Rose & Janet Update

 Hi friends and fellow bloggers,

Rose has now been discharged from hospital as of Tuesday morning, January 11, 2022 Kenyan time.  She has to return for wound care in 5 days then again in 2 weeks so she has not gone home yet. She is staying with a friend so she can be closer to the hospital. Hopefully it can work out for the doctor to make home visits in future for wound care and follow up.

 

New mothers and newborns need a lot of things. We've helped Rose to purchase the above items and other necessaries to help her get underway.

Kindly continue to keep her need in prayer.

We also continue to seek prayer for Janet. 

She is the lady who was chased away from her ancestral home when she had to move back there after her failed marriage. Her brother dismantled her roof, burned the house and threatened her life. Janet has 4 daughters and is trying hard to make a go of a shop selling hair products and related grooming items.

Her brother is in jail and charged with some criminal offenses for what he did to Janet. He is a poor villager so he has been unable to raise the bond until he awaits trial. The bond is extremely high for a Canadian let alone a poor villager. While her brother has been in jail, Janet and her daughters feel much safer.  However she needs continued prayer for several things 1) business success 2) emotional and spiritual strength 3) stability for her daughters and 4) funds to eat and send them to school.  

She is also being pressured by the village elders who are now realizing that Janet's brother could go to prison for a very long time. They want Janet to speak to the police on behalf of her brother. As you can imagine, this places her in a very difficult position. She needs prayer for wisdom and strength concerning this matter also. I have shared my views and thoughts with the Kenyans who have been my hands and legs to help Janet through this time. My assistance to Janet will end soon and it would be nice if I could find someone to help her with monthly needs. Would you pray about whether you could be her help? Thanks so much.

Sad Happenings & Christmas Loading

I'm checking in after several days recuperating from double ear infections.  The ears seem to be getting better but I've had to reschedule my ENT appointment at the hospital. They don't see patients who exhibit cold or Covid like symptoms. Thankfully I have been rescheduled before the end of this month.

I have sad news. 

Pastor Jonah (in Kenya) lost another family member. Rebecca was his aunt on his father's side and the eldest remaining member of the family on his father's side. She was a strong, fearless woman who did her very best to keep her extended family on the straight and narrow path and to encourage them all to live in unity. She had been battling a number of health issues including Covid 19 at the end.  She didn't want to be a burden on her family and when she found out they were planning to sell family land to meet the hospital bills she refused further medical interventions, primarily oxygen, to hasten her demise.  Kindly keep this family in prayer. Medical costs in Kenya are beyond the ability of many, many families. This woman's husband is a retired police officer. In Canada, police officers get well compensated and have a decent pension but in Kenya that isn't the case though things are slowly changing for some. The family is raising funds for the accumulated hospital expenses (accrued over many months of going back and forth to hospital), mortuary fees and funeral expenses. For now they have raised enough to pay the hospital costs.

On this side of the ocean, I learned from the brother to a long time pen pal and prayer partner of mine, that my friend Arlene is in critical condition in the hospital. Due to several underlying health conditions, she cannot have surgery and she has directed that no interventions are to be made. Arlene lives near Orlando, Florida where she moved to be closer to her brother as she got older.  Her brother is now overseeing her affairs and readying her for hospice care. Arlene was a very dear friend.  We met on line on a Christian website where I met many lovely people who were sharing their knowledge with one another as well as praying for one another. After some time the website developers switched their website to paid church membership only, meaning only churches could join.  Arlene and I were no longer able to stay on the website but we remained friends and  prayer partners.  She prayed so many times for different needs in Kenya. In fact I was just going to write to her and update her on different things when I received the sad news from her brother. In the last 2 years I did not burden her with prayer requests due to her age and failing health but she did ask me from time to time about things and I liked to share any good news with her.  Update:  Arlene died on Friday morning Eastern Standard Time, November 12, 2021. Her brother Stuart informed all of her email contacts. I'm grateful he had access to her email otherwise I would not have known.

