Ringing in 2014 (a day early)

Happy New Year!

We have a lot to be thankful for as 2014 begins.  Foremost in our own minds is that Elizabeth (our oldest daughter) is out of the hospital in Germany, and healing after a root canal gone bad.

Monday happened to be a day all of us (me, Tom, Peter, Kate, Mary and Meghan) could be together in Houston.  So we visited a friend's home, helped with a few small home improvement projects, then on the way home stopped at Babbins for delicious food, great wine and fun conversations.

Afterward we went to the theater and watched "The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug"
We all enjoyed the exciting action, and incredible sets.  Though perhaps the purists object to the artistic license taken, I thought it added a lot to the background that otherwise would have been missing.

Last night consisted of small snacks, some football, a movie (Monsters University) and toasting with champagne at midnight while our neighbors were outside setting off a lot of fireworks!  Today we celebrated the New Year with Mass at CTR in honor of "Mary Mother of God."   It likely is the last Mass we get to enjoy for 6 months!  We will definitely miss our Houston faith family!!!

Both the University of Arizona and the Aggies won their respective Bowl games.    Tom has enjoyed being able to watch college football with Peter, as well as a few pro teams playing since he's been home.   Sunday before Christmas Tom, his dad Ray and Peter went to watch the Texans get trounced by Denver!

Two days and we might be on a plane back to Zambia.  Not certain whether we actually will get to leave that day, but we'll keep you all posted!  Our schedules never seem to completely align with reality.  Mainly we just don't want to get stuck overnighting along the route, getting our baggage lost, or having to sit on a plane on the tarmac waiting for repairs!!!  But, we'll see.  Whatever happens it most certainly will add to our store of stories.

Advent Time

An entire 6 week "while I'm in Houston" plan, shattered-to-pieces.

I had not counted on extra time getting home - lost luggage - getting ill!  Or rather, probably still not really over whatever it was I got while in Zambia.  As of this writing (Dec 18) I am down to only 2 more doses of antibiotic treatment, and feeling far more human than I was a week ago!  Simply another vivid reminder that I really am not in charge, and glad I'm not.  I am very thankful for our family doctor, capable kiddos, and a loving husband!

But, Advent marches on, despite any protestations to the contrary.  Here are some of the decorating, some pets and a "new friend" who moved in.   Enjoy!!!

Jess, our good sport!

This little anole was discovered early in December, and now this seems to be the preferred living space (on top of my china hutch).  

Some pets have no problem waiting for Christmas!

Thanksgiving Day

A year ago we were here for Thanksgiving supper, meeting and making new friends in Zambia!

This year Tom was working in Chingola, and we sat down to a wonderful dinner in our Houston house.

Kate getting the brine ready for the turkey.  She planned the entire menu, then had her sisters and brother help make a splendid meal.

Mary happily helping out in the kitchen.  So nice to be home, right Mary?

 Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Moving On, and On, and On...

We got to spend extra time at the Lusaka airport.  And as a result, got to stand in line at the Addis Ababa airport beginning at 1:00 am .. until 5:00 am.  Missed our flight to Frankfurt and got to spend the day (as the night was long gone by the time we arrived at the accommodation the airline arranged) here:

Mary and I were completely exhausted, and so happy we had nice comfy beds to sleep in.  She is still asleep, but this is the extent of what I could do to explore .. take photos out our window.  The front desk at the Churchill Hotel kept one passport as insurance that we couldn't try to stay in the country as we only had transfer status visas.  (Now, why would we want to stay?  We were trying to leave!!)  And apparently we were not even allowed to step one foot outside the hotel until the time our shuttle was due to return us to the airport that evening.

Our impressions, compared to Zambia .. far cleaner city.  Nice mountains!  Interesting alphabet/lettering style.  Food at the hotel was quite a pleasant surprise.  So for having to stay an extra day, not a bad place to cool our toes, and they were cold!

The green VW Beetle tickled me!  Nice color, far different from the blue used everywhere in Zambia.

So, after a bit of an unexpected layover in Addis, we flew Ethiopian Airways to Dulles in Washington, D.C.  Our bags didn't make it, but went via Germany, and arrived the next day.  Most of what we brought stayed intact.  Some soapstone carvings were casualties, as well as the handle on my lovely basket that we bought in Serenji when we visited Kapisha Hot Springs.

Our choice of luggage these days are German Army surplus duffles.  Quite rugged, but not unique.  Our trip home back in August I snagged one off the belt in Detroit, only to immediately realize that it wasn't my name on the tag.  

Not having our baggage made going through customs a breeze!  I wouldn't recommend it as standard practice, but we were so exhausted by the time we got to Houston, and could make our baggage claim with United I was happy to just be "home" and in my own bed!!  

She No Work No More!!

And that means our night guard has extra duty these days.

The heavy metal doors for the garage have been getting progressively difficult to open and shut.  A year ago we pointed this out, and the solution was to "shave" the metal at the top of both doors.

Well, it took a year, but here is how we had to leave the door last evening ... And in order to even open it this far on Sunday morning Tom and I were both shoving, trying to lift, pulling and forcing it to drag open just enough to drive the Trol out!

Supposedly a crew is scheduled to come out today to fix it.  Based on past performance, that may or (more likely) not happen.

And ending with a very pretty lily in the front yard.  Everything isn't bad here, just a bit of a struggle.

New Animals

The last three days has brought a few new animals to photograph.

First one is a beautiful butterfly near the backyard (actually called the front yard here ??) patio resting on some frilled coreopsis:

Early on Sunday morning, while we were loading up the Trol for a shopping excursion to Kitwe Tom nearly stepped on this little guy.  It was quite patiently watching small ants.  Since we have plenty to share, it was welcome to any and all it would eat.

The final new creature greeted us when we returned from Kitwe.  He (she?) was waiting near the front door on the entryway.  Fortunately it simply skittered in and stayed put outside.  Beautiful lizard, though I am grateful we found it outside, and not inside.  We are fine with the inside lizards as they only range from 1" to no more than 4" long.

Since he was so pretty, here is one more shot:

Proof!

Our efforts with the pool have paid off.  And we've been in the water a few times the past week and weekends.  However the rainy season is gearing up, so it is a fight between having enough solar radiation to warm the water, enough chlorine to temper the algae growth, time for the pool robot to clean the bottom and rainfall!

But, here we are enjoying the water and sunshine on Saturday.