Toilets and stuff

We had to have our toilet seen to this week, an intermittent flush. We tolerated it for a while and then I had a major stamp the feet moment one night and we both new that a plumber would be required and soon.If you live in our area and need a plumber I now have one I would be happy to recommend. Our little boy was kind of anxious about him coming. I am not sure exactly what image "plumber" had conjured up in his mind but he looked mighty relieved when he arrived in a normal van, with a big smile and friendly chat, and he was, of course, mighty impressed by anyone that can fix things with a wrench and a hammer.

During our six months in Dodoma we had an intermittently flushing toilet. It flushed when the water was on and did not when it was not. Sometimes it was just off for four or five hours and other times much longer. On one occasion it was off for about two weeks as a major piece was missing from the town system and needed ordered from who knows where, probably a neighbouring country. We ran extremely low in our water supplies, huge barrels in the house and had to pit the barrels in the land rover and drive up to the Bible college a couple of miles up the road. They had their own well and were delighted to let us fill our containers. That is the Bible college where my parents are currently staying and teaching.

Across the road was an AOG church and many wonderful folks who became firm friends. They lived in a dry and dusty area where very little was grown. Cathy went home from that group and her ATC group raised a whole heap of cash that allowed that church to sink a well. We returned two years later and a dry and dusty area had been transformed into a wonderful vegetable garden. There was food and income right there!!

On my third trip to Tanzania we had no flushing toilet, just wonderfully constructed wooden platforms and the rest I leave to your imaginations. Actually, it is hugely preferable to a non flushing disgusting toilet any day! The village we stayed in had no plumbing at all. Each morning our water for the day arrived on the heads of a group of women from the village. That was hugely humbling and when we returned from making mud bricks, an incredibly dirty process obviously, we tumbled into "shower blocks" wooden partitions and bathed in a small bucketful of water. There was no complaining. That water had travelled miles, and I do mean miles, at a great cost to someone else. I also have to confess here that when I asked for my bucket, it was always hot. Hey! Don't tell the others! Some of them may only have had the occasional warm bucket. Leader privileges. I just smiled and said a very big "Asante sana!!".

This week, I dug out my canvas shoes from last year. They were still in pretty good nick and I am not into wasting anything. I wore them for a couple of days and then took them off one night in the living room to a fairly major reaction from Mike. My feet were possibly not the sweetest smelling things. Some things just maybe need to hit the bin. Can you imagine how our canvas shoes smelled after six months in Tanzania with very little else to wear and in high temperatures. Gill (my roommate) and I, had an agreement that they would never be brought into our room. For the life of me I cannot recollect where we left them. Big ol' nasty cockroaches were always a toe crunching hazard. On the last day in Dodoma Gill took her nasty shoes and had a bit of a dumping ceremony, leaving them outside by the fire for our guards to burn up. (As wazungus, white folks, we needed guards on our house to protect us from armed gangs. They would have been dreadfully disappointed as we did not even have furniture beyond a table and eight chairs in the house.) We were completely gobsmacked later to see one of the guards wearing those nasty ol' shoes, looking totally chuffed with himself at his new aquisition.
As I said Tanzania taught me a lot about maladjustment.

Tanzania

Today my parents arrived in Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania. They have travelled in Tanzania on a number of occasions but this is the first time they have visited Dodoma, the place I lived and worked and learned so much for six months, way back in 1993. I have just spoken with them, so easy these days with mobile technology and a far cry from the one phone call home I had in six months, on Christmas day. I recollect Mum and I crying most of the 30 minutes!

Tanzania was the place that I really and truly developed my heart for maladjustment, taught by so many wonderful friends there and supported by a great team of folks who were keen to learn the same lessons as I and desperate to give whatever we could. Cathy, Gill, Jackie, Mark and David. I will relive those days so much over the next two weeks and am desperate for news and photo's and my parents' stories.

I went back to Tanzania with another team a few years later. It was another truly inspiring time. We started a process of building a secondary school by helping make the mud bricks. That team grafted their hearts out in tough but wonderful conditions. I think about those guys a lot too. Annette, Rowan, Brenda and Terry. Jenny and David to name a few. I am so bad at keeping up with folks that they are probably sure I do not even remember their names. The secondary school is finished, I have heard, and I know much of the work that was started in the hearts of team members is still real and bearing fruit. I know it is in mine.

