Good afternoon,
It is a typical Saturday just like in Indiana.
I have done the laundry and it is drying on the clothesline in the carport.
The room has been tidied up and swept for the day - well until before I go to bed. I cannot stand to walk on the sand that is carried in when I have bare feet and I certainly do not want to carry it into the bed with me.
The boys, Jonathan, Jackie, and grandson, Koyo have been cutting the grass around the house with a whipper. I tried to go out and show them how long to leave it so they wouldn't cut it clear off into the ground. That was a great laugh for all since I couldn't get the swing down right and kept cutting the air.
We have had visitors today, family members and friends have been stopping by to greet us. It is quite different here. They will come and stay for several hours. Conversation comes and goes and most of it is in dialect or Liberian English. I have difficulty being still for all that time so am generally up and down several times.
I helped daughter Patient, fix lunch/dinner. Bitter ball, pepper, fish and chicken feet in a soup over rice. I ate the soup without the fish and chicken fish and then came and got peanut butter and bread. That has become my staple food when the Liberian diet is more than I can handle.
Seven of the grandchildren are here and they continue to "Grandma, Grandma" me. I can retreat to the porch for awhile and they will entertain themselves. Darlington's arm is healing much better and he is beginning to bend it more. He broke it last year and it was not set properly. When we were here in February it had an ugly infection that has since cleared up. His brother, Roosevelt "Teddy", and sister, Annie, are here to visit overnight. Candy Girl stays here most of the time and when it is just her, we have a great time together. However, when she is with a group of others, she tends to try our patience.
Grandson Koyo (15 years) is watching our seeds closely. He brings the containers in at night and puts them out each morning and makes sure that they are watered. The herbs are beginning to grow, but the tomatoes have yet to poke trough the ground. I promised him that next week we would plant flower seeds at the front of the house. They will be protected enough from the hot sun that they should grow well. Nice hardy annuals like marigolds and zinnias. I also have some tall sunflower seeds to plant. They should cause some comment in the community. They are getting used to this strange American lady and her ways.
I talked to our carpenter son, Jackie today about adding shelves to the room that we will use as a pantry. We are accumulating several kitchen items and need one place to keep them rather than putting them in sleeping rooms. He will put ceiling tile up, shelving, and a door. Then everything will be in one place.
The shipping boxes are all stacked in our bathroom and I have been slowly unpacking them, sorting and repacking some of the items. Today I found the box with all the hangers in it so we can begin to hang our clothes in the wardrobe on the rods that son Jonathan put in for us. Slowly, very slowly, this will become home.
We have received no word today from Ghana about daughter Chris so we figure things are about the same. Since the season is beginning to change here and the cooler winds come in at night (it may get down to mid-70's) people are getting colds and not feeling well. Personally I like the cooler nights and can cover up with a sheet. Once in awhile, I do pull up the quilt for a little more.
As I write, we can hear the traffic up and down the road and pick-ups with loudspeakers proclaiming their candidates for the run-off election to be held in November. The election on the 11th was like our May election where you will declare your party affiliation and vote for only those on your party ballot. Then in the runn-off election, it is like our November election where you can vote for any candidate of your choice among the top votegetters from the earlier election.
Today I wear my Western Marching Panther Pride t-shirt to honor my Grandson, Riley who is competing in the Indiana State Marching Band Semi-finals. They will be performing in a couple of hours and I may even stay up late to view the post to see that they have won another gold medal to go onto the Finals at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Love and hugs to all.
Anne and Timothy
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