To-Dos

The month of June is almost over and it has flown by. I have a lot to do before the month is out and it will help me keep track of things and stay accountable to make a list here.  Once these tasks are done I will have finally caught up to a lot of the outstanding tasks I've been working toward completing over the last few months. Then I'll get a chance to enjoy the rest of the summer and visits with friends and family.  At least that is the hope.  I don't plan on taking any long trip this summer but I may be taking a few short trips in the local area and possibly one longer road trip before summer is out.  We have some beautiful scenery in this part of the world and it is good to get out and enjoy it once in awhile.

 

Balance of June To-Dos
·      Clean bird bath
·      Finish potting container garden
·      Clean patio pavers and patio umbrella
·      Get rid of all patio garbage
·      Finalize paperwork and filing (In progress)
·      Declutter bedroom storage containers/sort sock drawer/empty & store suitcase
·      Deliver “buggy” with donated items to Rose or have her pick them up
·      Confirm & get together with Gladys,  Norma, Pat & Bev (individually)
·      Return library books
·      Correspondence (email/chats) with various friends from afar
·      Pay bills & check bills for monies owing to me
·      Charitable giving for July
·      Prepare list of food needs for entertaining
·      Restart daily cardio (I've missed a few days)
·      Restart blood glucose log (I've missed a few days)
·      Aim to finish 3-4 “works-in-progress” (crafts)
·      Start new projects (2)
·      Prepare mom’s care package items
·      Identify mending needs and purchase any materials needed (In progress)

·      Clean bathrooms & bedroom

·      Identify what can be tossed from storage unit (Get help)
·      Vacuum  
·      Finalize 2 applications (mine) & follow up on 2 (other)

Summer flowers from the neighbourhood (Black eyed Susan)

Wednesday’s To-Dos

I had a good start today on jobs/tasks that need to be done. Of course some of these are daily things like talking to my mom.  The rest of the tasks are mostly on-going things that need doing. I don't have a set schedule for accomplishing them because I just need to go along with my energy level in getting things done.  Sometimes running errands and getting to appointments takes up full days out of the week.

•  Wash and fold 3 small loads of laundry, put clothes in piles & return some to their places
•  Sweep kitchen, entryway and master bathrooms floor
•  Clean kitchen refrigerator
•  Collect and bag all household garbage
•  Make grocery shopping list
•  Wash all produce and put in refrigerator containers
•  Water all garden containers (a.m. and p.m.)
•  Dead-head 6 pots of plants and repot two containers
•  Pay one bill on line
•  Contact telephone company to discuss overcharges on one phone bill
•  Talk to mom (x2)
•  Talk to my cousin
•  Wrap and prepare 3 of 5 parcels and confirm addresses for mailing
•  Manage Blog “Reading List” & Visit and comment on blogs
•  Make a "To Do" list   

I may have missed some things from the list but it is long enough to keep me going and on track.  

What about you "dear reader"?  Do you keep lists of "to dos" on your blog? your phone? a sticky note, your calendar or not at al?

I used to use sticky notes (yellow pads) and often keep a running list of 'to dos' in my electronic calendar. I BF dates and set reminders but I prefer a paper list or a list on line when I have a lot of tasks to do.  Something I can see at a glance.

More neighbourhood flowers

Busyness

Hi friends,

Sorry to be a bit silent here. Though I have been visiting many of your blogs I haven't posted anything "new" for awhile. I've just been consumed with communications with Kenyan friends who have been through so much in the aftermath of the killings that took place in the small coastal town of Mpeketoni.
I mentioned before that the government promised to help the bereaved families to bury their loved ones.  But so far we haven't had success in tracking down the help.

My friend's laid their loved one to rest on Saturday in the Rift Valley far away from the hot and humid coast.  In Mpeketoni which is a small place near Lamu (a popular tourist destination), the mortuary is very small and can only accomodate 3 people at a time. When 48 people were killed in the first attack and another 9-15 in the 2nd attack (I read different numbers), you can imagine that the small town was not able to accomodate the need.  Bodies were piled one on top of the other and unrefrigerated as the community. I have photos but they are too graphic to post. The hospital staff and others left behind were doing their best to cope with the tragedy but many government officials were immediately fired after the tragedy occurred and there didn't seem to be enough outside help for the first few days.

I wish all people were as innocent as these children at Lk. Elementaita

The papers reported that some government officials handed out funds on Thursday at the hospital though there was a discrepancy in the amounts provided to the bereaved. My friends had returned to the Rift Valley in the wee hours of that morning with their loved one.  Also several news reports stated that about 38 families had not yet claimed the bodies of their loved ones.

Many of the people who died had families in far away places. The cost of travelling, accomodation, eating, and transporting their loved ones, and making funeral arrangements was just too prohibitive for most people. They would have to wait for some kind of help from government or well wishes. In the meantime, the bodies were/are decomposing in the humidity and I read that the stench near the hospital was overpowering. These are very sad times for all affected. Then on top of it all, I read that just yesterday 5 more people were killed in the same general area after official statements that the area had been secured. It really makes you wonder what is going on.  The insecurity in the area is why I wanted to get my friends out of there as quickly as possible as their lives are not too secure when there is no one to protect them from harm and danger. At least at home they will have their kith and kin and know the lay of the land.  For the locals who remained behind, many of them moved into the bush.

