Happy New Year!

Called Lisa Early This Morning

She had a nice New Year's Eve - though it was mostly spent in Church. It still surprises her that almost all the social contact people have in Aroab seems to revolve around Church, School, or Work. Of course at home most of her social contacts were based in the same three places - but college seemed different, than school as a workplace does, and work was Chem Department Work Study mostly, and her main Church contacts were the  Methodists on campus and the Quakers in DC. So while it seems similar to me it feels different to her.

She was surprised that small fireworks could easily be bought in her local store - as a New York State resident she's used to considering all sale of fireworks illegal. And very naughty - since people manage to get them and setting them off within hearing distance scares her cat Lightning! The poor cat really does hate them!  We explained that in some of our glorious states you can actually buy fireworks legally.

While it isn't as super hot as it will get - the rainy season hasn't come to Aroab and she'd love to trade some of our snow and cold for a few degrees of her warmth and dryness - I told her I was more than willing but that she'd have to clear it with Mother Nature who doesn't seem so inclined to make weather trades like that.

 

End Of Year Comments

Lisa told us that she read 99 books last year (yes she kept track and yes while some were YA, most others were Shakespeare, long novels, or other more weighty volumes.)

She wrote 228 pages in her journal, wrote several drafts of one short story she's been working on and she started I believe another story. No letters you notice, no postcards, and just a fist full of e-mails. Not that the Mom in me is complaining exactly (GRIN) But Maybe 2009 will bring forth something printed from her! Sent via the mail from her town to ours. I can hope!

That's life in the Peace Corps - work, secondary projects, socializing in your community and lots of reading and writing.

 

Tonight

Erna invited her over for a New Year's Day cook-out and Lisa arranged that she would buy the food and Erna would cook it. A more than fair trade off to Lisa. Folks I could be wrong - but Lisa is not showing any signs of being interested in becoming the next Top Chef. In fact I think the first thing she'll do when she gets home is master the art of the slow cooker (GRIN) I forgot who but in my youth someone wrote a "I Hate To Cook Cookbook" I think it was a Peg someone or other - Lisa would approve of the concept!

I must give her credit - I guess she's had luck on several occasions cooking chicken - so she's very pleased with her culinary development.

But the cool thing was in the process of trying to find meat for the cook out she finally discovered a butcher that sold individual portions of meat (vs the half a whatever size hunk of meat) She's not sure what she bought exactly but in her opinion "red meat is red meat". ( Again not a Top Chef sort of perspective)

Now how a butcher could hide in her small town the whole year she's been there is beyond my ability to figure out - but the bottom line is she now has a place to buy small amounts (the feed store sort of place she shops is more the "whole side of whatever" kind of place. She probably won't buy a lot - but it should provide some variety in her diet. And who knows - some other store may be hiding away in her town.

 

New Year Hopes

Lisa is still riding high on Obama's election and the hope he can do something to sort out our many problems. She in particular would like some of his proposed "corps" to be formed - sort of before she gets back from Africa next December or January - so she'll have work options (GRIN) not that such proposals get in place that fast under the best of circumstances.

She thinks he'll be the hit of the Press Corps if he keeps vacationing in Hawaii - following him there to report is a sandy surf filled job but some brave journalist has to do it! (GRIN-GRIN) Nothing against Texas, Arkansas, etc. but come on - Hawaii is Hawaii! Especially in winter! GRIN

She hopes the New Year is a good one for all of you who check on her blog - and for everyone else too!

 

Happy New Year!

Susan Rothman