Dittmeier – Welcome to Cambodia, and…..

False Alarm–deja vu

A couple weeks ago two fire trucks rushed to Nazareth Home for a false alarm that was never explained. Yesterday morning a fire engine appeared again, this time responding to an alarm triggered by some food scrap that had fallen onto the electrical burner in the building where I live. It started smoking when the stove was turned on and activated the smoke detector and automatic alarm that called the fire fighters. They were most gracious as they checked things out and then climbed back on the truck at the end of their shift for that day.

Snow: the real thing

A week or two ago, we had a sprinkling of snow at Nazareth Home but it was gone in a couple hours. Overnight we had about 3″ of snow this time. This is a view at 6:15 AM in the little courtyard outside my room. It is a beautiful snow but it has really disrupted my plans.

Dittmeier Thanksgiving

For most big US holidays when it’s expected to be with family, all the married sisters and brothers go to their in-laws’ homes on the holiday itself, and then all the Dittmeier siblings meet the following weekend. Yesterday we all got together after I got back from the trip to Bardstown with the deaf group.

We have a wonderful family and this time more of the family from Cincinnati were able to come with the younger grandchildren. Great!

This photo shows about 2/3 of the group chatting after we ate.

Another learning…

It’s COLD bicycling in Louisville in November

Since I arrived in Louisville a few months ago, I’ve been lying low, going slow to get the feel of life in the US and what is expected of me as a retired priest. One particular area of interest is getting around since I will not be driving but depending on the e-bike my cousins bought for me. I’ve been checking what it’s like to ride in the rain here, what it’s like riding at night–and what it’s like riding in the cold.

Today the temperature was in the upper 20ºs when I left for a meeting. I had already found it’s not so bad riding in the cold except for my frozen fingers. The black gloves on the left were given me by my sister. They are great, just a tad too small but really pliable–and warm for the first twenty minutes. The red gloves are ski gloves I borrowed to test. They aren’t as pliable but they give me an extra ten minutes or so before my fingers are frozen. I’m going to have to keep working on this because it’s not even winter yet!

I’ve been here before….

50+ years ago I used to have my hair cut at the Tri-City Barber College in Louisville. Then I went to Asia for 42 years, and for the last 20+years in Cambodia I had my own barber school, a job training program for deaf youth.

Today I returned to Tri-City after the long absence. It’s in a different location and the staff I knew are no longer there. The same could be said for a lot of my hair: it’s no longer there. But I got a cut from Eli, a delightful young man, eager to please, and he only charged me $7!

False Alarm at Nazareth Home

Tonight about 8:35 PM, the Nazareth Home fire alarm went off. It is LOUD! Protocol here is if you call in any alarm, go out to meet the first responders. I didn’t know what was going on but went out to meet the fire trucks which arrived in three or four minutes and then showed them where the fire annunciator panel is located. Nazareth Home has three buildings and the alarm was going on in all of them. It took ten or fifteen minutes to find the annunciator panel in the main building because it was a Saturday night and staff were gone and offices locked up but finally they found it and were able stop the alarm. The firemen were a delightful group and while waiting, we taught each other about the organization of the fire department and about life with deaf people in Cambodia. An interesting evening! But we still don’t know why the alarm went off!?

Working on it…

In March I injured my shoulder in a freak occurrence. I thought it was just a bruise or a sprain but when I went for a medical exam on arrival in Louisville, my new doctor said that if it was still hurting seven months after the injury—it was, I should try therapy. I have been going to KORT therapy now for 9 or 10 sessions. Today Betsy was trying some pressure on muscles they say need to be strengthened to take pressure off the hurting shoulder area. There is progress but I’m getting resigned to the fact that there is going to be some pain the rest of my life.

Returning to Kentucky and the USA

My plan for re-establishing myself in the United States is to participate in different church and civic activities, find out what is and isn’t being done in Louisville and how I might help, and basically just trying get around so I can see what my future role(s) might be. One group I encountered is a theology discussion group that gathers to talk about a book on eco-spirituality by a theologian named O’Murchu. I met with them for the first time today and it was great group of people and a wise investment of interest and time.

Candlelight Vigil

Fr. Pat Delahanty organized the vigil. He has been working on social justice issues for many years.

Representative Morgan McGarvey from the U.S. of Representatives spoke of the value and the rights of immigrants. He also honored his predecessor, Rep. Romano Mazzoli, who authored the last major immigration bill in Congress. Rep. Mazzoli’s son Michael also spoke.

The ever-faithful contingent from the larger Dittmeier family also made their appearance in support of immigrants and their rights.

Turn Out the Vote

Tonight a group of political activists gathered at a local pub to write postcards to potential voters in a special congressional election in Tennessee next month. The postcards urged people to vote without mentioning any candidates or parties by name.

Six of us from the larger Dittmeier family turned out to write postcards.