Winding down the summer.....

Thursday is the first day back to school for both girls. Maggie will be starting at high school, Abby will be entering 5th grade (upper school) at her grammar school. Where's the time gone?

Aside from the fact that they were just at each others throats (ahem), we've had a pretty enjoyable last couple weeks before school starts. Finished cleaning out all the dressers and closets. Saw 4 more movies -- Dinner for Schmucks, The Other Guys, Charlie St. Cloud, and Eat Pray Love.

We enjoyed lunch with one of Abby's friends and her family -- the mom is from Taiwan and cooked for us -- what a treat! Their older daughter is going into 10th grade, and she and Maggie were able to find at least something to occupy them both. So it worked out to be enjoyable for all of us.

We visited the Southern Living Idea house (I'd gone with my mom while she was with my aunt) as well. We were able to visit with my aunt as well, which made for a nice way to spend a day.

And the girls both enjoyed visiting with their friends on Sunday -- Maggie went to Laser Tag and Abby to a roller skating party.

So tomorrow starts the school things -- Maggie has registration tomorrow. On Wednesday Maggie goes for orientation and Abby gets to meet her new teachers. Thursday they both go back. So check back in a couple/few days for photos!

back to Mali -- 30 January, back on land

After thoroughly enjoying the 2 days spent doing nothing on the pinasse trip down the Niger River, the cars met up with us at a small village. As usual, we split into the three vehicles. Two of which encountered no outstanding problems, but one had a bit of difficulty (of course it was the one with both our "leaders"!). First, they got stuck on a sand dune. The other two drivers helped get them out of that and going on. Then, they managed to get lost and, after turning around, they had a major tire blow-out. And, of course, were without any cell coverage at the time. We did manage to meet up with them again before reaching Segou. We were staying at a hotel at which we'd enjoyed a meal on the trip to Konsango. The rooms were very nice with large bathrooms (considering we'd spent a week without running water, this does not mean they equate with the Ritz, but that they were spacious with hot water etc.). Nice dinner at the hotel with a early night for me as I was still battling a cough. Dad said I didn't keep him up -- he's a deep sleeper, thankfully!

As an aside -- a note on travelling with my dad. When I first became interested in the trip it was largely due to my dad's enthusiasm the previous year. Those of you who know him know that he's not loudly enthusiastic, but I could tell how much he both enjoyed the experience and how much it touched him. I wanted to share that. When I approached Tom with my interest, his first thought was that he'd hope our girls would one day want to travel with him -- quite frankly, I hadn't really thought about travelling with my dad at that point! Over Christmas 2009 when we went shopping for my gifts, dad helped me with choices and knowledge of what I'd be doing -- sleeping pads, water sanitation, etc. He's told me that while he was thrilled that I was going with him, as a parent knowing the environment, he did have some concern. Being a parent myself, after experiencing the trip I appreciate the concern, although I am an adult (hee hee!). He's also told me that he enjoyed seeing the expressions on my face during the trip, especially when situations were similar to what he'd experienced the previous year. And it was great for me to have a "safe" environment in the evenings to escape to -- I'm a person who really needs to have quiet and solitude to re-group and it's difficult/impossible to do that if you're always with people you don't know so well.

The next morning we were heading back to Bamako. The car that had had problems the previous day was still having problems, so we repacked with all the luggage on top and put all the people into the other two vehicles. Beginning to look like a Mali bus (this is a photo of a mock-up of a bus, the real ones are even more crowded!):

All three vehicles made it to Bamako. We went back to the restaurant "Relax" (popular with the expats -- we'd been there when we first got to Bamako a lifetime ago!) and had some lunch. Anna'd received an e-mail from our travel agent that she'd secured flights home for us a day later than originally expected -- not the best of news, but good to know when we'd be heading home. That evening (31 January) a celebration/farewell dinner was planned as about half the group was heading home then (as dad and I were originally scheduled, sigh.....). Stay tuned -- we're almost back to New Orleans!

Vanity......or ode to shape-ups?

I believe we all have something we are vain about. Personally, I don't care if my hair is growing white highlights, I go to the grocery and run other errands after my trip to the gym, before the shower, my house is not neat, my car is certainly not clean (inside or out!), and I still own (and wear!) clothes that I've had FOREVER.

BUT, I do care about something, and that is my fitness. A combination of health and weight maintenance, but I exercise almost every day (unless I'm really sick or we're travelling or something similar). I usually don't succumb to those "get fit quick" schemes, preferring to stick with the tried and true (yep, I STILL have my original Jane Fonda workout ca. 1984). I've never owned a treadmill or a stationary bicycle. I do own small handweights and MANY videos/DVDs. And I just bought a pair of shape-up shoes. While we were in North Carolina my mom bought a pair at Rack Room (instead of paying $120!). The next day I was shopping with my sister and decided that I'd try them out as well. And then I wore them to go walking the next morning. It took a while for me to get used to the "rocking" motion, but I quickly noticed different muscles working -- particularly my calves, upper inner thighs, and rear end. MMmmmmmm, I thought, perhaps there's something to these shoes? The next day I could "feel" that I'd worked something different and wore the shoes again. I've now worn them at home a couple times walking (on the flat ground here rather than the hills of North Carolina!) and continue to feel the different muscles working. Whether or not these parts of my body will become "toned" is still up for debate, but I am happy with my new shoes............

