Through the Seasons

Actually, I can’t drive at all.  Here anyway.  Some would say that’s true in the States as well…but that’s beside the point…

In Tanzania, they drive on the opposite side of the car and the opposite side of the road from what I’m used to.  Besides that, this is Africa so the roads aren’t great and there are people walking everywhere.

But I’ve put it off long enough and now I must learn.  If not for my own sanity and sense of independence.

And Monday I did it.  First I drove (just I and a friend) on a side road with no cars or people.  Then I drove a little ways on a stretch of main road that was mostly deserted.  But later that day I actually drove Jonathan, Asher, and I from the office to the house.  That was a major, major accomplishment!

I feel I can do it now.  I’m ready to schedule a playdate with the other stay-at-home moms and get myself there.  I’m not quite up for “town” yet where the people well outnumber the cars but soon, soon!

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I just received an email from a friend who is going through a very difficult time.  Think of some of the worst things that could happen to someone and it’s something like that.  (But to protect everyone’s privacy I won’t even mention the details as they aren’t important to this post.)

I replied to her email and let her know that I would be praying for her, hit send, then started a prayer.

And realized I didn’t know what to pray for.  Peace?  Comfort?  Something good coming out of something bad?  Yes, all of that.  But my emotions are involved and I grieve for her above everything else.  So instead of filling my prayer with all the spiritual wording I could have thought of I just simply sat quiety focusing on God and this situation and said:

“Lord, I don’t even know what to pray for.  Help them.”

I have a feeling God answers even our wordless – yet full of emotion – prayers.

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And on this “time of year” subject.  I was rocking Asher in our bedroom the other day and realized our bedroom could be my “Autumn Retreat”. 

Our church’s quilting group made us a quilt and it happens to consist of burgundies and beiges.  Our mosquito net is trimmed in pale yellow and our curtains are burgundy.  I plan to hang Autumn pictures on the wall over this little dresser we have to make the effect complete.

Then I can go in there and fool myself into thinking I’m enjoying Autumn in North Carolina.  While sitting on an ice pack if I have to! 

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Speaking of this time of year, I’m already getting excited about Christmas.  This is the best time of year.

I usually spend September in anticipation.

October is decorating with gourds and pumpkins.  Jack-o-Lanterns.  Trick-or-Treat.  Watching to see if Linus will finally see The Great Pumpkin.

November is all about giving thanks.  Turkey.  Pumpkin pie.  Cranberry sauce.  Decorating with cornecopias and autumn leaves.  College football is in full swing.

But then there’s December.  Christmas!  And it seems like it lasts all month!  Will the Grinch steal Christmas this year?  Will Charlie Brown learn the meaning of Christmas?  Will Santa’s Sleigh get the toys out even with the blizzard at the North Pole?  Oh!  And!  Christmas cookies.  Pine and cranberry scented candles.  Snowmen.  Ornaments.  A tree.  (I hope we get to have a tree!)  Christmas cards!  And my favorite:  nativity scenes.  Because after all…  Jesus is the Reason for the Season.  (Sorry, I just had to…)

Then it finishes off with New Year’s Eve which I don’t worry about staying up until midnight for but it’s the end of the holidays and beginning of another new year.  All the hoop-la dies back down and we’re free to finish up the football and begin the Nascar seasons.  Just in time for March Madness to descend upon us once again!  But what was I talking about?  Oh yeah.  This time of year…  Did I mention I’m excited?

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Well, it looks like our winter is coming to a close.  It’s beginning to warm up now which means I’m no longer running a space heater in the bedroom at night or keeping the windows closed during the day.  It is a tad chilly in the mornings still but I don’t run for my sweatshirt like I used to.  And I get to sit in the house during the day now feeling the breeze whipping around me.  This is a pretty nice time of year here because it’s a bit warmer (low 80’s during the day) but no rain yet.  That doesn’t come full on until December with possibly a few days of rain in November to start things off.  So instead of a white Christmas, we’ll have a wet Christmas. 