If I had the authority, I would be oh so tempted to make it mandatory for everyone to spend at least one week of their life in another culture. The world would be a much more understanding and generous place. We would better know what was important for sure.

For me, I want to take the family and go back to Dodoma and learn some more.

Growth

All sorts of stuff is growing in our allotment, and most of it good. The greenhouse now has tomatoes and cucumbers. Our cabbage, kale and broccoli are doing their level best to fight past the slug munching and grow up big and strong. We are still not completely sure which is which. I kind of lost the system when I transplanted them out into trays to give them more space.The beans have made an appearance, as has the garlic and the onions.

Today while we rejoiced in growth we did a fare amount of raka fracking at a weed, a strong virulent, and all over the place, weed. Little did we realise as we dug over the soil initially that we were in a battle with this enemy. Its root system is oh so long and now very hard to remove from in between our little plants battling bravely for life. As we moved to dig out a new area today I took so much more time to dig deeper and clear out every sign of anything that may just be a root. Who knows whether I will have been succesful. Time will tell, as will the success of the carrots we plan to sow there.

This week I listened to an account of a family whose lives had been devastated by an evil act of wrong doing. This one act had allowed something to become rooted and the roots grew strong destroying over and over again what could have been new positive life. As I listened I wondered how change could ever be brought about. What level of support and counselling would be required to bring goodness into a situation that so cried out for it?

As I have reflected on this situation this week I have been led to pray. I believe that the Eternal Gardner knows how to gently but persistently pull out and clear away all those roots that would seek to destroy. Then those plants that have been desperate to blossom can do so, into all sorts of wonderful creations. Please God.

If only I had some faith for a miraculous removing of that weed from our garden.

Charity shops don't do white!

One of the big challenges I had set myself this year was to avoid clothes shops and see if it is possible to stick with charity shops to keep my wardrobe kitted out. Also to explore the possibilities out there in fairly traded clothes.
I hate shopping so leaving behind the high street has been a breeze. I have made the occasional forage into charity shops and found a few good things but on the whole I just haven't bought stuff, quite honestly having no need. That in itself, I reckon is a good move in the direction to maladjustment. We live in a society that seeks to convince us we need more and we need the latest. We don't. Pure and simple.
White t-shirts and shirts have always been a bit of a main stay of my wardrobe, t-shirts with my jeans most of the time and whites in various forms for work combined with smart trousers. I am deeply envious of folks who can do do that smart/casual look with black. I am pale all year round and very pale eight months of the year. One February a cleaner came into my classroom at the end of the day. "Oh!" she said, "You look hellish!" "That is a pity", was my reply, "Because I am feeling great."

Well, my white shirts are no longer white and I ain't going to be finding them in charity shops. Other folks grayed out whites I can live without. I found myself buying a much needed white top for work in ASDA, actually suffering such a level of guilt, expecting the maladjustment police to march me away any minute. M&S did me a favour with a fair trade t-shirt but only one style in my size.

So if this challenge is to become a lifestyle then I need to look at a few more options and I guess for that it will need to be internet shopping. So what about these?

http://www.peopletree.co.uk/category/hers/tops/jersey-basics/

These I do not think so............
http://www.nomadsclothing.com/pages/es19blusml.htm

but there is some good stuff there and they get fair trade. http://www.nomadsclothing.com/pages/fair-trade.htm

Maybe these are more me. In fact I like them but maybe in black or aubergine!
http://www.nomadsclothing.com/pages/tr11grnsml.htm

Recycling!

Cling film is just so handy but there has to be another way to keep the stuff fresh and not fill the landfill sites. Plastic containers and lids are about as tricky to pair in this house as socks.

We bought an Nintendo Ds game for the grown-ups to play while the little girl was in bed, a pre-owned, of course. She was a little reluctant to share until we explained that maybe we would not share our TV. Some lessons are hard learned!