Both of these wonderful ladies will be greatly missed for the wonderful care they displayed to their loved ones and to humanity in general.  They both had kind hearts and those of us who loved them have the hope of seeing them again some day.

 ~~~

Though I have received this sad news in the last few days, I have been keeping busy with the day to day needs here at home too.

I've only been running out to purchase groceries or to  pick up parcels. 

I'm also trying to get my calendar organized with all the various appointments and follow ups so that I can assess when I might fit in a cultural event or two before Christmas. I bought a pass to the Christmas Market and I can go anytime after the middle of November up until Christmas. A friend and I have made plans to go together once she is on school break and I'll probably go once or twice alone. This will be my first year attending the Christmas Market which is held outdoors.  I have some other ideas for things I'd like to do but it will depend on how I'm feeling. I've already missed the concert I booked for last Sunday so I don't want to book and then miss out again.

Some of you may have seen my post for Tuesday 4.  The topic related to Thanksgiving and Christmas. I think that subliminally I was thinking about holiday foods and also the cold weather makes me want filling and warming foods.

So today I cooked a ham dinner with potatoes au gratin and roasted cabbage.

I have enough left over for at least 3 or 4 meals, 2 of which will be ham soup with beans/lentils or split peas.This kind of soup is just the thing needed for cold, wet days and nights.

Wednesday was a very nice, dry day but prior to that it rained buckets for several days.  It's going to rain again all week but next week the forecast is for dry weather. I always look forward to a dry day here and then once the rainy season has started.

~~~

The Christmas card list is getting drawn up. I've got letters and a few parcels to prepare and I also need to draw up a list of small monetary gifts I'd like to send to several people in Kenya including Rose and her new born baby to be. 

 ~~

I also need to stay alert for Rose's delivery. Some of you might remember when I wrote about Rose and her pregnancy complications.  She had been doing fine and was at home but doctors are concerned about her ability to give birth without complications arising.  So she has moved temporarily from the village area where she lives, to the town of Kericho where she is staying with a friend until it is time to delivery the baby. This way she is close to a well equipped hospital in case special interventions or a C - section are necessary. I would like to add her to the Christmas list because she will need to stay in hospital for several days necessitating a larger than normal hospital bill for a typical expectant mother. In addition, the new baby will need some things.

 

A Very Merry Christmas

Hi friends,

I hope you are all well since my last post. I've been getting things ready in my home and running errands all related to Christmas.  

Sky Watch

Before I get into the news I want to share a few sky photos.  The first photo was taken on December 14th in the late afternoon.  The next photo was taken a few days earlier on Sunday, December 12th mid-afternoon after a particularly wet weekend.

Over the next 2 weeks the forecast is for half rainy days and half sunny days.  That's better than what we usually get at this time of year.

I'm grateful for the odd days of sunshine and the glorious views but truthfully the rainy days haven't bothered me much because I'm indoors and keeping busy.

Christmas Preparations

On Sunday night I finally got out the Christmas ornaments and did the decorating.  I'm glad to have the decorating done. Now I can enjoy the twinkling lights every day as I await Christmas.

 

The small tree, the mantle and bookshelves have all been decorated. I love my little tree because it is pre-lit and doesn't require many baubles. I gave away my larger one and this is the second year I've had the small one which is a perfect size for the living space.

This is the Chinese armoire I moved to the empty wall. I've added a few sparkly lights and glittery balls though I have yet to hang the elephant head mosaic on the wall.

 

 

The plants at the top of the mantle are a new addition. They were not doing well on the floor as the space is too drafty.  They are all tropical plants and I hope they will do better at the higher level.  The poor ficus lyrata (on far right) have been having a really rough year and I'm amazed they have survived. Some of the leaves are still recovering.

I painted one wall and touched up some doors. I have more to do but this will be it until after Christmas. I wanted to move the small Asian amoire to the wall so I painted the one wall first.
 

Before I added a few glitter items to the Chinese amoire, this is what it looked like just decorated with Kenyan artifacts and a Himalayan salt lamp for a Hygge-ly glow during the winter nights.

 

 

This is the Christmas mail I picked up at the post office today (Tuesday).  I'm always happy to receive cards and letters since hardly anyone I  know sends a card these days. I too have drastically reduced the number of cards I send.

 

I'm expecting 5 more parcels to be delivered to the post office and at home.  Most deliveries have been late and I'm hoping these ones will be delivered before Christmas as two of them contain Christmas presents. I also have a box of chocolates which I ordered for a Christmas fundraiser that I need to find time to go pick up soon.

 

 

Home Projects and Activities

 

I tried to put this box of shelving together. It's missing some pieces but I tried anyway. 

