Last Friday in November

I made this Christmas floral display illuminated by small lights for a cosy glow at night.

This first set of sky photos was taken on Tuesday when I went to the hospital downtown for a scheduled appointment.

(I apologize for the messy sizing and photo alignment today. I had a lot of trouble with blogger).

 

This week I tried a few new chicken dishes. I made a prawn salad in between to cut the heaviness but the hearty chicken dishes have been good during our cold, stormy weather.

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Sesame Chicken

Prawn Salad

These last few photos were taken today during a short break from our relentless storms.

Thank you for stopping by.

Joining with Skywatch Friday today.

 

What's Up in My World

It was a real treat to go to a restaurant on Monday night. I had so many errands to run and I didn't want to make a late dinner so I opted to go to a local Vietnamese restaurant. 

This dinner consists of pork brochette, roll dip, crepes and fried rice and though it was a tad over done it was still very delicious. (Click on each photo to enlarge).

I also made a library run. I picked up these three books which came up early on my hold request. I'm still working on 2 other books. I hope I can finish them all before someone else makes a request for them. That's always the challenge with popular books.

While at the library I took notice of their digital language services. Some day I've got to investigate further and use the service. 

Likewise with these free creative lessons also on digital offer. 

I haven't done anything crafty for awhile so I started this doily.  I love making doilies and have missed doing so. 

I've also been using the Instant Pot for cooking dinner these days. It keeps flavor in and makes cooking so much easier. 

Pot roast, cabbage, carrots, onion and potatoes with gravy.

Chicken (cooked in IP) served with roasted fries topped with chili, green salad.

I think I mentioned before that I try to follow the Fly Lady house cleaning routine system.  I've never been one who liked a lot of structure and routines but I found that with everything I want to get done, I needed more structure to my days.  The daily and weekly routines keep me fairly busy.  At the same time I'm also downsizing, decluttering, redecorating, bringing paperwork up to date, enjoying hobbies, working on Kenyan missions, following through with all the doctors appointments and doing all the things that arise with daily household and family life.

 

I've also started Christmas preparations slowly but surely. Last week I prepared most of my Christmas cards, printed recipes to include with some of the cards, made frequent trips to the post office to pick up parcels and send mail, purchased some artificial flowers for my yet to be made holiday bouquet.  I've also been scouring the on line shops for the last few gifts I want to send to loved ones and friends.  Hopefully I'll be done with all but three cards and gifts by the end of November.

With all these activities I can honestly say I'm never bored. I just wish I could accomplish things a lot more quickly than I seem to do.  But slow progress is better than no progress. 

How about you dear reader?  What is keeping you busy these days? Have you started Christmas preparations? Do you have a lot to do? 

I don't really have a lot to do to get ready for Christmas. I could get by with preparing a simple meal and putting up  minimal decorations. However, I like to reach out to others at Christmas and try to make a bit of an effort at the holiday.  After all they only happen once a year.  This means remembering people with cards and notes and often making hand made gifts if time permits, otherwise I look to buy something suitable.  Some years I give fewer gifts than other years.  A lot of that depends on what my loved ones need or what they may be going through.  Much of the time most of us in the family really don't need more things when we already have so much compared to those in the Kenyan villages where I've seen first hand the suffering and the hardships.  There is a great need for even the most basic of things (food, medicine, education, books, pens and so on).  One year I was fortunate enough to be in Kenya during Christmas month and I enjoyed visiting several villages and taking basic food supplies to many widows and orphans.

 

I would love to do a bit more baking at Christmas but I don't like to bake if I don't have more people to share it with so the past few years I've only made Christmas bark because we always eat chocolate and nuts. Since the pandemic began I have only visited with 5 people:  my nephew and his girlfriend (we visited outside in the park), my brother and his wife (we had dinner at a restaurant) and one friend (we've met for coffee a few times which we usually drink outside the coffee shop).  Of course I've mingled with others at the post office, the pharmacy and the grocery store but my world has become very small and I take all the precautions.  I have been fully vaccinated and all of my contacts have been fully vaccinated too. I'm due for a booster shot early in December.

