"Ramblin' Rose....Why You Ramble No One Knows..."

Forgot to tell you the "rest of the story" of the Pastor that came to see us while we were visiting at Ken’s old house here in Kinshasa. I learned it by reading the email! ;) This is a quote from Ken's email to his cousins.

“He was originally from the Kasai where we were from and arrived in Kinshasa in 1956- two years before Mom and Dad came down here from Kananga (Luluabourg) 1958. So I immediately went into theTshiluba language. He remembered me and pointed out my old bedroom. He started telling us stories. But he said he had to leave as he was going to be late to a Women Of The Church meeting. He added that when Mom and Dad when here they worked with 3 main churches in this city. Mom started the Women of the Church in these 3 congregations. He said these women are the Pillars of the Church that make them thriving today. He gave Mom credit for getting them started. I did not bother to explain to Lenore and the lady with us as I would have started crying like a baby. Mom was always planting “seeds” wherever she lived.” 

The guys from Mississippi were going stir crazy just sitting around since they could not get out on an earlier flight. So they asked me if there was something they could do around MPH. I pointed down the table to Inge.They got a new basketball backboard all done and holes drilled and ready to install. It just needs to be treated against termites and then put back up. Then they also cut plywood strips and put it against all of the hall windows to Apartment A and got some done by our apartment before they ran out of wood. Our bedroom windows are right by the ping pong table. Can you say pong, ping, pong until 11PM  with 18 French kids every night? Inge is hoping it will cushion some of the noise of arriving guests on the other end of the building by Apartment A. Got sturdy locks installed on the new metal cupboards and a wooden lock on another one of the wooden cupboards in the kitchen. So now we will see how the kitchen reorganization goes with all in place for the great “move.”

Had great pancakes this morning. The cooks were supervised and had to actually get out the measuring cups and spoons and measure and sift all the ingredients together instead of just dumping several ingredients into the bowl and hoping it works. The pancakes were so good and folks ate several helpings. Those French girls out eat the boys every time!!

Friday was Date Night. Ken asked me out. He arranged for the Chauffeur to come and get us and even has found a steak house- Cosy Grillhouse and Bar. It was as if we were in Europe or the US. Décor was so modern and pretty.  Guards at the door spoke Tshiluba and just beamed when we spoke to them.

Had a seven course meal-Soup do Jour –WONDERFUL Leek cream soup-Fillet for me, Rib eye for Ken and Onion Rings (not as good or as large as PK Café!), Creamed Spinach, French Rolls, Sorbet Citrus for me- TART!!- and Vanilla and Chocolate Mousse for Ken with Espresso café! All had warned us about the cost and it was no more than a trip to Papadeaux in Dallas for the two of us! Only then we don't have a chauffeur!



Saturday morning began the great move of kitchen items from the pantry to the new metal cupboards. Inge knew what she wanted where. But after breakfast she went to the pantry that she had spent all of Wednesday and Thursday getting all organized and everything-- stuff used at breakfast was just put back on the shelves where it use to be and not with it's new order all in French. When only two cooks can sort of read and they are not the ones that put it up... you can now find the salt in the cocoa area! (Last week the oldest of the cooks and the one that can't read - but follows as if he can- an open recipe- by memory-sort of- came to me to tell me he forgot to put pepper on the list and we need it and he showed me the almost empty bottle. I knew that I had bought 6 metal containers of black pepper the Wednesday before. So I said,"Let's go look and be sure, Papa." There on the shelf next to the other empty round bottle of pepper were the metal canisters- same exact words, colors and label design. They did not look the same so he had no idea they were pepper! Sad!)  So the the two cooks that can sort of read must now put stuff back in the pantry not the non readers. Always something. It is Congo!

Saturday afternoon the French kids practiced a song and a Hoochie Line dance they were going to perform at a wedding they went to Saturday night for a Mennonite pastor here in town. They left here at 4 ish and did not look like the Mennonite folks we see in west Texas that dress like "Little House on the Prairie." In no shape or form have they been dressing that way while here so we were all surprised to find out that they too are Mennonites. Guess with the Haut Couture in France they dress differently!? Anyway, the men and boys were all is suits and ties and the ladies in very dressy Sunday dresses and cocktail outfits complete with stiletto heels. The girls- mostly blonds and light brown haired girls have all- except one blond- slowly but surely been getting hair extension braids of dark black Congo braids. They look very different to say the least!! They chose the very long thick braids to be woven into their European hair. Well, now the girls are complaining that their hair and heads hurt- I guess probably from the pull and weight from the tightly woven doos.! But they are all having a ball and have been working like dogs at the Mennonite Orphanage.
By the way, they finally came home at 1 AM this morning and the ceremony was still going on and the food had not been served yet. Forgot to ask if they got to sing and dance for the couple or not!  So other than breakfast their only food Saturday was a Congo meal of beans and rice here at MPH Saturday noon!   This morning they all headed out to church in various African Material shirts on all the men and boys and various styles of outfits for the ladies and girls. Bright colors!

Saturday night those 13 of us here and 4 guests of the Sthreshleys had Hot Dogs and fixings and S'mores for supper. Michael had built a huge fire and we found in the kitchen- as we were cleaning it- actual metal skewers from the past!  So they were put to great use and Michael did not have to carve us skewers from bamboo this time! After the hot dog and S'mores a fire was lit in a huge hole by the new house where stumps and other building scraps were put! The fire was gargantuan! An no water hose near by. Still smoldering this morning! 

A little after six AM this morning there is a knock on our door. I had not been able to sleep so I was up, showered, dressed, had started a load of laundry and was reading the US newspapers on line. It was one of the cooks. He could not get the combination to the wooden cupboard to open so he could get into the pantry and into the new metal cupboards. Inge, the head cook and I are the only ones with the combination to the cupboard that holds all keys!. So I went out. He had the right combination turned in but had forgotten to push the button on the bottom. So then they could get to the dishes and the food stuff and begin preparation for breakfast!  It is Congo!

"T" day is tomorrow!  They don't want to set anything up until it is bed time. I have been told to feel free to say "L'absence de planification de votre part ne constitue pas une urgence sue le mien." AKA "The failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine."  Then tell them good night and go to your apartment. Don't know if I have the "Steel Magnolias" to actually say it! ;) After this group leaves Friday we have another group of only 14 ;)) arriving. It's all relative!

Well, Hope you are having a great weekend. We played hooky this morning and went to "Bedside Baptist!" ;)

Love, ya! Me