Omari--I've got my fingers crossed for Obama today!

Even West Kilimanjaro has an Obama Shop

This is still my favorite photo of President Obama

Just down the road from our house Obama!

This is the day.  VOTE!

Week 5-6

As with all things in travel, there are ups and downs.  We have celebrated many of them, and these series of events, friends visits, and times have been no different. Even as we thought that Julia and Charles had just arrived, so they left. Time it seems, is determined to trick you.  At night, when you cannot sleep, it is interminable, during the day it flies. And thus it goes.

John Julia (Lawi's sculpture "Rasta") Trish

We had three new visitors, though they were not new to Tanzania or Moshi.  These three delightful visitors arrived with the goal of revitalizing the OB/GYN collaboration.  The commitment, energy and delight they showed with KCMC and the surrounding area gives us not only hope but belief that our project will be diversified, and renewed faith that there is dedication to a mission to improve care for all people in the area and that Duke feels this need.  Of course, it is important to point out that KCMC's OB/GYN department is filled with talented people whom we feel great loyalty towards, and for them to be able to exchange their perspectives with our teams, and ours with theirs only enhances the possibilities for improved health all the way around.

Lisa John & Peyton

And, these three folks, Peyton, John and Lisa were terrific.  Even if they are UVA fans, it was ok. A-5 is open to them for ever!  Great to have a set of new friends.

Kilimanjaro has been somewhat quiet lately.  Not much coming out, but when it does.  Wow! You just want to keep looking.  At times, I find that I really need a piece of inspiration.  I miss my Appalachian mountains and the view from our cabin.  So when things seem  impossible--somehow the mountain knows and there might just be these views from Barabara moja in the am and the pm.

The downside can be around the corner and I was hit completely unexpectedly by some toxin from the Nairobi fly.  Somewhere I must have gotten in on my finger (I blame pinching the basil back) but come out it did!  And by Saturday night I had a burning rash that continued until Friday when it started drying up.  Horrifyingly, this pic was taken on Thursday evening 5 sleepless nights into this toxin.  (look it up!) I didn't recognize what it was early enough so when I started to put Colgate toothpaste on it I only burned.  Again thanks to Peyton and Lisa I had some cool antibiotic cream to put on which didn't fix it, but made it more bearable...except at night. Our great Fellow, Dorothy, said that the Nairobi fly had worked out the perfect revenge.  Kill it with your hand or finger and it will get your back in an incredibly horrible way.  It doesn't kill you but you wish you were dead.  Fortunately most Nairobi fly burns aren't as bad as this one.  I had had two before and though one was on my eye in 2007 and one in later 2007, none like this one. And again it is time limited.!

after 5 days of Nairobi Fly toxin (don't think you can see these creatures....they get you later)

In the midst of this we hosted (did not cook or set but only opened the house) for a fabulous hash set by some new "KIWI" friends, Jan and Bob and the hash set by Elizabeth.  Just living here and having someone wander around all the nooks and crannies of our Moshi/Kibosho area reminds me of the beauty and wonder of the whole place.  Top of it all are the fabulous children and families who simply aren't afraid to bring their children to this terrific loving environment.

Marco and his Tigger

hash group

Matt the "he-man?"

One of my featured children is Nikoli.  Nikoli comes from strong stock!  Not only is his mother a Baltimorian, and determined, a great horsewoman and tennis "pro" (Terrie) but her father and his parents are pretty much Tanzanians who have live and work and work through very difficult times and continue to keep at it.  We have loved our relationship with Greg, Terrie and Nikoli, and consider Nikoli as close to a "god-child" as there could be.  Now, I have to say that Nikoli is in the continuous movement group.  When he was younger and I was in charge of his walking at hashes, he would complain to me that he had to stop, we had to take shortcuts, or that he just couldn't continue.  Now, however, he is in front of the pack-and CRAZY! running.  Here he is at ISM during their sports day.  Before and after his own races, he was running up the sidelines, in the middle out side, even while the other competitors were resting waiting for their races.  (He had intense competition and still placed 3rd in his age.!)

