Mid March

So, the past few days have been pretty fabulous. We had a permie re-unite down in Quthing, at KJ's ridiculously too big and too nice house. We met her students, bought some solar-baked bread (delectable!) ate good food (after hours of trying to 'grill' hamburgers), discussed Lizzie's recipe book, went for a hike, saw cave paintings, developed cosmos predictions, at even MORE good KJ-made food, shared ideas for future nutrition booklets, boated it back across the river, and then spent quality time with Miss Drunk M'e on the sprinter the whole 3 hours from Mohale's Hoek... Oh Lesotho!!

I have been trying to compile a Nutrition booklet for my center's cooking staff. I'm gathering info on food groups, dehydration, vitamins, recipes (in both English and Sesotho), and (protein and carb-added diets for HIV positive people. We'll see how it goes... Might need some help, Lizzie. =)

Again, everybody, thanks for all the packages and mail. (I have two more in Pitseng and it kills me when I get the slips in the P.O. box and I have to wait until the actual office is open to find out what they are!!) By the way, I binge-wrote some letters last weekend. So be on the lookout for a Lesotho-stamped envelope coming your way. I'm trying to improve with my replies to people...

I'm really REALLY glad my parents FINALLY received the box I mailed from Ficksburg!! I know the elephant is kinda hippyish looking Gram & Deb & Mandi & Chris, but it's funky and it's from Swaziland =) Hope everyone else likes their small, VERY delayed Christmas surprises.

I don't really know how to react to hearing about deaths from home. I mean, I cannot actually do anything to alter life's course if I were home. But it's just DIFFERENT to be so far away and hear about it. Maybe it's because I am so far away that it all doesn't really ring true in my mind. It doesn't hit close to home, because I'm not at home? I just accept it now. Life and death happen. It could be that I've been in Lesotho long enough and so I have become a little more insensitive, and I probably sound very selfish. But, I can't really stop living my life to make sure I'm home for everything. Yes, I guess I have gotten to be a bit more insensitive. Sorry. It's the truth about how I feel though. Really, Dickie is better off. Much better off. And that's what I focus on. I feel weird mentioning the more recent one because I haven't spoken to my Mom yet. She was the one who knew him best. But it does make me think of Grandma Lila. <3 Anyway, know that I do love you Mom & Dad & Ryan and I do wish that I was home sometimes, just to BE there.

Okay, serious moment just passed.

I'm very suprised by how many people read this, and how many letters and cards I get that say people read about my adventures. It's amazing. Really.

Salang hantle

<3 Am