what i forgot

Duh. I forgot a fun day! We spent Monday at Carrowinds amusement park. It's owned by the same people who own Cedar Point (for those of us Ohioans) and the newest ride there is a "scaled down" version of the Millenium (called the Intimidator) -- this information is from mom and dad who were at Cedar Point a year or so ago and rode the rolling coaster. In any event, we arrived as the park opened and were able to ride the Intimidator without too long a wait. Mom sat out with Taylor who's not quite tall enough for the ride. She'll have an opportunity to ride it again later in the year with their season pass. The rest of us (me and my girls, dad, Kris, and Mackenzie) all rode it. FUN!!! We were at the park until mid-afternoon, riding coasters and other rides, ending up on the river ride on which we all got soaked (just in time to get in the car wet for the drive back to mom and dad's house).

I probably forgot something else, but for now, this is it!

July 2010

Yes, it's been a while. No, I don't have a good excuse. And I'm typing on my mom's keyboard, so excuse any typos.....

For a summer in which the girls didn't go to camp ALL summer, it's been incredibly busy. They did participate for one week in camp at Dominican High School (where Maggie starts in the fall). Maggie's age group selected activities in which to participate, Abby's age group had assigned activities. We carpooled with two other families -- one of Maggie's friends from school and an acquaintance of mine who live near-by. Worked out nicely in that no one had to drive all the time. I went to the finaly program (Abby did a dance and a cheer) and got to see all the artwork they'd made during the week -- some pretty nice stuff!

Abby really improved on her swimming with the team. She learned how to dive and flip-turn and her strokes are stronger. She really seemed to enjoy it and wants to both be on her school's team this fall and probably do it again next summer.

I completed a Bible Study on my own -- some of the women from my church meet during the week in the evenings, but it doesn't fit with my commitments right now. This summer they were doing a study on "Becoming a Woman of Worth" that interested me -- studying 8 women in the Bible and how they are examples of traits to be emulated today. Even though I didn't participate in the group, I did the study on my own. I missed the discussion like I get with my school-year day-time group, but did find a lot of value in the study in terms of how I want to develop myself.

The girls and I are currently at my parents' house in North Carolina. We flew up with Tom 2 weeks ago and then spent a week in Pigeon Forge with my sister and her family (unfortunately, my brother-in-law threw his back out and was unable to come -- in fact, Kris drove home for 2 nights to be with him and get him to an MRI before returning). We had cabins across a small lane from each other and all had a great time. Tom and I took a driving trip to the National Park and went to Cades Cove. We also enjoyed massage on our deck one morning during a rain storm -- pretty neat! We hit the Dollywood splash park and had fun on the water slides. And we enjoyed the Dixie Stampede together. Did some touring of Gatlinburg and some went to the Aquarium, some went to a Science/Discovery museum, etc. Dinners at the cabins which each had hot-tub (my dad actually got in one!), jacuzzies, pool table, air hockey, etc. LOTS of fun for all!

We got back to mom and dad's Friday and Tom headed for home Saturday morning. Sigh. The girls and I have managed to keep a bit busy. We've done some shopping (girls with gramma, a few trips to Target to replace broken flip flops and other fun things, shoe store with sales). Abby thought she wanted to try water skiing again so we headed out yesterday. I hadn't been for 12 years and managed to get up on my second try (not quite enough "oomph" to the acceleration on the first try and my rear-end was stuck in the water!). Stayed up a short while and demonstrated to Abby how easy it is to simply drop the rope and "fall". Mom then took a go and also got up on the second try and stayed up much longer than I (this after celebrating a birthday Sunday!). The boat was acting up (probably the starter) and Abby decided she was a bit apprehensive, so we decided to take a ride instead of her skiing. Which was fun until we were almost back to the house and it started to rain. For some reason, they all thought it funny to see my hidden completely under my towel to stay dry until it rained more and then mom and Abby did about the same (Maggie took shelter under the dash board). The thunder waited until we we'd docked the boat -- thankful for small blessings!

Today was our regular shopping trip. I'm really not much of a shopper -- I go to buy what I need, and don't like to "go shopping" to look around. I like to go with my sister -- we have a system -- we go into the store together, split up to find what we like, meet at the dressing room, and continue on. This year we included Maggie for the first time -- she's wearing "people" clothes and so she got invited (much to the dismay of Abby and Mackenzie -- her sister and cousin). Kris and I managed to buy a couple of the same things and all three of us bought the same shirt -- a dark purple knit tope with flowers on it. We managed to change before we got back to the house so that we could all walk in in the same shirt......

The girls and I head back home Saturday -- mom is flying with us as she's going to my aunt's house to help out after her surgery. The girls will go to a week of scrapbooking camp next week and then we've only 2 more before school starts. Yikes!

