.
Our presentation to Vincennes Club went really well this lunch time and then we had a 2 hour drive to Bloomington.
Posted by: Atalie Gaines in Indiana, 2009 on
Apr 22, 2009
We were all on seperate vocational visits this morning and I got to go and visit the GirlScout Council.
Girl Scouting is set up very differently in the USA. They have paid staff in an office that covers perhaps half a state, that raises funds and administers all that they do. They have volunteers at a local level who run the troops and the girls and the leaders stay together all the way through. Facinating to see how they operate.
Posted by: Atalie Gaines in Indiana, 2009 on
Apr 18, 2009
I don't think that any of us can believe that we're half way through already. We've been kept very busy but boy are we enjoying ourselves, there is always so much to see and do.
We are now at District Conference and that has given me the opportunity to 'visit' with several Rotarians who have Parkinson's disease and talking to them has been really interesting.
Posted by: Atalie Gaines in Indiana, 2009 on
Apr 14, 2009
Roger and I visited a care agency and nursing home this morning before a presentation to Greenwood Rotary Club at lunch time.
This afternoon we went to visit Indianapolis Symphony orchestra's venue and had a back stage tour. Charles even played a $90,000 piano on stage for a few bars!
Posted by: Atalie Gaines in Indiana, 2009 on
Apr 12, 2009
Well, they are certainly keeping us busy and we are having an amazing time.
I can't remember all the things that we have seen and done in the last week as it has been such a blur.
I've vocationally visited day care facilities, a seniors center and a hospital and 'visited' (met) with a member of Rotary who has Parkinson's. It was facinating to talk to him about the facilities that are available to him and the exercise programmes that he does.
We've been hosted fantastically well, and well looked after.
Highlights so far have been coming across some of the art work in Columbus - by Henry Moore and Chihuly who create peices from glass.
We visted the Indianapolis race track yesterday and got to go on the track as it wasn't a race day. We've been to a Baseball game this afternoon and sat in the sun watching the game, a little well earned rest.
