Anyone need a compass?

About 10 days ago, I received an email from Annette Gendler of Memoir, Writing & Life - her email was just another reminder that my blog might need a compass of some sort.  I've included some excerpts from her email...I believe she has a valid point.

Hi Anjuli,

......I’ve rummaged around your blog a bit ....and was wondering how you came to travel so much and why your family members are still in Africa. I couldn’t really find an answer in the March 2008 posts, those seemed more like a travelogue to me. So I’m wondering whether you might want to add a bit more in your intro about all that so your readers can connect..... (these are clips taken from her email)

I'll get around to updating my intro, but in the meantime, I think I need to establish some navigational markers. First of all, it is probably important to note my name is not Anjuli...but rather Connie. 

I love the name "Anjuli" (taken from The Far Pavilions) and wish it could be my name...but alas, my name is simply .. Connie..not Constance or any other such fanciful name...it reads on my birth certificate:  Connie Lynn Seaward.  Due to being married in Singapore (where spouses need not change their surnames) and traveling quite a bit, I never got around to legally changing my surname to "Ong".  Most people know me as Connie Seaward Ong...unless they are my banker and then they know me as Connie L. Seaward....ah yes, the whole thing with names ...
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

As far as the over all compass for this blog: it began as a recording of my overland drive from India to England in 1985 in a 1958 Morris Minor. I decided I was getting older, and my brain didn't seem to retain as many details as it did when I was younger (sigh). I started out using this as a private blog to record the journey and then later opened it up for public viewing...it seemed wise to continue with other memories so I would one day have a record of where I have been...and so the journey continued.

As far as why I have traveled so much....I was born and raised in Singapore to Missionary parents - I went to school in Penang, Malaysia and then flew to the States for university. Later I went to live in India and I married a Malaysian Chinese man who I met in India. We were missionaries for over 20 years- We traveled to many different countries but lived for seven years in Japan and more than 10 years in Accra, Ghana. 

In 2008, we officially made Washington State our home. But I think, along with those who travel a lot, home is wherever I happen to be at the time..I love God...I love my family...I love people...These are the things that are important to me- so I tend to write alot about them.

So, now that you are holding the compass in your hand and still feeling totally confused as to where this blog has been and where it is going....welcome to my world :)  

Feature Friday - Aggie

If you are ever able to get ahold of the Book "Aggie- a Girl without a country"- you need to read it. The problem is, it appears to be out of print; however, there were some sites which had old copies of the book. I read this book a few years ago, and then I read it again a couple weeks ago, it never ceases to remind me that truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

"Aggie" is the life story of Aggie Hurst and also it chronicles the incredible faithfulness of God even when it doesn't look like anything is happening.  I want to tell you everything about the story- but I don't want to spoil it for you. There is tragic death, abandonment, adoption, amazing coincidences which turn out to be God at work and much more in this book.

I guarantee you, this book is worth you going to great lengths to try and get a copy of it. There is another book called, "One Witness"- look here, which apparently was what "Aggie" was called before. That book seems to be in print. If you can't get your hands on "Aggie" at least try to get "One Witness"- you will not regret it!

'hanging out'

So it is back to skype calls in the middle of the night & random 'hang outs' on google+....Daniel is over in Africa right now, so this will have to do.  

I juggle my schedule plus things he has left for me to do. Please forgive my momentary silence in blog ville ... I will try to keep up as best I can- however, I have just realized I have only 24 hours in a day. 

One Month

I was trying to catch up on blog posts- knowing I actually need to be dashing out the door- suddenly Kubo@Co's latest post caught my eye- and I knew I had to at least read that one...oh my...now I'm all teary eyed...and I have to dash out the door.

Their story is so unreal and unique- but then so are they- both Katrina and Micah are so wonderfully made and I guess their story had to be equally wonderful and unreal. Now they have been married for One Month and Kat writes so beautifully of her memory of the special day and their meeting- I love the way she ties the two days together. See for yourself .... here is her latest update.

Clearing of Shelves

I have mentioned my love affair with the written word before. It began when I was a wee girl and just started reading. My head has been buried in many a book over the years. As a result, my bookshelves often sag under the weight of books of all sizes. This presents a problem- how to make room for new books which need to be read? 

Over the years, I've found the solution to emptying my shelves is to give away books. Of course, there are those books which hold sentimental value...those I never part with.  There are other books which are good reads but I don't mind passing them on for someone else to read. Some of the books I 'won' right here in Blogville- others I've picked up at bookstores or been given. So, now is the time to clear the shelves.... I will make a list of books I'm giving away and anyone who wants a book can ask for it...it is that simple! I will mail it to you- if more than one person requests one book, I'll put your names in a hat and pick the winner randomly.

Here are the books I'm giving away:

Crossing the Heart of Africa by Julian Smith


Margaret Mitchell & John Marsh- The Love story behind Gone with the Wind


The Calligrapher's Secret - Rafik Schami

Feature Friday- something different

Normally, Feature Friday will showcase a memoir, biography or an autobiography. I love this genre of literature and know I'll have many more Fridays to come to feature such books. Today there will be a slight detour...I want to feature two blogs...and I thought about it, and realized most blogs are basically autobiographies in the making. 

The first blog I'd like to feature is a travel blog, of sorts. Braden King lives in Kenya at the moment and soon he will be traveling all over the world. He plans to chronicle those travels and I am already enjoying his pre-travel updates. He has posted 4 updates so far; be sure and check out: Brazen Braden and his travels.

The second blog I'd like to feature is my daughter, Katrina's new blog about her life. She has only one post, so far, but I know she will be adding more as life happens. You can find her updates at Kubo & Co. 

And for those of you who wanted to see more of the wedding pics- the photographer has posted them on her blog- They are amazing!! 

The pictures are marked : Micah and Katrina. The photographer is Micah's cousin- and she did an excellent job- you can see how talented she is with each and every picture. 

*A little note of clarification- the photographer's actual name is Anjuli...not to be confused with the name I use on this blog :)...it tickled me to know my daughter was marrying someone who had a cousin named Anjuli- as I have always loved that name.

One Size Fits All

My beloved and our precious treasure

 Have you ever seen the words, "One size fits all" on labels attached to clothing? I think if you looked at my heart, you might find a similar label.  After all, hasn't my heart managed to fit many different people in it over the years?

As a young girl, it was my parents and my immediate family members who lined up nicely in my tiny heart. When I was six years old, I walked down a dusty aisle in Singapore and knelt at a wooden bench and 'accepted Jesus' into my heart. I thought my heart would explode with joy!

Kissable checks

Later, as I grew older I found my heart was able to accommodate so many others. Each new inclusion brought more joy. My children and my husband managed to expand every part of my heart. Just watching my beloved husband walk in the room caused my heart to swell up to where I thought it would pop right out of my throat.

There were times I wondered how could my heart manage to squeeze in anymore people? Apparently, my heart has no limit for expansion...I found this out when my darling granddaughter appeared in my life on March 11, 2010...she managed to stride right into the center of my heart and take up residency.

The Latest Resident

The amazing thing is, with each new resident, no one else is evicted. My heart has a capacity to love each and every occupant with equal amounts of joy. Hearts are amazing things! :)



*All pictures taken by Kira Evanson