On Thursday we headed for Edinburgh and the American consulate to renew our little girls American passport. As we waited for the Consular, herself, to witness our signatures and she clearly had more important things to be doing, we worked hard to keep our little girl entertained. We had to stop the forward rolls for the safety of the others waiting. She sat up beside me and decided to play with my three rings.

"This one" she said in a loud voice, "is your meeting ring. You got it when you met Daddy"

There were a few smiles around the room at that desciption of my engagement ring.

"This one is your wedding ring. And this one, Mummy, this one is your Granny's wedding ring isn't it?"

I nodded.

"Yeah, you took that one off your Granny when she died, right?"

The encouraging smiles disappeared behind hands with a lot of shoulder heaving, as I choked and went into a fit of giggles at the awful image she had conjured up. I may be big into recycling but let me assure you I am big into respect!

Round 4

(Actually it feels like round 10!)

Our little boy turned four today. He has been asking everyday this week if his birthday was tomorrow. On Monday he got a "his size" spade and rake from Aunty Vony. She said she felt a little strange buying him tools that he could use to dig weeds out of her yard. He loves it and so do we. No more fighting to use our tools!

On Tuesday a package arrived from Aunty Beth and Uncle Adam from http://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/. How wonderful! A spacerocket with a sound track of a space shuttle launch and no batteries. This eco rocket has been flying all over our house. Our little girl has a fairly traded fairy outfit which she will love when she puts her brothers rocket down. There was also a book which shows you a whole pile of things you can make out of things you would normally throw out! Hours of creative fun right there!! The rocket and the book have already been to school as it has been Eco Week.

Today he got his cannon and that is actually how he descibed the catapult when he saw it in the box with all the castle pieces. He has played battles on and off all day today. He also got a bike from his Gran and Papa and Aunt Susan and Uncle Doug. Mum saw one that she thought would be great and when it arrived in the box he was pretty thrilled and ran off to nursery with the assurance it would be all ready for him when he got home. Shock horror. It was quicly apparent that the thing was too dang small and there was 0ne hour and fifty minutes before he returned home. Well, a local bike store, a helpful salesman and the fact that the only bike we thought would be suitable was the only one that they had a built up model ready to take home (£10 reduced as it was a bit dusty from the storeroom), saved the day!!

We ate tonight at a Chinese Buffet. His choice. Chicken Satay sticks are all he likes there but he ate four and the rest of us ate plenty. Then home for birthday cake. He helped make it this morning and you could tell. He is an additional ingredient to any cake that brings uncertain results. He thought it was " beautiful" and actually bounced on the sofa blowing out the candles.

Happy birthday buddy boy!!

Round 3

Our little girl turned six today. Hard to believe it actually. It is really important to live life, and to not just get by, because time is precious and it rattles by.
We started the day dredging out her cereal bowl looking for her first tooth that had come out. That thing has been loose for days now, in fact it may be weeks. Half way thru her cereal this morning she realised that it was gone. We still haven't found it. She is away to sleep tonight determined to dream happy dreams so that she will smile and the tooth fairy will see that there is a gap! A big thank you to Charlie and Lola. Maybe you think that it is not very maladjusted to let her believe in the tooth fairy but I know that some things she will grow out of and other beliefs will grow stronger and will stay with her and walk her through the good times and the tough times. These beliefs will enable her to be a world changer.
She was thrilled at the Nintendo DS, just thrilled. She has also received many other wonderful gifts from generous family and friends. Rupert and Zoom thankfully return to school tomorrow with many stories to tell.
Our littler boy wants to know if it is his birthday tomorrow. Not quite buddy! Just five more sleeps for round 4.

Round 2

Our littler boy was so hyped about everything that he bounced awake at half five this morning and made sure we were all up with him. We did try and put the kids back to bed and that lasted for a good ten minutes. By 10am they had been to the airport, picked up Grandma and Grandaddy,and had tennis lessons and for some reason we were all exhausted before the day had really begun.

Lunchtime saw the arrival of the entire Clan . As I made roast red pepper and tomato soup I worked out that soon we will, at least just might, have grown all the ingredients ourselves for this. Just how good would that be. We do kind of need to have a slight increase in the temperature, altho the chillies and peppers are just loving being inside with all the central heating.