 

 

I need more time to figure it out since the pictorial instructions were somewhat useless and the snaps that hold each shelf up won't stay closed. If I cannot figure it out I may have to return it but I'm hoping I can figure it out. I bought the shelves with castors so I can roll it out of the way when I'm cleaning.

 

 

On my reading list:

I completed this book by Kristen Harmel. I highly recommend it.

I am now reading, The Girl with Seven Names. It's very interesting and is about a young activist from North Korea about her early life and ultimate escape from North Korea.  I found out about her on You Tube through a Ted Talk video when she was invited to California to speak about her experiences.

This is what I've been making and eating for dinner this week.

Ginger stir fried chicken with onions and snap peas served with brown rice.

Fried bannock bread to accompany the leftover ham and bean soup.

Pork chops roasted with capsicum and onions served with penne pasta in pasta sauce

Submarine sandwich and an orange

 

Fried pork chop with brown rice and stir fried Baby Bok Choy, yellow peppers and onions

Kenyan Needs

Last but not least, I want to mention the needs in Kenya which are great at any time but especially now after the great floods, the locust invasion, the Covid pandemic and the Christmas season.  Many more people than usual are without any form of work and there is little government help. 

If you are in a position to help at all please consider doing so. It would mean a world of difference. This year my help will be more modest.  In recent years I have always worked with Pastor Jonah to do something special for a needy larger group be it widows, orphans, school kids or the internally displaced people (IDPs). Most of the latter have now been given land to start life anew and though they are likely still in need we have lost touch with them or they have moved out of the general areas where we try to serve people.

The list of recipients I can try to help is shorter this year and I've itemized the basic needs below. If  you would like to contribute to any of them kindly contact me at my email or send a Pay Pal donation to kerichojoy [@] gmail.com (the address is without the square brackets of course but I have put them there so the bots and spammers don't pick up the address).  If you have difficulty leave a comment  below as to how I can reach you back. If for some reason you still have difficulty accessing, I can also send you a Pay Pal request for payment to the email of your choice and in the amount of your choice.  It would be lovely if we could make Christmas a bit brighter for these people.  

All dollars amounts are given in Canadian currency.  If you need assistance with converting these amounts to your currency let me know and I can help you.  Most of these listed needs are ongoing needs but some of them are specific to Christmas, like food and clothing.  It is customary in Kenya to have at least one meal of chicken on Christmas day and a treat to buy one new change of clothing. The clothing takes the place of a gift since the village people have very little in the way of clothing or material goods.  The dollar amount beside each item is the bare minimum and does not cover the cost of the chicken in the food amounts (food amount covers things like tea, sugar, maize flour, rice and oil). If you want to add a chicken it will be another $15-$20 Canadian). Things in Kenya are expensive but we do our best to keep wants and needs to the barest minimum.

Here are the needs of people I help through the hands and feet of Jonah and Alvin in Kenya. Some of them I help each month and some I help only when I am able to do something more.

People I have been consistently supporting each month

Eunice - in hospital - contribution of any amount for medicines (blood $55 Canadian dollars a pint; medicines for blood pressure and blood thinner - approximately $40 Canadian dollars each) + special diet ($205 per month).

Ernest - diabetes medicine $55 monthly; vitamins $30 monthly; food $55 monthly; food for Christmas week $25; new change of clothing (thrifted) $25, transport ($20)

Alvin - food for Christmas week ($25); data bundles ($25-$30); clothing/shoes ($50); transport ($20).

Jonah - food for Christmas week ($25); vitamins ($30); data bundles ($50); clothing/ shoes ($50); transport ($40)

People I help intermittently

David - married travel tour operator with 2 children and a wife. His business has been greatly affected since Covid started. Food is the main need and beyond that, education costs.

Sarah - single mother with 3 children living in one of Nairobi's slums. Food is the main need and like any parent in Kenya there are costs associated with educating the children. All kids return to school in January 2021.

Stephanie - single mother with one child under 1 year old. Food is the main need and baby things.

Carolly - single man who recently began working as a doctor. He only makes $256.00 Canadian per month at a maternity clinic in a small village.  The money must stretch to cover his food, housing, data and transport needs, and the needs of his sister and grandmother (3 households). I also help him from time to time with things like phone or transport costs). Sadly Carolly lost his grandmother yesterday.  She suffered a stroke in the spring and gradually got weaker.  She now rests with the ones who have gone before. Please pray for her children and grandchildren as they are devastated.