I know some people don't believe that prayer will help the circumstances but I do. I pray for the country as a whole and for the many people I know.  I also pray for all those people who I do not know who need help. I ask any like minded people to pray with me.

Once my friends got home and laid their loved ones to rest, one of the sisters of the deceased had a heart attack and ended up in the hospital.  Her blood sugar reading was very high no doubt due to the terrible stress that she and all of her extended family had been under given the circumstances of her brother's tragic passing and their lack of funds. I'm happy to report that she is now she is stabilized and I believe has been able to return home.

In my own life things here at home I've had a lot to keep me busy as well.

I've been back to the eye specialist where the surgeon pronounced the eye surgery and recovery as "excellent". I told him I had been seeing a black dot in my left eye whenever I was fatigued. He dismissed it as a floater. I didn't bother to say more. I have had floaters before and they were a lot different than this one I have been seeing recently. I also notice that as long as I am keeping rested and don't over strain my eyes, the black dot doesn't pay a visit. So I will just try not to overly strain my eyes. I go for another eye check up in a year.

Before the weekend came around I went for a quick trip to see my mother.  We had only a few hours together but it was good to see her again.  We were also able to get in a lot of visiting and organizing (of her space).  I was very tired when I got home and haven't been able to do much around the house since then. I brought back a lot of mending for my mom so that is "staring at me",  lol.  I've also started putting together the next care package for her because I'll be going back to see her in a few weeks.  I need to accompany her to an appointment with a specialist.  Before I get to that I've got 5 parcels I need to organize and send off in the post.

On the road again

One of my cousin's who had her own very close call with death in February (prayer pulled her through a horrendous time) lives very far from me.  She is visiting her sister who lives just over an hour away from me. She contacted me and we will be getting together this weekend.  It will be so nice to see her as it is a true miracle that she is still on this earth.  She will also make a special visit to my mom also on the weekend.  This had been in her plans before she landed in hospital fighting for her own life.

A few days after my cousin leaves, another friend and I will get together for a barbeque at my home.  She is a new friend from Peru who absolutely loves it here in Vancouver.  We've met a few times and now I've invited her for dinner.  I'm looking forward to relaxing on the patio with her.  A few days after that I have a family visitor who will stay for a  week or more.  I have much to get organized before then and I need to get rested so I can enjoy my time with my niece. I always look forward to spending time with her.

Until I see you or read you next, take care and hug a loved one.

Updates on Prayer Request

The President of Kenya made a public announcement about the attacks on Kenyans in Mpeketoni, saying that they were politically motivated attacks; not Somalie terrorist activity as had been reported by media outlets.  For a multitude of reasons, many Kenyans were outraged by this statement.  Al-Quada had taken ownership of the attack and have made other attacks on Kenyans due to Kenya having sent it's army into Somalia in retaliation for pirate attacks on Kenyan tourists.  Some people say this is not the time to be playing politics and heightening tensions in the country between political factions.

From my perspective it matters not so much who instigated the attacks but whether the government is on top of the security issues and can protect it's people as well as it's visitors.   Ordinary Kenyans are frightened and tourists on which Kenyan's economy is quite dependent will stay away from the country if their security cannot be assured. I know these are trying times for the Government of Kenya and for the people of Kenya, so our prayers and support of the people are still very much needed.

The second aspect of the President's public statement was that the funeral arrangements would be taken care of by the government so that those who died could be laid to rest with dignity. At first blush this sounded like a God send.  However it has not been possible to ascertain where and when the promised help is going to be available.

Government officials in Mpeketoni seem to have been fired, the place is/was in chaos as far as police and government presence.  Funeral homes in the vicinity are over run with the business of burying the dead and they have no information for anyone needing to access Government assistance with final disposition of their loved ones remains.

I can't do much from afar but I even tried writing to larger funeral homes in Nairobi and tweeted questions on Twitter to try and learn how the bereaved could avail themselves of Government help.  One funeral home quoted me some astronomical fees ($ 2662.00 - $ 3636.00 Canadian just for the transfer of the body from the coast to the highlands. A lot more funds required for washing, embalming and coffin). I wrote them back and thanked them but said the cost was simply too high and out of reach for your average villager, and this foreigner.  They said that the high cost is based in part on being based in Nairobi.

My friends enquired of several other funeral homes by telephone and the fees for service were all prohibitive for me, let alone most Kenyans.  There was no response to my Twitter inquiries.

In the meantime my friends have been doing the best they can in Mpeketoni, going on faith and very little money.  It is hot and humid on the coast and so they have moved the body of their loved one to a mortuary where there is ice.  The remains need to be properly care for while they try to find out how to transfer the deceased back to their home community which is non-stop drive of 12 hours, from the coast to the highlands.

We are working on other solutions and my hope is that my friends will depart Mpeketoni today (Thursday) for the long journey home with their loved one. I'm hoping that later my friends can still receive the government assistance once the government agencies have a chance to get organized.  I read today that the government was now providing food and blankets to those affected by the tragedy in Mpeketoni.  New police officers had been installed to replace those that were fired for being derelict in their duties (the government's charge, not mine).