Our littler boy was a pinata star. He swung at that thing with some gusto. His little cousin was a little more uncertain initially about bashing a donkey with a stick but quickly learned from watching the three bigger cousins that such activity was not just acceptable but a lot of fun. Somebody had suggested to me that we could make our own pinata but as much as I am in to eco I drew the line at the amount of creativity and paper mache that would have taken and really the fifteen minutes of bashing we got out of that one made every single penny spent worth it! it can go in the recycle bin.

We used the napkins, plates and cups that Grandma brought for y'days party today and we have kept all the plastic cups to plant seeds and baby plants in. Recycling at its best.

Then we all went ten pin bowling. Mum got a lower score than all the kids!

Let the festival begin- Round 1

Five little girls and one granny ( Thank God for Granny's!) came for a birthday tea party tonight. Grandma should have been there but unfortunately weather in the north east US meant a serious delay of planes heading north and the g'parents missed the connecting flight, necessitating an overnight stay in Newark. We have just spoken to the Grandaddy. He says his fun meter is pegged out and I can fully understand that but he better get that meter all charged up because the two grandkids are 100% charged. Our little girl has "borrowed" one of our clocks to put by her bed to make sure she is up at the "crack o' dawn" to be ready to go to the airport.

The party was a lot of fun for the small people. Everything was recyclable apart from the balloons. What to do about balloons? She loves them but they sure aren't bio-degradable! They played games, iced cakes, planted sunflowers and ate lots of good stuff before heading home at just the right moment.

We also had Rupert and Zoom at the party. Rupert, the bear, has been a member of Katie's class for about six months. He goes home every night and gets up to lots of stuff that gets written about in his diary. Zoom, the alien, crash landed just about two weeks ago right in the middle of their classroom. They have been busy designing spaceships to get him home. (So much fun for parents!) and he has been travelling around with different kids learning about Earth.

All I can say is that Zoom and Rupert are in for a fun weekend!! Mike is stuffing the pinata for tomorrow when we have the family party for both kids, round two. A cannon and a pinata were the littler boys requests.

Weather Forecasts

I have to confess an addiction to the BBC weather site, with four hourly predictions. And it is all because of the laundry. I am obsessed with getting it dry outside. I have entered into this competition with the power company. They are not at all aware of their involvement in this dual but they will not win! So far in the last five weeks I have used the tumble dryer just once. Pretty impressive for a country that appears to have forgotten that the progressing of the months should bring an improvement in the climactic conditions.

I am also approaching the laundry with a military precision. No more overflowing, needed to be sorted and ironed laundry baskets for me. Nope!! I am folding straight from the line and running up and down those stairs to put stuff straight away into drawers, leaving just a few things that need ironed and if I can I am taking things off the line, ironing them there and then on the way to upstairs.
Do I sound obsessive? You better believe it. Thought you might appreciate a bit of dialogue in our car on the way home from church last Sunday.

Mum: (anguished tone) Oh no!
Little girl: What's the matter? What is it Mummy?
Mum: Dang dang and dang it!!
Littler boy: What is it? What happened?
Mum: It is starting to rain. It cannot rain. The washing is out.
Little girl: Maybe it is not raining on our house
Dad: Yep maybe that big black cloud is not raining at our house.
Mum: Right that is it! Listen up people! When we get home we are going to work as a team so shape up and listen carefully. I want all your butts out this car and moving as fast as those legs can carry you to the back garden. No taking anything from the car. You run. Got it? And you start carrying laundry in as quick as you can. It is not getting wet. Dang this bus in front of us. It is a bus. Why is it not stopping to let folk on and off and letting me passed. Does it not know that is what buses do. Shift it, bus, my laundry is getting wet. Right! Do we all understand what is expected.
Littler boy: But Muuuummy. I just got wee legs. I can't carry very much or run fast.
Mum: Look are you part of this team or what? You carry as much as you can. Got it?!
Littler boy: Eh........
Mum:Right are you ready?
Mum: Let's do this thing!

Hey, there were three loads out there. That was just too many points to concede! And we did it and those wee legs were attached to one very proud little boy, proud to be part of the team and too little to know that his Mummy is just a little insane.