Update:  I have now sent Christmas food package to several people: Ernest, Alvin, Jonah and Sarah.  Since it is Christmas I added a few hungry people who were not on the list above:  Elijah (with 7 family members), Charles (6 family members) and Rose (several family members). I also intend to add David who has 3 additional family members. I gratefully received a donation from one of my blog readers. There is still time to send a donation so please don't worry about when you can send it if you are planning to send something. The people will be glad to have some help to buy food and medicines at any time.

 ~~~~~

Things are moving along here and I still have many projects to complete. I'm hoping that before and after Christmas I will have accomplished a lot more and can start the New Year with a clean slate. I am actually a bit behind but I am pleased with my progress and I think after Christmas dinner is done I will be able to accomplish a lot.

I will be taking a break from posting until after Christmas but will still access email daily. Update:  I had a lot of difficulty posting photos, centering them and even typing out this post so I apologize for any misspellings as there are more than usual. I've tried to correct them after posting.

God bless and give you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas. 

~~~~

Linking to Skywatch Friday

Bathed in Pastels

We continue to have rain (the almost constant rain for almost 2 months is not so good for the garden) and temperatures on the low side.  The past week it is a bit of sun and rain and I've noticed a lot of humidity though nothing like it gets in eastern Canada or eastern USA.

I do find the skies are quite beautiful at sunrise and I like all the shades of colour I find in the early morning hours.

I've been spending a lot of time on line doing an online version of  "window shopping" as I continue to look for a few items to complete my household decor needs.  I've been getting rid of a lot of things and still have one large item to offload, my late mom's first power wheelchair.  I've found a new home for it but it won't be out of my home for awhile yet. A friend of mine is raising money to replace the chair's batteries and battery charger and to hire someone to deliver it to the intended recipient.  This is a combined humanitarian gesture by my friend and I to someone who suffers from major mobility issues.  Once the chair is gone it will be a huge relief as currently it is several hundred pounds of dead weight and it takes a lot of space.  I'm very pleased that someone who can really benefit from the chair will get one because for her to try and buy one would be a near impossibility.  These kind can cost well over 10 thousand dollars.

Once it's gone I will know how I am rearranging things.  In the meantime I am looking at what I currently have, what can be repurposed and what I may need to purchase.  I am naturally drawn to patterns whether in clothing or in decor.  I also have very eclectic tastes.  After awhile I get a hodge podge of items that don't go together very well.  As I get rid of things I want a simpler, more streamlined look. I am not a minimalist by any means.  Nor do I want to be one.  But over a long period of time I've become more mindful of the things I have and only keep what I really need.  I'm sentimental so it isn't that easy for me to get rid of a lot of things. I have to cull my items several times before I get down to a good amount.  I am also one who likes things organized and so I need to consider what will work best.  I have ideas for getting the kitchen and bathrooms much better organized and all on a small budget.  Material things are not so important to me but of course one needs certain basic things and a home that functions well and is a haven of rest while the world is in turmoil.

I like reading and have several areas that I want to make more comfortable for that purpose. Currently I read in the living room. I can read paper books anywhere of course.  Likewise with certain digital books which I read on my Kobo device.. Other digital books I can only read on my computer and laptop. In future I'll also carve out a spot in my bedroom, a cosy nook if you will.

Here is a photo of the books I've read in 2020.  I have an eclectic array of interests and my reading material reflects that. Maybe you will find something of interest to follow up on.

Right now I am reading, The Island of Sea Women: A Novel, by Lisa See, Tell Tale Stories by Jeffrey Archer, The Power of Praise and Worship by Terry Law.  These are all digital books.  A new hardback  just arrived in the mail called The Book of Signs by Dr. David Jeremiah. I saw Dr. Jeremiah being interviewed on television and immediately ordered the book.  Several digital library books are ready for borrowing, including Homo Deus.  I'm putting them on short pause until I make progress on the ones I'm currently reading.

Update on Kenyan Missions

I'm keeping very busy with solitary tasks and the Missions of Hope in Kenya. One widow lady in a town called Ketingia died and left no male heirs.

