2003 Tuesday Letters

Tuesday, December 30, 2003
900 Spring Park St Celebration, FL 34747
321-939-6938

Dear folks,
We were in the mall looking for plain, black, comfortable, good for walking and standing on your feet for four hours shoes, when Jen called from the Netherlands. Where are you, she asked, with more giggle than worry in her voice. I was beginning to think you'd fallen off the face of the earth. Not quite but it does feel like were living in this little bubble called our marriage. Learning how to spend time alone together when were at home, beaming like newlyweds as we watch each other meet new people (Celebration and Disney are great for that), taking pride in each other's learning as we go through the 25 plus hours of Disney training*. I teared up (no surprise) watching Art stride across Epcot in his Guide costume for the first time: Navy Blue London Fog Trench Coat, white Nehru shirt, black pants, and his new black shoes! And he's chuckling all the time as he watches me become Disneyfied. I've started my own pin collection, for goodness sake! What Art has always known, and I'm beginning to discover, is that something magical, mystical, spiritual even, actually happens for people here, and being a part of the process is a gift to ourselves. After 8 hours of Disney history and traditions I put Sturbridge on my name tag because I like the person I became because I grew up there. Who knew! I thought it was all the self-help books and scriptures study that made me who I am todayJ! It took 8 hours too to teach us how to wash our hands (and serve food and make change, but not at the same time!)*, but it only took an hour for Disney to teach us how to dress. We were fitted for our costumes in the middle of a day in which we experienced ourselves as people who bring something unique to the international community that Epcot represents. As we were leaving, a man from Santa Domingo, hired as a custodian, said, This is my first time to Walt Disney World. It is soooo beautiful. I bring my family here, they see it is beautiful. I make it beautiful for other family.� He reminded me of my dad who started his shifts in the Publick House kitchen by washing out the coffee pots. Any restaurant can make a good salad. It takes something special to make a good cup of coffee. It takes someone special to recognize that fact. Something special, being special, recognizing our specialness. we've been immersed in it. The priest during Christmas Mass at the Contemporary Hote invited us to change the phrase "Jesus is the reason for the season" to "I am the reason for the season. Jesus is the gift." We saw the Candlelight Processional at Epcot 3 times and each performance reinforced that thought. (We went once so we wouldn�t miss it, once with my cousin Nora Lynch Baldwin and her family so we could spend time with them and THEY wouldn't miss it, and once because Gary Sinise was reading the Scriptures, and I didn't want to miss him!). Sandy Patti, Gospel singer, proclaimed the readings as if she were a prophet. Gary Sinise read them with a humility that was engaging, moving, inspiring. And after the entire audience was on its feet before the third bar of the Hallelujah Chorus, Steven Curtis Chapman said, If that doesn't light your fire, your wood is wet. Something special, being special, recognizing specialness. At the Animal Kingdom on Christmas Day, Pocahontas and her very much alive animal friends taught us that the one animal in the forest that can save it is the human being. And we can save the world, too. Whether you believe in Jesus, God, Godde, H.P., Allah, live by the teaching of the Buddha, or a simple sense of awe and gratitude gleaned from moments when the Tupperware top fit perfectly on the first try (Merri- what is the name of that book?), our New Year�s wish for you is that you have believe in Peace on earth. It is in us and in you, and knowing who you all are, we're confident that it is spreading. How quickly time passes! We've been in Florida a month! Next letter we'll talk about the circus. Our retreat/workshop starts January 6th.
Peace and good_________ Beth

*The full day of hand washing/hands on training was as much about taking care of ourselves, as it was the guests. Well being and safety are important to Disney � and the state of Florida. You should have seen the faces of the college/international cast members when they were told they�d lose their jobs (Disney) and be fined up to $500 (Florida) for giving alcohol to a person under 21!

Tuesday, December 09, 2003
900 Spring Park St
Celebration, FL 34747

Dear All,
When my siblings and I (Beth) began to leave home, my Dad would write weekly to those of us who were away. He used a manual typewriter and carbon paper to assure that we all (as many as 5 of the 8 of us, at once) were kept up to date. My friends made sure they had lunch with me on Tuesdays, the day his letter arrived, so that they could hear his take on everything from weasels in the garden to weasels in the white house �- �Pearls from Earls� someone once called them � Now that we are so far from all of you, the idea that we keep up this tradition, some how helps us feel a little closer to you all.