I don’t know how I’ll do during this time of year.  It’s a bit dangerous for my emotional health.  (I’m not even kidding.)  When I lived in California I was depressed every year around this time.  And last year we were in language school at this time of year and I was depressed then too (although camping with morning sickness may have had a lot to do with that).

The reason for my downswing now is that my body says it should be getting cooler, not warmer.  And Autumn is my favorite season with Christmas my favorite holiday so…if it doesn’t “feel right” it may be harder.  But this year we’re in our home and I have some Autumn reminders so that should help.  If I could, I would turn the A/C way down and build a fire.  Haha…  But.  We don’t have A/C.  Maybe I’ll stick my head in the freezer every now and then while singing “Winter Wonderland”.

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When Asher was born I thought, as soon as he’s past these first few weeks of “newborn stage” I’ll be able to “get more done”.

Then I thought, as soon as we get in our home I’ll be able to “get more done”.

Then I thought, as soon as all our stuff arrives I’ll be able to “get more done”.

Then I thought, as soon as Asher is sitting I’ll be able to “get more done”.

Then I thought, as soon as Asher is crawling I’ll be able to “get more done”.

And I want to think, as soon as Asher is walking I’ll be able to “get more done”.

But I’m starting to realize that my golden opportunity to “get things done” was when Asher was, in fact, still in the womb and the only way to have peace in this area is to change the “things” I want to get “done”. 

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In the background you see the village mosque.  You pass many of these along the road – one for each village I assume.

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I received a book of Fairy Tales that I’ve been reading to Asher.  I just don’t remember these stories the way I’m reading them now.  For instance, did you know:

1 – The “moral of the story” of Little Red Riding Hood is that if you don’t do what your mother says you’ll get eaten by a wolf?

2 – Rapunzel and her prince – um – got better acquainted – up in that tower before they got married (he found her later with their two kids).  And do you remember how Rapunzel came to be Rapunzel?  Her parents sold her to a wicked witch for some rapunzel that the mother was craving.

3 – Snow White’s enemy was her own stepmother who ordered her huntsman to take Snow White out to the forest, kill her, and bring her heart back.  (Do you remember why?  Jealously.  The stepmother wasn’t as pretty.  Ugh.)  The huntsman let her live and brought back a boar’s heart instead which the queen ate while rejoicing over the girl’s supposed death.  Snow White’s prince saw her in the glass coffin built by the dwarves and bought her because he couldn’t live without looking at her because she was so beautiful.  When she wakes up (due to the poisoned apple getting shaken out of her throat) she falls in love with her prince upon sight.  (And we wonder why the divorce rate is so high – how many people expected this kind of story in their own lives – haha…)

4 – Hansel and Gretel – These kids were being raised by their father and stepmother (boy, lots of wicked stepmothers in fairy tales) who were very poor.  So they took them out to the woods to die so they would have food for themselves and not have to feed the children.

5 – Jack of Jack and the Beanstalk was lazy and the reason he and his mother got so poor.  (Eventually he does redeem himself by getting the gold egg laying hen, bags of gold, and talking harp.  And did you know that castle and those treasures belonged originally to the boy’s mother?  The giant killed her husband leaving her a poor widow.)

6 – And I forgot about nursery rhymes.  Old Mother Hubbard went to fetch her poor dog a bone and came back to find him dead.  Then she goes out a couple more times coming home to find him dancing a jig among all sorts of other things.

7 – Of course there’s also Rock-a-bye Baby where the baby and cradle fall out of the tree.

Hmmm…  And I haven’t even read all the stories yet.  There are a lot of things that went right over the head of this little girl back when she was being read to! 

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Well, it appears Herman and Henrietta are both ready!  Success!  Herman (with yeast) was ready before Henrietta (without) but they both ended up working and pretty quickly too!  Herman has more of a beer smell than Henrietta.  I’m going to sponge, proof, ferment – or whatever you call it – Herman tonight and try to make the bread tomorrow.  Mama will be making her regular bread too – just in case this is a disaster.  Surely not! 

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