Heading out with my new moto...

So it feels good to have transportation... Harley and I headed out this morning for a few groceries so we could do some baking and cooking. Today I made, granola, cookies, yogurt and sourdough starter... I'm going to take a break before I need to start on dinner...

My New Wheels...

I am happy to announce that I have wheels... I can how be seen cruising around Kadiolo with a moto much like the rest of them... maybe I will blend in more than I did on Big Red... Probably not, but I like it!

He's Back

What an amazing day it was yesterday... I don't have photos of most of it... but here is the rundown...
Our power came back on after a week of being off...
Jeff came home...
We got a huge thunder and lightening storm followed by a real downpour...
Our container showed up in town just before midnight...
and then this morning Drew's chickens gave their first egg!
It's been an exciting 24 hours... Jeff is outside right now putting the kids bikes together!

Jeff coming home...

Pancake breakfast...

Our first egg...

Getting ready to open our container from France...

Putting bikes back together...

Goodbye Jeff

I kissed Jeff goodbye this morning as he left our house to go find his bus. He is going to Bamako to try and convince our company to release our container with our bikes from France. They really want us to come get it as the longer it sits in Bamako, the more we owe in holding fees. But they need proof of our wire transfer which is somehow caught up in France, so we have been stuck, unable to move forward or backward. So... he is going there to talk with them in person. Pray that they release it to him. And that he can find a good form of transportation to bring it down here to Kadiolo. Jeff will also be doing some shopping for us in Bamako. Things we cannot get here but are available up in Bamako...

Paint,

Cheese,

Toilet Paper,

Shampoo,

Soap,

Chocolate,

Nems,

Strawberry Jam,

Pickles,

Butter...

Oh my list is much longer, but you get the idea... hopefully he can manage this on his own. It takes one day to travel each way... and I imagine his Bamako errands will take him 4 days or so. So we are on our own for a week. So far so good. Except for the power outs. I don't know the system for getting the generator started and switched over to run the house power. So I am really hoping it just stays on! Pray for us this week!

The Baptem...

Kadjatu came to pick me up for the Baptem...

Everyone loved holding Jethro until he got too tired of it!

We ate some rice and fish... Jethro thought it was great fun to eat with your hands... Kadjatu had a beautiful henna job on her hand.

Jethro got a little nap while I was there. I stayed for 4 hours... and people were still showing up to the party when I left...

Kadjatu and her friends...

Dancing is the main event... and everyone likes to enjoy it...

This is the star of the show...

The ladies who are hosting never stop working hard... even if they are dancing and visiting, they jump up to serve any newcomers...

There were lots of women and LOTS of babies!

Lots and lots of women...

These poor kids need some meat and veggies...

True Confessions...

OK... I am not a princess. I can tough things out pretty well. I don't mind camping and being dirty and 'roughing' it. I'm not a big complainer and I can get by with most things. But after 48 hours of mostly no electricity... I admit that I LOVE electricity! I don't want to live without it. Just thought I would admit that out in the open... I love fans, I love lights, and I love cold refreshing drinks when it is hot. So I am thankful it is back on... (for the moment) and I am going to go to sleep tonight under a fan. (Dieu Volonté)

Making Mango Sauce

Two of our gorgeous mango trees!

Drew is a fan of our mangos and he was not sure he wanted me to pick some off the trees to make mango sauce. After he tried it he decided it would be OK.

After peeling the mangos and cutting them off the seed, I boiled them in a pot.

Next I mixed in sugar and cinnamon and puréed the mangos.

We are left with a mango sauce, much like apple sauce. But it is creamier, more tart, and much more delicious! Yummy!

Transportation... a new look...

Adorable Retro Dish Towels

My friend Shari just blogged about some of her favorite things which included some cute dishtowels her Grandmother made for her. It reminded me of these which I found in the house we just moved to. I love them... they make me happy... I think I should learn how to make these... Does anyone else have some of these cute treasures laying around their house?

Here is a link to Shari's blog if you want to see her cute dish towels...

A Walking Scrapbook

I learned something new. There is a lot of cloth available in the market. Usually I search for something with colors I like, patterns that are not too offensive or bizarre, and something I can envision in an outfit. I end up with a lot of purple, pink, blue and green. As I started asking people about their outfits they wore, they would say, 'Oh yes, this is the tissue form someone's baptism, or this is the tissue from someones goodbye party, or this is the tissue from Christmas last year.' I began to realize, this is a form of scrap booking. As the women wear their outfits, they remember people, times, experiences and memories.

So one day I was visiting with one of my friends, Kadjatu. She is 13 and loves to come visit whenever she can. She has a new cousin and took me to visit her. I was also invited to the 'Baptem' party for her cousin. She told me there was cloth and she wanted me to buy some and come dressed for the party. I decided to do it... and when the cloth arrived she brought it to me. I realized this was going to be my first REAL Malien outfit. IT is in orange and yellow, two colors I wouldn't have chosen. And there are some random designs all over it, like chalkboards and fingers... So here are some photos of the process... I knew I wanted to scrapbook while I was here, but so far this is the closest I have come.

What will I do with this fabric?

Yes... those are fingers in my fabric!

So I took it to my tailor... notice how they finish the zipper?

He made a beautiful outfit!

Everyone really likes it here... they say I am Malien now!