Your prayers are much appreciated and I thank whole heartedly all those who have already prayed and continue to pray. They are a true encouragement to the faithful. God bless you much and may God bless and keep Kenya.

Saturday ~ My friend's loved one was laid to rest today. At last the family can breathe a sigh of relief after the long saga endured since the terrorist attacks on the coast a week ago.  Please continue to pray for this family. The father of the deceased lost his wife not so very long ago also.  It is so much for one person to endure and he is reeling from his losses.

Please Pray

 Ephesians 6:18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.

Dear friends,

Tragedy has struck in Kenya and touched the lives of my friends.

Some of you know that Somalian terrorist group Al-Shabab attacked upscale Westgate mall in Kenya  on September 21, 2013. Many were killed and more terrorized.

Then Sunday night Kenyan time, 48 people were killed in Mpeketoni near Lamu off the coast of Kenya.  One of those killed was my friend Jonah's cousin. Jonah is there now with family members to recover the body of the deceased and bring him home to Kericho for interrment.

Carnage outside Mpeketoni Police Station, Photo Credit: Daily Nation News (Kenya)

On Monday, terrorists killed another 15 people in a 2nd attack on the people of Mpeketoni.

May God protect the police and the innocent and bring additional security.

I ask you to pray with me for Jonah's safe return home and for the means to assist the family in the all costs involved with final resting preparations.

Please also pray for the safety and peace for the people of Kenya and for the Government of Kenya to get on top of the insecurity in the country.

I'm Tired

It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. 

You don't quit when you're tired - you quit when the gorilla is tired.

Robert Strauss

I didn't exactly plan to tidy up and declutter fabrics and craft items today. In fact, I had hoped to continue with the sorting of my papers from a few days ago as currently I've got them spread through the entire front room.

But you might remember that I told you I was given some free fabrics.  As I began washing and sorting the fabric to determine what to give to an elderly friend, I realized I needed to go through my yarns too.  That prompted me to sort through all the yarn I've got and re-arrange things. Then I started sorting through a  lot of my quilting fabrics and re-arranging them in different containers and areas of my home.  After that I sorted through the few crafting books and patterns I have and put them in an accessible wicker container.  I then went through all my crochet cotton and put them in another basket that I can easily access.

Altogether this took virtually all afternoon and evening in between a few phone calls, cooking, dishes, etc.  It poured rain early this morning and again late tonight.  In fact it is pouring heavily as I write this blog post and there were some claps of thunder and bolts of lightening which made me jump.  I'm so tired now  and it is very late but I need to put my feet up for awhile before I go to sleep.

I've got a little shopping buggy.  Like the one in the photo but with a different fabric cover.  I've filled it up with goodies for my friend (fabrics, yarns, pattern books, crochet cotton).  She is going to be getting different people to make things for a bazaar she is organizing to raise funds for her church.  This is my contribution to her cause.  I'm also donating a bunch of crocheted caps I made last winter for her to sell at the bazaar.  I made them to sell myself so I could raise funds for people in Kenya but I never got around to it.  I can always make more later. Right now my goal is to declutter and organize my small space for better efficiency.

In a wardrobe in my bedroom I have 2 more plastic tubs to go through.  These are filled patterns and seed beads.  These belonged to my mom who had a lot of crafting materials. I didn't want to throw them all away when she went into a care home.  Bit by bit I'm sorting through the things I brought home. I keep a few things and give away the rest. I still have a couple tubs of papers that belong to her that I brought to my home about 3 years ago.  I also have more tubs of books, cds, clothes and photos that are still in out-of-town-storage.  Most of the non-personal items will be given away but the photos I will have to go through and decide what to do with them.

But first I have to finish sorting my own things. That takes time.  My next step will be all the papers I have in a big wooden box and in bags currently strewn from end to end in my living area. Once this is done I will have accomplished a major task.  A lot of this paper was already sorted over time but I've got to go through it carefully, save a few pieces and destroy the rest.  Then I still have my file cabinet to go through.  I went through the file cabinet documents about 1 1/2 years ago and now it is mainly filled with this and that so much of it can go.  After this paper stuff is dealt with, the rest will be so much easier to keep on top of.

I can't wait because, my space will look and feel less cluttered and I'll have things more organized for crafting and other hobbies.  I'm hoping that my crafts will ultimately be put to good use and help Kenyan and local missions.

Monday the paperwork continues and perhaps on Tuesday too.  Then I will give myself a break for awhile.  I can only do decluttering for short periods of time.  At the same time, I like to make some real progress and feel like I've accomplished something when I'm doing work around the home.

  When one is tired it is always important to stop and smell the roses. I took these rose photos a few years ago.  I love roses in every colour, don't you?  

This week my way of smelling the roses will be to hopefully get to Spiderman 2 on Tuesday (cheap day) and I hope to get together with one or two friends for a chit chat over coffee.  If the rain let's up, I have some work to do in the garden.

I hope you have a lovely week.