Last but not least, I want to mention that I've put a new Pay Pal link on the blog for those that are able to donate to Kenyan missions. Perhaps some of you are thinking of a Christmas gift to the missions. It will be a huge blessing to those in Kenya who have no social safety net. You simply need to click the red flower on the side bar and it will take you to the right place. My friend Jo says to tell everyone that "it's dead easy!" Thank so much for your consideration.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers 🦃🦃🦃🙏🙏🙏

and 

Happy Season of Christmas preparations to all. 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

Update on Janet's Business

Hi friends and fellow bloggers,

I said in an earlier post that I would be updating the work we are doing with Janet in Kenya to give a progress update on the business she is trying to establish.

Here is a photo of the shop we rented. There is a shop/store on one side and her home on the other side. 

Janet at her new shop.

So far we have paid 2 months rent, a bit of food, a new, inexpensive telephone with camera and stock for the store. By far the most expensive thing is stock.

For now Janet is selling maize (corn) that she grew on the family farm before her brother chased her away. She was able to gain access to the maize. Other than that she has stocked the shop with all kinds of hair pieces and yarn for hair weaving. My apologies for the quality of the photos but Janet and her daughters never had a phone of their own so they are new to taking smart phone photos.  The phone is also quite inexpensive so the camera quality is not that high.

 

It took awhile to get everything set up because the space had to be readied for display, someone in a larger city had to purchase the stock and send it to her because it cost too much for her to travel there and back.  It takes all day to travel to the supplier and back and one has to pay for transport for 2 people to be able to carry the stock and food and sundries.  It also took awhile to buy the phone, have it shipped to her and time for her to pick up the phone, charge it up and figure out how it functions.

 

This is the supplier in Nakuru, Kenya

.

The store needs more stock.  The potential customers are asking for hair products she doesn't have yet. Some of these items are pictured below.  The products like oils and conditioners are more expensive, particularly if she is going to have enough stock on hand for sale. If the funds allow she could also diversify and sell some daily essentials which people need in the village.  Things that won't go bad due to lack of refrigeration.

I will send another month or two of rent by the end of this month.  At end of January I will send another two months rent.  This is so Janet can have some breathing space while she tries to get her business off the ground and save enough to pay rent, food and stock.

If you are touched to help Janet for Christmas, we would appreciate any contributions toward buying more stock so she can accelerate sales. If you have any questions, please let me know. I hope to have related updates in the near future about both Janet and several other Kenyans we are helping.  But this update is priority.  

The Pay Pal link button is located on the right side bar. Simply click on the photo of the flowers or you can scan the QR code if you have the app. I can't actually advise on using the QR code so let me know if you need something specific. My email can be found at my profile page.If you really want to help but you feel your donation is too small please know that even $20 US dollars goes a very long way toward paying a month's rent (half), buying basic food for Janet and her 4 daughters for 2 weeks or helps to fill the store shelves.

Thank you so much for your visit and your consideration.

Reading Challenge 2021 - Progress to Date

 

These are the books I've read in 2021. I met my reading challenge long ago and didn't set a new one. I'm reading now for pure pleasure rather than meeting a goal. I have no new number of books to read in 2021 or pages to complete. This year seems to have been the year for reading biographies and autobiographies. I read 8 of them and that is far more than usual. It was also a year for reading resource books on sewing projects and books written by Indigenous authors.  They were all very good too. The two books that show only a generic Goodreads cover are: Joseph William McKay - A Metis Business Leader in Colonial British Columbia & Merchant and Mills Sewing Book by Carolyn N.K. Denham.

There are approximately 6 weeks left in the year.  I'll be interested in seeing how far I get for the rest of the year because soon I'll be too busy with cleaning and Christmas preparations and there will be less time for reading.