Widow Esther

Her name is Esther and in her culture the last born son takes care of his mother after the father has passed.  But  but the woman only had daughters.  Another male relative might have stepped in but no one would step up and take responsibility.  Life in Kenya for village people is very, very hard at the best of times.  Due to Covid 19 and travel restrictions and the financial hardships of life her side of the family did not travel to Ketingia to condole daughter's or to help them fund raise or plan the funeral.  Pastor Jonah has been doing what he can over the past week under these difficult circumstances.  I also confirmed that the medical personnel will be in attendance to bury the deceased once everything is set in place for burial.  The widow didn't die of Covid 19 but of heart attack.  However these days in Kenya burying and gathering are under tight restriction.  The late Esther is to be buried on Saturday and I hope and pray it happens as one of the difficulties encountered is finding a date on which the doctor's schedule is open to deal with the burial. Delays only add to costs.

The other work of feeding, helping with medicines and medical follow up continues for several others including Eunice.  Those of you who follow my blog and the work of our humble mission outreach know that Eunice has been in hospital in the town of Nakuru for one year and four months.. Over that period she hasn't improved significantly though at one time it was thought she would be well enough to discharge.

Once the curfews are lifted in Kenya we will see if we can get Eunice transferred to her home town.  This is easier said than done but at least we will try and with God's help it may be possible. Eunice may not get the same level of care in her home town but she will be nearer to loved ones who will be able to visit her.  Where she is now it is too far for people to travel.  She was taken hours away in order to try and get the best care available. For most of the villagers they simply do not have extra funds to make the journey back and forth to see her.  There is a lot of thinking and planning that must go into a possible move, not the least of which is getting the agreement of the doctor/hospital where she is admitted, finding an appropriate place for her in her home town, transporting her safely and making sure she has medical care and oversight once there.

Grandmother of my friend.

New house is being built as funds are raised

A young doctor friend has been busy trying to fund raise to build a home for his elderly grandmother. He is a newly credentialed doctor and his salary is very modest given that he works in a small, rural hospital to be near to his grandmother.  She has been suffering from pneumonia as a result of the heavy rain and flooding that occurred in Kenya.  Her original house was partially flooded and is no longer habitable.  The grandmother is quite elderly.  She has been mostly in good health until recently and her grandson is concerned about her being in a proper house so she can remain healthy. hospital.

 
Two hundred people drowned in the floods and at least 100,000 were displaced from their homes and farms in May 2020.  Pastor Jonah's elder brother had a coffee plantation which was flooded.  He lost his livelihood as well as the family home.  He now lives temporarily with his wife, 4 children and mother-in-law (and other displaced people) in empty schools and churches.  The Red Cross did provide them with a tent but it wasn't large enough to house the family. I have no idea what the future holds for this particular family but since the rains have started again there isn't any immediate hope of returning to farm the land.  If a way opens up, I would really like to help them get back on their feet once rains stop. If you are feeling led to help please let me hear from you.

An aerial view on May 3 shows flood waters near the Sigiri Bridge in Budalangi, Kenya. (Thomas Mukoya/Reuters)

~~~~

A young man I met several years ago from the Kenyan Boys Choir lost his mother a few days ago and she was to be buried on Thursday June 25th.  She suffered from kidney problems, had a kidney transplant a few years ago and was raising funds to undergo another transplant in India.  She succumbed to health complications before she could get surgery.  The two sons she leaves behind are still quite young though thankfully they are now young men who have finished high school. I'm praying they will be able to manage okay though I know they will really miss the motherly love and support she gave them.

As always we covet your prayers and your support if you are able. You can find details on the side bar to the left for donations and you can also find a link to the African page to read more about the missions.

~~~

I leave you with a few garden photos. Sorry they are not that clear.  I was using the wrong lens and had a very hard time getting clear, close up shots.  I am happy with the colours though.

I can't remember what this plant is called. It really grew this year compared to other years.

 Usually I have red or pink, sometimes white geraniums. These ones are a deep salmon colour.

Beautiful red petunias and burgundy pansies.

Until next time, stay safe.

Joining in with Skywatch Friday this week.

What Do We Do in These Times?

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I trust you had a good Easter weekend and found things for which to be grateful and happy in this unique and somewhat trying time. Some people cope better than others. Introverts and people who don't mind spending time alone probably cope better than others who like to be around a lot of different people all the time.

Taken mid-April 2020

Personally, I am finding the quiet and curtailment of activities easy enough to deal with and I am not going stir crazy.  I am keeping myself occupied and in good spirits.  I think it is a combination of being an introvert and also a by product of my faith in God and his plans for my future.