Nikoli in "rest" position

But, as always, safari's await you.  And, if you are coming to enjoy, and do just a little, Serengeti is only a few hours away.  Thanks Methley for escorting our friends.

Julia and Charles Lion in Serengeti

Christmas and the Afterward

Always Christmas is surreal. A flurry of activity. A Christmas tree bought from TROSA, climbing into the attic which only has only a few walking boards. If you miss the board you fall through the ceiling onto the floor of the lower living room (I have not done that yet so I cannot report on how it would feel, but it is quite scary to be in the back of a dark low attic where boxes from times past are carefully stowed {some dating back to my parents years}). But each Christmas box comes out, then goes temporarily back until the end of the season and the boxes are carefully loaded up, just to be found again next year.

My children have always given me grief because I feel that every ornament, even the physically challenged ones, should go on the tree. I used to insist on all the lights until we blew fuses regularly. Now that the children live elsewhere and arrive at the last minute, I can put all the ornaments on the tree that I want. They are, of course, long gone when I take the tree down, so I do have a lengthy day with all the ornaments that have their own special place.

They all try to arrive for brother Jim’s Christmas concert at The Cave. And they are never disappointed when they make it. This year Kate and Chris drove in at the beginning of the 2nd set. You could just see the happiness on Jim’s face, and on theirs. How does that make the mother feel? Fabulous.




Then there are the Christmas cookies, my grandmother’s recipe. This year Michelle, Lexton and Lyriella were here. Lexton (I cannot understand this) declined to participate but helped Lyriella keep her fingers out of the dough and icing. But even then, with all five sibs together for the event, the cookies were spectacular. Credit goes to everyone, (Michelle's sense of humor was an added bonus) but an absent Ariel certainly had her touches as Isaiah made it through the entire process and actually created cookies that were amazingly inventive! Both brothers commented on how fabulous the cookies were this year. When I was reduced to making loaves because last batch of dough wouldn’t roll, they just took in stride and made creative stuff (?) out of it.
Princess Leia made from either an angel cookie cutter or a bat!
Isaiah finally had enough and decided to change flour clothes for clean ones, but LAHR and Lexton came to surf the sugar.

The flurry always speeds up on Christmas Day because the family has their other families, and so a schizophrenic pace kicks in. Presents, always thoughtful and creative, are opened, long distance family called, John racing after paper before the gift is even fully unwrapped with a garbage bag, kitties facing off, and now adorable Lyriella trying to decide if she will nap, or if it would mean that she would miss too much. Though she chose the latter, her parents would have none of it and she wound up sleeping for 2 hours! Then as they arrive back from respective other families off we go to Jim and Anne’s daughter and son-in-law’s and their children for another fabulous evening.


Hmmm Lyriella seems to feature heavily in these pictures. Wonder why?


Hats were traded around, but this was the original...a scream!

It didn't take LAHR much time to learn where the camera was and to fake snuggling with her mother while mugging to the camera!
Kate's boyfriend arrives as Isaiah leaves and the others begin to pack up. Nice timing though.
We finish Christmas season with the whimper that most do probably. Each family member slips away, back to their apartments, some near some far, some on an airplane, some by car. The house is in chaos and the poor Christmas tree is dropping needles as if to shed a tear. Boxes are repacked and hauled to the treacherous attic, the Christmas tree lugged to the street where it will be removed as waste.

Thus, begins the dark time. It is cold. Bones hurt, it is still dark, the birds want fresh food as the old is clumped up from freezing and getting damp; thus, curling in a ball seems the most productive way to spend time. Looking forward, not back does not seem possible. But there you have it. A candle is held out—Haiti?, China? Nepal? A bright sunny day? (ha) Recorder practice? Work? Freezing mountain trips?

New books? Oh well, ok. Let’s get on with it.

I do miss Tanzania where everything was the same. And sometimes the remembering is enough.



So let us press on to the new year. 2010. Congratulations to the survivors.