Happy Valentine's Day Part Two

Well I'm Gad I Posted That Last Blog

I did have a bit of trouble doing it though - there was a little box that popped up with "Server Error" in red - I was not amused and my wail reached up from the basement to the bedroom upstairs where Lisa's Dad was trying to nap away a cold. He came downstairs to make sure I was still alive and in one piece. I was afraid to click on anything after last week - but he just told me to do it and it worked. OK - now I'm less stressed so on with the blog.

 

Cold Transmission Via The Phone

Seems like Lisa has been fighting a cold all week and she laughingly blamed it on our call last week - she swears she "caught it from us over the phone" Hope hers is shorter lasting than ours since both Lisa's Dad and I still don't feel up to par. We wake OK but run out of steam far too early in the day.

 

Books Glorious Books 

But Lisa forgave us since she received a rather well packed box we sent her with a few Valentine's Day theme items, some treats, some healthy food (since we didn't know how her cash flow would be working for a while) and more books - We're thinning our bookshelves (and they do need thinning - think spring and a whole packet of carrot seed in a square foot plot - that kind of thinning) and when we find sale books we pick them up all the time.

The books she'll leave in Africa in either her school's library, the hostel next door's library, the community library or the Peace Corps Library in Windhoek if the books don't seem to fit into the other locations. Sometimes I feel like we're trying to provide reading material for the whole country (GRIN). But Lisa really only has reading as a recreational activity so she appreciates every book - from children's books to Shakespeare. She just finished her 23rd book of the year this morning (Dealbreaker). She knows it's an addiction but without a computer, TV or any place with plays, concerts, or movies to see, it's the only addiction in town. GRIN. She's aware there are others but she won't consider them - Double-GRIN -

 

History and Politics

We talked about Lincoln's 200th Birthday and how you can't flip through the cable channels without seeing Ford's Theatre round the clock. It reminds us of how Lisa was an Usher there when she was in DC and how we saw 2 plays there - plays that she treated us her dear parents to. We miss visiting her in DC - and to think we thought she was far away then! Little did we expect she'd be in Namibia for 2 plus years.

She also talked about the stimulus plan getting voted for and her hope that it will help. She's sort of surprised how carefully those in her community are still paying attention to US politics. We tend to forget how what we do here in the US effects the rest of the world. She did think it was odd timing that Congress seemed to be taking a Valentine's Day break - though she hoped that the spirit of love would help keep things cooperative in DC.

 

Cats and Kittenhood

To leave on a warm note - our cat will be turning 15 this summer - and since he's had a heart condition for over 13 of those years his just being here is pretty amazing. But lately, while jumping is still hard for him - and a long snooze curled up by the radiator is his favorite way to spend the day - he has gotten a bit more energy late in the evening. He seems to feel spring is in the air (50 degree temps this weeks fooled all of into believing we were skipping right to April avoiding March with its iffy weather totally) and is desperate to be carried out to sniff the air after dinner (and most other times too -GRIN) Actually it's our idea that he remain an indoor cat - He reminds us of when he was a kitten - it seems like a sort of a second Kittenhood for him. He makes us smile - and that's always a good thing.

 

Till next week - Enjoy your week and remember to smile at your bank teller - and be nice to your ATM - GRIN -

 

Susan Rothman