I am also finding that I do not have as much free time as one would think. I'm keeping busy enough just trying to find the healthy foods I want at a good price, keeping up with food and house essentials which are usually not at a good price and cooking and finding creative ways to use what is on hand or what is available.  Then of course there is the time it takes to cook and prepare for meals and snacks every day and all the clean up afterwards. I think the clean up part is the most time consuming and some days I am more on top of it than others.  These basic tasks are enough to keep me busy but of course there is all the other household stuff to be done, loved ones and friends to check in with, and keeping on top of health and other needs. These activities are not really any different from what I would ordinarily do, but for some reason they seem to be taking more of my time.

I also do a bit of reading, a bit of planting or repotting of plants and binge watching Netflix or movies and other shows I recorded from the television. I am happy to say that my sleep has actually improved.  I now mostly sleep through the night and since I no longer have to be out, I can sleep until my body says "wake up".   In between I am doing "projects".  Just a little at a time as the ones I really need to get to are not fun projects and they require a lot of  thought and attention to detail.  At some point soon I also have to plant the gardens.  A relative promised to bring some top soil for me this weekend so it will likely be another week or two before I get to gardening.  I am a little bit behind my hoped for schedule but that is okay.  I'll likely have more time this summer to tend to the gardens if we continue to be restricted in our day to day activities. So far that seems to be the direction in which things are headed.

This was my community plot at the end of March 2019

I am also keeping busy with the Kenyan missions. The needs continue to be great especially during this time of Covid-19. God promises that we can put all our anxieties on him and it has kept us going through the challenging times. I  always envisioned  getting others involved in helping out in Kenya with the very very needy in the small villages.  So from time to time I try to encourage others to get involved.  If any of you are inclined to help I would be happy to hear from you. You can reach me with questions, comments or donations at the email located at the top right corner of this blog.

When others make an appeal for my help I like to know what the most important needs are and how much it costs.  I've provided a short summary of this information for you.  There are always other needs in addition to these key ones so feel free to give for other purposes (fertilizers, medicines, help with school tuition, food for orphans and widows etc.).  There are always other needs but the ones I've listed are the key ones.  Just a brief note about school tuition fees. Students and their parents paid tuition and school fees at the beginning of 2020 but shortly thereafter the schools were closed to in person attendance. However most students have been assigned homework and in some cases submit their homework on line for teachers to review. This is not  possible for the very poorest who have no internet access and the government hasn't yet put a plan in place though they said they are considering what to do for the students in this situation. In the meantime, in another short while I think the schools will want to collect tuition again since learning and services have been provided albeit in a different manner.

Currently the key needs in the Kenyan missions are:  monthly diabetes medications ($60 Canadian) for Ernest, hospital provided vitamins ($35 Canadian) for Ernest & nutritious foods ($45 Canadian) to help keep his  health stable.  Many Kenyans have very poor nutrition and when they get sick the results can be very bad due to an unhealthy body and weaker immune system.  Eunice is still in hospital and also requires a special diet.  Each month the cost of the food provided by the hospital is $225 Canadian.  Medications to regulate her blood pressure and to thin her blood cost a combined $80 Canadian each month.  Last but not least, we need seeds and fertilizer to plant corn and a few other crops very soon before the long rains arrive (the rains help grow the crops). Corn or maize is a staple of the Kenya diet and they eat the corn and they also mill the corn to get maize flour to make a staple dish called ugali.  The planting costs are about $100 Canadian.  The harvest will help feel 3 households for 1 year.  A lot of people still don't know what ugali is especially if they have not travelled to East Africa. You can see ugali in the photo below. The way you eat it is you take a piece of it and work it with your fingers then you scoop some cooked kale or meat.

This is ugali made with white corn flour.

Please keep the nation of Kenya in your prayers in general. The government has imposed a curfew rather than a strict lock down.It is difficult to have a strict lock down when the majority of the population ekes out a living on a day to day basis.  Even the curfew and other measures put in place like social distancing, masks on public transport etc. are making it very difficult for the people to earn a living and to have daily bread. If you can help in any material way, your help would be a huge blessing and very possibly save lives. This is not an exaggeration.

If you like you can leave a comment telling me what you are doing with your time and whether you have more time for things, less time or about the same. Take care and please continue to keep yourself safe.