Did I have a favourite book this year?  Not really.  though I have to say Gail Tsukiyama's books are always a delight and I really enjoyed reading Youngblood of the Peace.  Youngblood is about the life of a priest who used to preside in the far north of British Columbia where many of my relatives live. Everyone knew him and I heard about him a lot as a child so it was very interesting to finally read his life's story.  I'm so glad a northerner took time to make sure his story is documented.  It made me appreciate how much the early missionaries went through to "Christianize" people.  I also enjoyed Edward Rutherfurds' book, China. I've enjoyed all the books I've read by this author so far. Last, but not least, The Dictionary of Lost Words was a very interesting book and kept me entertained.

I hope you are enjoying your reading. I'd love to hear what book you enjoyed most this year, or any other year. Maybe I can still find it before this year is over.

Happy reading.

p.s. If you are interested in the Kenyan missions, please see my update from the last blog post.

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.

 

Tuesday 4: November is Here

Welcome to Tuesday 4 begun by our friend Toni Taddeo and kept up in her memory.
This week let's talk about November!

 

 

1. Besides Thanksgiving is there anything about November you like/dislike?

What I like about November is we are getting close to finishing the year. I'm always eager to finish one year and start the next as I set small goals, sometimes larger ones each year. What I dislike is the dark, rainy and generally cold weather. It takes me awhile to get used to weather transitions and I do really enjoy the early part of fall season before the more constant rains begin.  In fall 2021 it seems we've had much colder and wetter weather than we normally do.  I also dislike that I usually feel behind in Christmas preparations no matter my good intentions and early start to Christmas shopping. I did really enjoy the month of October with the lovely fall colours. Though November is not my favourite month largely due to wet and often windy weather, I try not to dwell on it.  It is part of living where I live.Whenever I do catch myself thinking negatively,  I try to change the thought patterns by remembering all the blessings I have.

2. How is November weather where you live? Does it suit you?

The weather is usually too wet and cold for my liking though when I first moved to my city none of this bothered me. I've lived fine with the weather for decades but I've  noticed that as I grown older and have some health challenges, the weather is really not good for me.  It's not likely this will change soon because I'm not the type to pull up stakes and move to a foreign land. I am just more comfortable with the Canadian system health care wise and otherwise. 

This is what I love about November though it mostly this is what it looks like in October

3. When do you plan for Thanksgiving? Eat home or out? Menu?

Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in early October and that suits me very well  because there is a good break between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We always eat Thanksgiving dinner at home and it is a traditional holiday meal.  It  consists of either a turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce with mashed potatoes, gravy, one or two salads, 2 or 3 vegetable dishes (usually corn niblets, green beans and roasted Brussels sprouts).  If we want a change, we will have a roasted, glazed ham.  Dessert is usually a pie (apple or pumpkin) with ice cream or whipped cream. There are also lots of condiments like pickles and so on. At Christmas there will be crudities and a cheese, meat and fruit platters so we can graze on leftovers for a few days and perhaps cookies or fruits as additional desserts.

4. When do you begin your decor and plans for Christmas. It "officially" begins after Thanksgiving and the Macy's Parade when Santa arrives at the end.

I think about Christmas and possible gifts for much of the year.  Though my list of gift recipients is not so large it does include all immediate family members and a handful of close friends. In particular, I have to get creative when it comes to suitable gifts for my niece for all holidays and celebrations so my mind is always working to try and make things special for her.  I also like to send cards. Since the advent of email, smart phones and high postage costs, I have tried to limit the cards but I am old fashioned and cannot resist on sending 'just one more'. I officially don't start with decor until the end of November and sometimes even well into December. In a more 'perfect world', I would have the decor up by the middle of November to enjoy through the season.  Though I love the sparkling, twinkling lights and decor over Christmas, I like to take it all down as soon as we've entered the New Year. I find that by then everything looks tired and worn, but I also got this tradition from my mom and maternal grandfather, who both loved to start the New Year with a completely fresh slate.

Joining up with Tuesday 4 this week. Check it out!

 

First Sky Photos in November

 Happy November!

Things are still busy at my end but I'm also feeling a bit sick and it has been raining a whole lot. Pouring rain in fact.

