Write Away

 A spoon full of Sugar helps the medicine go down.... So I decided to do the pictures first and move them as I write away! So let's see how that goes. ;)
In a land so full of turmoil and change, it is amazing to see the beauty of this earth here.  Each day dawns about 5:20 with the Shutshihutshi alarm. It is not even a second off. Must be part GE! I lie awake because I know she is going to begin her morning song. Her friends answer off in the distance and others join the chorus in their own distinct warbles. It's so pretty and peaceful.

Look at the canoe above and notice the different types of modern civilization that has arrived for this mode of transportation. I think it is a hoot. Clint, this canoe makes the long one you made by hand look short. :)

Speaking of transportation... the buses did begin. They- at this point are bright and shiny with Congo flag  color swirls along the sides. No dents etc. - yet!!  Not full because it costs $1 to ride it compared to the 50 cents for a taxi and 25 cents to ride a People Squisher Taxi. Saw lots of wealthier Dads taking their kids to school on the bus when we went to shop on Wednesday. Sweet- Dads are the same the world over! The little faces were so excited.

Guess what! We now have a secure Internet here at MPH with a password and everything! I kept saying there had to be a way to do it without costing an arm and a leg. There was and a guest helped us get it all going. So far I am not a liberty to give it out. So we will see how long before the night glows across the street of illegal use of our net returns. The password can be given out when folks here want something from the folks at the bar across the street is one worry. So as of now only four of us know it. There is still a free one out there and folks are using it so I am laying low. 'It's not my job, man!"

Critters for the week. A bird on the upper ledge. Michael Sthreshley caught it in the library. Turned off the lights and in the dark caught the cute little bird and set it free. The bird got in through one of  the open  concrete louvers on the second floor.  Earlier in the week he came in with a lizard snake sort of deal. A biology teacher would have loved it! It had a few legs still there. In another while I guess it won't have those. Michael caught it. It's a blind lizard and "they aren't usually poisonous,"  he told his mom and me as he showed us it's picture. 

 Christmas is always a magical time. Our sons still come in when we have Christmas together in one form of family or another- saying, "Mom we still believe!" I told them long ago that  as long as they believe, Santa still comes. So at 43 and 40 they do and he does! ;)
The picture at the left is from our home at Lubondai. From red felt Mom and Dad made us a fireplace so our stockings could be hung by the chimney with care. I got a doll and a desk Dad made for me and Manford got a jeep and a BB gun. (Les was not born yet.) From as long as I can remember this has been the most magical time of the year even in the jungle.



 This picture is of Ken's Family's Christmas. A doll in a doll bed, bicycle to grow into and Mother Murray's pretty flowers. It was at Mboi station after Betty Lou died of Polio in October.They had to go to a station with no kids that Christmas in case they were still contagious.  After we married we combined our two family's traditions and came up with another one. Every Christmas we get an apple in the toe- left over from the Great Depression when that was all Dad Murray got for Christmas.






This is the Christmas story as performed at Lubondai. This and the showing of The Robe  at Easter were the two highlights of the year!! Wow! Had forgotten the movie until I started typing this part.


Grocery trip this week I was looking for a special Baking Powder. None of it at 6 stores. So I all but told the cook to" Deal with it!" "Look again next week, Mama," he said as I returned. Inge went all out this week. We had Congo Enchiladas (No tortillas so made with Mediterranean flat bread.) They were really good.  Also had Stromboli and it was great!! Also Sweet and Sour pork. I have been asked to teach them Chicken Fried Steak. Only we will call it Texas Fried steak because the other name will confuse the cooks. I'll let you know how it goes.

This is Lake Fwa. Like Silver Springs, Fla only prettier. We were not allowed to swim in it because of a liver disease- liver fluke- whose medical name if I remember is Schistosomiasis. I think it was really cause it was so close to the diamond mines. Oh, it was so pretty. My Dad often fished on it.

                  This is the butchering of a Hippo my Dad shot. The natives are standing in the stomach/ lower half of the body cavity to  keep the crocodiles from attacking them. Always something fresh to eat. May not want to eat"that" but it was OK to eat. Then there are always fish heads,termites, eels, mice, monkey, our missing cats and grasshoppers to just name a few.

I have finally figured how to keep my guys working. I am up walking the halls and outside. Mostly for exercise- but they don't know that. Rooms are done in a much faster manner. Inge has the guys washing walls the next couple of days since the rooms are all clean for the next arrivals or occupied. I'd rather do beds than wash walls. ;)We have had the screens on the lower floors all replaced and they look so pretty and let lots of light in.

We have two Protestant Freres staying with us this week. They are from Germany but working here in the Congo. Interesting. The same vows etc as Catholic priests but are Protestants. Jimmy Shafe's Group II returned today from Kananga. The doctor was the most taken aback. Says Medicine here is at least 75 years behind. Ken's sister had to translate for the White Doctor. He is a  pulmonologist so anyone with a cough showed up. He saw over 100 people. Very frustrated with no lab or MRI! Worried about misdiagnosing. Won't matter here. They don't sue! Folks were thrilled to just see him!

Wednesday we ate at the Hungry Lion -a fast food store inside the South African expensive grocery store. We even had the option to "Super Size" our meal. A lot like The Colonel's (AKA Kentucky Fried Chicken.) The fresh fruit here is so good. We love having it every morning for breakfast.

The cats that live in the apartment here with us are settling in- or since they are cats does that mean WE are settling in? Tiger has from the start. Bella has been very shy but is now right at home. Still skiddish but was that way with her owners too. So we are a big happy family of four in the evenings.

Well, I am done for another while. Have a Girl's Day planned for Saturday. Fabric stores, Market of Thieves (old Ivory Market that I went to as a child) and other shops and lunch out.

Have a great weekend. Hope you had a great Fourth. Missed the fireworks! Love Ya! Me