It feels a little odd writing about traditions as we begin such a remarkable new life, and yet, we�re finding lots of affirmation in another Earls family tradition: living the days leading up to Christmas with the understanding that by expecting good, good will come.
When I was a little girl we�d say a Rosary every night during Advent � For the conversion of Russia,� my Dad said with conviction. � For a Happy Christmas� my mother said with confidence, and we learned that no matter what happened on the first 24 days of December, on the 25th there would be a Christmas miracle to share and the world would some how be a better place. The ritual changed as our girls grew up, but the intentions stayed the same. One of my favorite examples is the year we were each feeling restless so we lit our Advent Candle every night with the understanding that by Christmas day we would know where God wanted us to be. Every Monday of that Advent season one of our two old cars broke down; on Christmas Eve we bought a big van and a little car, convinced that God wanted us to stay in Holliston, but move into our life there with more confidence.

That was in 1988 � the girls are confident women now, both settled away from Holliston, so Art and I chose the first Monday of Advent to start the �Adventure� stage of life confident that by Christmas we�d have a miracle or two to share, but we didn�t expect them to come so quickly. The first one was the light dusting of goodbye snow on the ground in Connecticut as we left our sister Nancy�s Tuesday morning for two 12 hour traveling days. Miracle number two � neither dog got sick during the trip.
By Sunday, we�d accepted an offer on our Holliston house from someone who saw it the day we left, and we expect to close on the house the day we pick-up our motor home and we were hired at Disney World as �Epcot Event Guides� on Walt Disney�s birthday. AND, we couldn�t have better jobs: Friday and Saturdays afternoon and evenings we�ll host convention and family groups for special events - walks around the park, wine and cheese parties, bring them to special Illuminations Fireworks viewing spots, etc.

There have been challenges too � We spent a couple of hours putting our new bed together only to take it apart because the sides were upside down or backwards. And one would think that with all the stuff we threw away in preparation for our move, we�d have an idea as to what we�d need to begin living in a new home. We didn�t � And now, between Home Depot, Target, and the supermarket we�ve collected enough bags to handle recycling for several months.
But, as we were leaving a store with a fully loaded cart someone said, �That�s the way � get it done early!� and I realized that she thought we were buying the sheets and lamp and vacuum cleaner for Christmas gifts. I guess we were J.

We hope you are all well � We�ll write again on another Tuesday. In the meantime, please keep us posted on your miracles!
Peace and good_______,
Beth

P.S. Did I mention that the dogs, love it here? Watching Chewy and Zak chase Art around the park across the street you�d think he was 9 instead of _____, and they were Retrievers instead of yorkies.

P.P.S. Our earlier notes are below for those of you who may have missed them.

Tuesday, October 15, 2003
Holliston, MA

Dear friends,
The journey has begun...
Art gave his notice at Waters yesterday and then we spent the evening with Fr. Jerry brainstorming our role in the Circus Ministry. Jerry�s dream is to invite �not yet ready to settle down, but eager to teach� Jesuit Volunteers to join the circus. We see ourselves working with St. Martha�s Parish in Sarasota, the Circus Parish, to develop Ed. Plans for the children and train/mentor the volunteer teachers in Florida and on the road, of course! The Good Sams of America, we�re confident, will help us find rigs and support the volunteers on the road.

We leave Monday to close on our new home base (we�ll be Marlin AND Red Sox fans except in October) in Celebration, FL and while there will look at campgrounds for RV storage and, if our Holliston house sells in the next week, put a deposit on our motor home.

We invite you to pray and play with us as we transition into this �New Chapter� in our lives.

Our timeline:

October 23rd � Close on the Condo in Celebration.

November 8th (& maybe 9th) � A Close-the-House/ Moving Yard Sale � One person�s junk is another�s treasure � We treasure you, so please stop by for hugs, cookies and cider. And, who knows � you might find a treasure in the stuff we�re leaving behind. (Please tell people you know about the sale- and if they mention your name we�ll give them a hug, too.)

Art�s Disney Collection will be at a special table where, for a cash donation to the Russell Silver Syndrome Foundation, you�ll be able to own a piece of the World.

November 20th - Beth�s last evening at the Holliston Library

November 21st City to City drops our moving bins in the driveway. We have one week to fill 2 bins (our limit, not theirs!)

November 26th - Art�s last day at Water�s Milford (he may go to England for them in the spring

November 27 � Thanksgiving at the Earls Manse

November 29 � Art�s last day at the Disney Store, Solomom Pond Mall
December 1st � City �to-City picks up our bins.
December 2nd � We�re on the road with 2 dogs, 2 suitcases and a lot of hope.

December 3rd - We're here! 2 - 12 hour days with stops every 2 hours - if the dogs didn't remind us to stop, the weather did - snow squalls as far south as DC! More later when I figure out how to write emails off line!

December 5th � Interviews with WDW � so we�ll be hired in time to be a part of the Disney Christmas Magic.