I'm on some new medications and it is upsetting my stomach and making me feel nauseous now and then. I'm on the lowest possible dosage and trying to adjust to it but it is slow going.  Other than that, the medicine seems to be doing what it is supposed to but doctors want me to work up to taking more as I'm not anywhere near a full dose yet. I would hate to have to stop it taking it. For now I'm not complaining too loudly to the doctor.

I've been busy with multiple appointments and follow ups with insurance people regarding my accident. I guess I'm about half way through this process and I don't have the energy to do much about the follow up just now. It will all get done soon enough if I just put one foot in front of the other.

Given the pouring rain I haven't been able to get out and take photos but there was a slight break in the sky on Thursday so I captured these 3 photos to share (click on each to enlarge).

In other news, I wanted to update about Janet and her girls in Kenya; the separated woman who was chased away from her ancestral (birth family) home by her brother.  We have now managed to assist her with 2 months rent, an inexpensive smart phone, a bit of food money, a simple solar light system, and a bit of funds to stock her new store. Pastor Jonah ordered the phone for her and she was expecting to collect the phone on Wednesday, Kenyan time.  Janet and her eldest daughter are travelling to Nakuru, Kenya on Thursday, Kenyan time where they will visit wholesalers to try to find appropriate stock for the village store. I know her eldest daughter has her own thoughts about what her mother should stock but I am trying, through Pastor Jonah, to get them to buy what is most practical for the majority of potential shoppers. Later when they have started to gain footing they can expand to others things. It's a bit tricky as the eldest girls have minds of their own and they are putting pressure on the mom during her most difficult time. Please keep them in prayer. There are some other developments concerning the brother but I will leave that update for when I have concrete information to share. If anyone would like to donate (Pay Pal link on right side of blog) to Janet and her daughters, they still have many needs: rent, air time, food,transportation, school fees and clothing among them.

Over the next month I've got a lot going on, some of it fun.  I hope to share here as time goes by and if I'm permitted to take photos at events.

Joining in with Skywatch Friday.

Take care.

Skywatch Friday - End of October

The week's weather in photos. As you can see there was an awful lot of rain but I didn't take photos of the rainiest days. Too wet! 

 

The beautiful sky in the first photo was on Monday when I had an appointment at one of the local hospitals.

The next two harbour front photos were taken on another day that ended up being quite nice.

 

The  next two photos show the weather and the sky on Thursday.  It rained very heavily overnight and all day Thursday.  I stayed indoors and was able to accomplish a lot on my list of things 'to do'.

 It's supposed to clear up this week for a few days so that will be a nice change.

 

I've been super busy for a while now and not posting nearly as often or visiting as many blogs. I've decided I need to try and pace myself so this might continue for awhile but I miss participating in different memes and reading the blogs I follow.

Joining up with Skywatch Friday.

Thank you for visiting.

Personal Update and Urgent Appeal

Hi friends and fellow bloggers,

It's been a busy time since my last blog post. Much has been happening and mostly of a positive nature.

I was able at long last to have an appointment at the hospital with the plastic surgeon to discuss the outlook of the accident on my face. I suffered a fracture but the good news is that it is expected to heal without surgery. I have to return in early 2022 to assess things as they stand then. If you missed the story on what happened to me you can read more here.

My brother who lives quite far out of town came to the city as part of a multi-city tour with his wife. They were just taking a few days break since they attended a wedding about half way between where he lives and where I live. His wife also used the opportunity to do some Christmas shopping at some of the many malls along the way. They invited baby brother and I to dinner and we drove out to meet them in the suburbs at one of the branches of the Old Spaghetti Factory. The food was delicious but the best part was our visit. We haven't seen one another since we laid mom to rest 4 and half years ago.  They don't usually come to Vancouver at the best of times and I travel to where they live even less frequently. I didn't realize until after they left just how much I missed them even though we talk and share news from time to time by phone and by chat. My nephew who lives in the city also managed to spend time with them separately before they made the long drive home.