Hope your summer is going well and that you're enjoying it!

2 days cruising the Niger River

Not anywhere close to any cruising I imagine any of you have done (aside from my dad and uncle, of course!). The first is a shot of the entire boat, taken actually where we docked on a sand shoal to spend the night (in tents). The second is a close up of the toilet -- basically an enclosed hole leading directly into the water. Hey, it worked! And you had to walk along the exterior of the boat in order to reach it.....




Before we'd gotten to the boat, we'd had breakfast with Mac and three girls from the Peace Crops. Interesting to hear what their experiences have been. Breakfast was VERY familiar looking to any American -- pancakes, french toast, maple syrup (REAL!), tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. After breakfast a small group of us went to see the bead museum -- lots of history on the beads. Then onto NO PLANNED ACTIVITY for 24 HOURS!!!!! Given that I was suffering pretty badly with what turned out to be bronchitis/sinus infection, I really needed the R&R. I basically spent the entire time on the pinasse (fancy name for the boat) horizontal, with my head propped up so I could breathe. Fun to see some of the activity going on down the river -- various villages and settlements, people riding down the river on other boats, women doing wash in the river (euw!). And nice to just lie there with my eyes closed, decompressing after an intense period of time! The next photo shows them cooking lunch -- 2 men "manned" the pinasse, one "driving" and one doing everything else. Cooking was on an open fire (safety shmafety).



We simply cruised along all day. A bit before dark we landed on our shoal and the boat people got out the tents. There were plenty, allowing most of us to have our own. Nice for dad as he didn't have to sleep with the "coughing wonder" that I'd become. And I didn't have to feel bad for tossing and turning all night. Up the next morning to continue along our way to meet back up with the cars to continue to Segou.

Despite being sick, I truly enjoyed the relaxation offered by the trip down the river. It also allowed a different view of the country than over-ground, especially with regards to the rather poor roads. We'd had quite an intense "immersion" in Konsango, and this 24 hours gave us all an opportunity to de-compress and assimilate it into ourselves as we transitioned back into "modern society".........

Summertime

And the living's a bit easier. Sleeping later, relaxing more, no packing lunch. Still a bit busy, but not like during the school year! And we've managed to finish SOME of the cleaning that's required this summer. Still have the black-holes of the girls' bedrooms (popularly known as closets). And the disaster that our coat closet in the foyer has become. Sigh. One step at a time.

Abby has managed to participate in two more swim meets. The first was on the West Bank (although in regards to the varied travels of the Mississippi river we traveled EAST to get to the WEST Bank and, on the way home, taking a different route, went NORTH to get back on the EAST bank. Check out a map, get used to the geography). It was HOT. And the pool only had 4 lanes. She swam like a champion and managed to not get discouraged by not winning any ribbons (they didn't have her name on the roster and she ended up in the early heats where the REALLY strong swimmers go). On the way there I'd missed the turn and gone about 1/2 mile farther than necessary. On the way home, we went a different route and I made a DIFFERENT wrong turn (despite the fact that I actually am a pretty good map reader and had even directed someone else on how to get home who'd GOTTEN IT RIGHT!). So Abby and I ended up going thru a tunnel under a canal (didn't know that there were tunnels!) into Belle Chasse, then had to turn around. Of course, the OTHER way didn't have a tunnel but a bridge and the drawbridge was up. Thankfully a nice truck driver let me in. So we were only out 20 minutes. This week's meet was in Destrehan which is about a 20 minute drive from here. We got there in plenty of time, but it was thundering and lightning. So they were delayed. They started warm-ups a bit after 3pm (when the meet was supposed to start) but had to pull the kids from the pool again when it thundered again. Another 10 minute delay. The meet finally started about 4pm and I was quite impressed by the precision with which this club ran the meet. We were done by 6pm (the other two meets we were there 3+ hours). Abby even made it onto the roster this time and again won one of her races -- breast stroke. AND dove without belly-flopping. AND executed flip turns. She's really enjoying it as well.

Maggie, meanwhile got signed up for the "teen fit" program at the JCC where she had 4 personal training sessions and then took a test to be "certified" to use the equipment at her age rather than waiting until 16. She enjoys it and went to work-out with me yesterday morning. Today she chose to sleep in.....since it's only 5 minutes from here, I can easily take her pretty much when she wants.

Today we managed to get Abby her school uniforms for next year. Although Maggie is a small person, Abby's even tinier. So, smaller skirts, new blouses, new socks, and new shoes. She doesn't like the fact that the skirt comes down to her knees.......but that's what's necessary. Sigh.

And, since Tom's not here, we've been renting a watching chick flicks. As well as hitting the theaters after church. So far this summer we've seen Shrek, A-Team, Just Wright, and Prince of Persia in the theater and The Notebook, The Proposal, and Did You Hear About the Morgans? at home, with Duplicity and Leap Year cued up. Tonight friends are sleeping over, so we'll go buy some ice cream for dessert and then order pizza.........and wait for the rain storm that looks like it's coming......

Have a great weekend, all!