Week Three--Again filled with Friendships, Fun, and Work (surrounding rehab for my knee)

Patricia & "The Cane"

Week three began with a flurry.  While the angst of the US General Elections continues to build, Moshi remains in relative peace.  Thank goodness.  Some of the issues that we have concerning President Magafuli edicts remain and we talked about them with many friends.  Yet, we continue to hope for the best.

Kilimanjaro with new snow and amazing birds flying all around me!

This photo was taken October 23rd just as sun was beginning to set and I suppose the birds were thinking about where they were going to go....Lots of possibilities in the KCMC Compound.

My week really began on Tuesday, which was Dada's night.  We went to a new Restaurant "Kili Home", which was lovely with a big outdoors area and comparatively quiet except for our Dada's group.  One amazing thing was that they apparently have only a few wine glasses and if it had not been so humiliating for the waiter, I would have taken a picture of the fruit cups that he brought to us to use as wine glasses.  It was hysterical!  One drink and we would have been under the table. We laughed and took pictures and accused each other of many of things, but mostly shared our love for one another and remembrances of our departed Dada Lydia.

The empty Chair for Lydia

 I had worn my Hillary for President T-shirt and everyone else seemed dressed in new fancy dresses like they were going to a ball but I was the "Rella" staying home to ruminate on the election situation.  It was a joyful time (BTW, all Dada's are united for Hillary, ready to break the glass ceiling.)

All Dadas + Lui's sister-in-law

Dada's cheering on Hillary

Very cute early arrivals of Dadas

Definitely wacky Dadas  altogether + Lui's sister-in-law (honorary Dada)

Wednesday arrived with the Moshi Book Club.  The name alone is interesting since only two members actually live in Moshi.  One lives in Kibosho, our fearless organizer Jackie in Marangu, one in Usa River, one in Machame, the two of us who live in Moshi, and two who live elsewhere but I cannot remember where.  Sadly I have no picture of the group as we were so caught up in talking about some books but also politics.  We were talking about "The Orchardist" which is long, good and very very dark.  Some parts are simply unbelievable (mean that literally not for emphasis) But, it kept us going for a while.  I'm excited because our next book club will be a discussion of Lee Smith's Memoir "Dimestore", a book I dearly love, and "The Little Locksmith" which is said to be the perfect memoir.  So Book club from wherever we are, "On On".

I had a huge surprise visit right after book club when my Dada Agnes arrived to bring me a beautiful Masaii shawl, made by a friend of hers.  She knows how I am cold all the time, but also she is just the kindest most giving friend I have in Moshi.  We are social workers together and somehow that bond has held for more than 11 years!

Agnes and Patricia

Agnes and Patricia by Pauli's favorite palm tree

 On Thursday, Pauli and his partner climbed the mango tree and panga in hand, chopped down all the branches that faced the house.  It is in the back yard so it does not show very much, but the small unripe mangoes that fall are those that make holes in our roof (finally fixed after nearly a year!)  So the tree and branches look weird but there you go.  Our house is a little safer!

Mango Tree branches grow fast!

Mango branches-Let the record show, we did this just 4 years ago as well.

As if these days were not filled enough, on Saturday, we drove to Machame to visit our dear Emmanuel friends, Sylvie and Nic.  I cannot for the life of me figure out why we did not take pictures together but I think Sylvie was so busy getting food set out and I couldn't walk, and the beauty of the mountain, very sad with the passing of the snow, distracted us.

Lovely shot, so little snow!

So, I have passed my days, playing recorder, this past Sunday at Church for All Saints Day (early) practicing ukelele, getting up early enough to be at the pool at 7 am (freezing) to have swim instructions from our teacher Sabini, to exercise two to three times a days to help my knee, and feeling a bit sorry for myself that I cannot walk even to the small gate without pain.

stuff minus sweatshirt and towel

The most moving moment I had this week was at Sylvie and Nic's house.  Not only did we have a delicious dinner, but Sylvie presented us with a prized bottle of olive oil grown and processed by their daughter Sophia who lives in Nacos, Greece and wins prizes each year for her delicious olive oil.  And then, Nic went inside the house and, as we were leaving, handed me a beautiful cane that had been his mother's, and he had saved.  She had bought it in either Egypt or Ethiopia, it is made from bamboo and carved with delicate birds and special signs.  I could not believe it, but will cherish it for all of my days.  How in the world can John and I experienced such amazing moments, to be etched in our memories for the rest of our lives.

The CANE