I have some news from Kenya about a very desperate situation and want to update all of you on an urgent basis in case any of you can find it in your heart to help.  The number of people who respond to these kinds of posts and requests is very low.  But make no mistake, we appreciate you so much.  Those of you who have given have made more of a positive impact than you can ever truly know and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We also believe that if people don't know about the needs of other people, there is no way they can do anything to help.  So here goes.

This woman named Janet and her husband are separated. They married when she was only about 16 years of age.  Since the recent separation, she has been living with her 4 daughters on family (ancestral lands) trying to eke out a living doing casual labour.  In a sad state of affairs, her biological brother was not happy to have them on the family land.  Usually the brothers inherit family land and the women go to their husband's land. The problem is that laws in Kenya do not protect women when their marriages break down and they have no where to go. Then you are left at the mercy of your biological family and often they themselves are in a difficult economic position.  As more time goes by, I see and read about more such stories of families in the news. Families that have been ripped apart over land issues.

Janet's brother removed the roof from her home in a bid to force her and her daughter's out of the home.  He also threatened Janet's life if she did not leave the property. 

 

Needless to say, Janet and her daughter's are traumatized and living in terror and don't know what to expect. They have no home, no food, no source of income, no security, no hope. The only hope they have is in the good of others.

 

Janet is wearing a pink toque and purple hoodie.

A local good Samaritan stepped in to give Janet and her daughter's temporary shelter and called on Pastor Jonah to attend so they could try to figure out a plan of action. They called the Chief/Elders and also went to the police. I haven't heard what, if anything, the Chief/Elders think and would recommend.  But I do know that police do not involve themselves in domestic disputes unless and until it is too late. I do not know whether criminal charges can be brought against Janet's brother for uttering threats to her personal safety. Whatever the case, the situation of Janet and her daughter's is desperate. Who would want to go and try and live in the home where she escaped knowing full well your own brother intends to harm you! 

After putting heads together with Pastor Jonah and investigating options and costs, we decided that Janet and her daughters need shelter and a way to provide for themselves first and foremost. We have put together some funds for Janet to rent a humble abode which is attached to a simple shop that can also be used to sell goods that are needed daily by villagers.  Alternatively the space can be used to run a simple eatery. The place we can afford is very humble so it has no electricity or amenities. It's just basically one room for them to sleep and eat in. The good Samaritan and his family of 8 are living near the edge of security themselves so cannot do more than provide a temporary place to sleep. It's amazing that he stepped up to help out and his action tells me he has a compassionate heart. 

We have purchased a simple solar system that can light up the rooms and can also be used to keep her as yet unopened shop/eatery open late at night since it gets dark at around 6 pm at the equator. It might even generate a few shillings by allowing others in the village to charge their mobile phones. This may or may not be an option because usually the villages already have places where the locals can charge their phones. We've also provided a small bit of funds for food needs. It would be nice if we could also provide a jiko stove to cut down on fuel usage and the smoke generated when cooking. We are trying to provide rent and food for at least 5-6 months until Janet can get on her feet again. Hopefully she will be able to generate enough income for all her needs with this breathing room. The tuition for her daughters will be the most challenging part.

The girls all go to school with the exception of the eldest one who recently graduated. School has already started but there are no funds to send the girls back to classes. See the cost breakdown in the photo below for the 3 school going girls (Approx $530 for each girl which amounts to $430 US, $575 Australian, 49,000 Japanese Yen, 370 Euros).  We've discussed sending the eldest daughter to hair dressing school. The tuition and related costs will be at least the same as the annual tuition for the girls. The hairdressing course would be in Kericho Town or Nakuru City and last about 9 months. After that she would be able to gain employment and provide for herself.

If you can assist with any of these needs please let me know. There is a Pay Pal button to the right on the side bar. From time to time, people say it doesn't work. It should be working now but if you have any issues kindly let me know.

If you've read this far, I appreciate it.  I also appreciate your prayers and any help you might be able to provide. God bless you as you consider whether you can help.