Skywatch Friday & a Bit More

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all doing well.

I'm popping in to see how everyone is doing. I've been on a wonderful break. I've been enjoying a much slower, relaxed pace of life. I'm not doing anything unique or exciting just enjoying the usual things I do at a slower pace.  Rain started about a week ago and we've been getting a bit each day which is wonderful as it is good for the earth, good for the dams and good for the gardens and natural life. Today (Friday) it was back to very hot weather.

From my patio garden

Amongst other things I've been busy shopping for and preparing for various friends' birthdays and looking forward and planning and shopping for the prezzies I need to get organized for Christmas. I've also continued reading and currently reading books 33 and 34

I also joined a fashion book club where the leader suggests books to read, then we experiment and share the results.  I haven't done any experimenting yet as  the first step is to read the books. I'm not sure I'll have a lot of time or interest in this but I do like to see what others are wearing and it is a nice diversion from the daily grind.

I've been watching a lot of You Tube videos and learned about the Trim Healthy Mama cookbook from some American ladies who vlog. I'd never heard of this plan or cookbooks before but have now ordered them from the library and think I'll be trying a lot of the recipes in at least one of the books. Do any of you follow this plan? People who follow it consistently seem to get great health and weight loss results. I'm afraid I'm not too good at consistency in following plans. I just try to learn healthier ways of cooking and eating and have decided to purchase their most recent recipe book.

I wrote last time how I had been having so many problems with my knees. I have been popping a lot of OTC painkillers, various health supplements (Turmeric, glucosamine and a host of other daily vitamins). I still have to go for my updated x-ray before I am referred to an arthritic program but I am happy to report that the pain levels have been more bearable this past few days.  I continue to walk almost daily and get on the whole body vibration machine for about 10 minutes daily.

Meeting with friends has proved to be a bit more challenging as several have been ill, a hazard it seems of growing older. I always feel great when I get a chance to sit and meet with friends I haven't seen in awhile and I have been able to meet with a few. I hope to get to meet a few more in the next few weeks so I can have a clear slate before company arrives.

My family had a scare a few days ago when one of my brothers almost met his end after a freak accident in his driveway. Thankfully he is fine. After the accident he was trying to rest in his house when he started experiencing chest pains. He went to hospital and they checked his heart and his head as he had smacked his head when thrown from the vehicle when it stopped on the roadway.  The doctors pronounced him okay and after a couple days recovery at home he told me he was very bored and wanted to go to work the next day. He is very grateful that his injuries were not worse and that it wasn't yet lights out for him. So much can change in an instant and we his loved ones and friends are grateful that things were not much worse.

One of the many geraniums from my patio garden

Updates on Missions in Africa

In my last post I wrote about Levi the Engineering student I had been helping in Kenya. He is now in India and getting registered for all his classes.  The entire process of registration and running from building to building when he isn't familiar with the place is somewhat overwhelming.  But he is a determined fellow so he will no doubt see it through.

Ernest is recovering at home though he has lost an alarming amount of weight and he was already very thin. We are trying to help him with funds to buy more produce and food in general as he has only been drinking milk and eating ugali.  Ugali is a  type of thick corn flour mush eaten by virtually everyone in Kenya but it isn't very nutritious.

Eunice is still in hospital and needs prayers as her condition has been weak for some time though somehow she manages to hang in there.

There is no update about Alvin.  For now he continues his participation in the boys choir, his church activities and meeting with various friends.

Carolly is finishing his last week of medical internship and will be graduating in the Fall since he has already passed his medical examination. Well done, Carolly! We are hopeful that one of the Kenyan hospitals will snap him up and give him a paid post as a doctor very soon.

I no longer sponsor Kevin in Uganda.  The community he lives in is graduating from the program. It means they will be able to develop their own businesses for self sufficiency and grow their own food as well as pump their own water.  Hurrah!  The remaining 3 boys I sponsor in Kenya and Ethiopia are all doing well.

Petunia from my garden

I'll be continuing my summer break though may pop in here from time to time (and continue to visit as many vlogs as I can)  and  especially when I want to share a photo or two.
In meantime I will continue reading, tending to my gardens, knitting and decluttering.

Joining in with Skywatch Friday this week.

I appreciate your visit, your comments and your blogging friendship.

Enjoy!