Monday, January 26, 2009

Day Trip to Tompouey-Final Chapter

This my friends is an auto repair shop Burkina style. I had to work hard for this picture too. The mechanic was not Burkinabe, probably more middle eastern, and was not nearly as nice about photos as everyone else. I was able to get this one and then out of respect I put the camera away. So after our very long day in the hot sun, we had to make a visit to the mechanic before finally going home to rest. I think I love Mercedes as much as Buick. These cars can take a lot. The Mecedes is as hardy and reliable as General Motors. For the record-we have reached over 300,000 on every one of our GM vehicles.

Winter Wonderland!


For any of you in the warmer climates who might be missing the cold northern climate. I took these pictures this morning as the sun was rising. Snowbanks-we actually have snowbanks! We have only had them a few times since I moved down here in 1986. Now up north-that's a different matter.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Mission for Children's Health Africa

I have to take a minute to give my friend Immanuel a little plug. He is a young man who called me frantically a year or so ago. He is from Ghana and was working from Ghana to bring children into the US for badly needed medical care. Somehow he stumbled into the sticky quagmire of child trafficking for adoption and was already getting very uncomfortable with some of the common practices out there by some medical advocates and NGO's here in the states. He found Children's Chance Connecticut and discussed a few things with Dorita. She referred him to me since I have been the watchdog on this subject for so long. Anyhoo, we talked. I told him who was good at what cases, what to watch out for as far as shenanigans and and just in general a pep talk about not giving up on his mission of helping the children of Ghana. That conversation was the beginning of many since then.
Well, the economy in the US has continued to cool and while the US is very generous, we as a nation have our own needy now so money has dried right to a trickle. In addition, free medical services are just harder and harder to get. I told him all along that he could do much more effective work by bringing teams in to his country for the cases that could be done there and only referring out the most severe cases and then to refer them to Children's Chance since she has such good repor with her medical people and she has such superior surgeons.
Somewhere along the line, he came around to my way of thinking. Last fall, he had one too many close calls with children being treated as someone else's property and he called all his children home. Remember folks, these very poor uneducated people send their children here to be fixed and healed not given to some American family who falls in love with the child. It is imoral and in most cases illegal. He also did the math and decided it was much more economical to bring help to the people. He found a man from Ghana who is a surgeon doing work right there in the country out in the bush. (Of course) So together they have been able to help many, many more children.
I will post some pics soon, but in the meantime check out his website: www.mch-africa.org and if you have any medical supplies you can donate, please do. This group is legit and they really do need the help desperately.
By the way, Super 8 Imlay City, the soap, sheets and shampoo are a Godsend and will end up in Burkina Faso, Ghana and the Philippines before the supply runs out.

The Rest of our Day trip to Tompouey

A group of children. All that is needed is a white person with a camera and there are so many people, especially children who love to have pictures taken. Note the shells in the girls hair. Quite a luxury I think.
Here are the buses dropping off the people to the tents.
The tent community. HOT!!!!
More children!
After we left the tent community we drove over to a school where they were setting up another temporary community in the school. When we arrived things were a bit chaotic. Marie quickly scolded the women to get things cleaned up so they could cook dinner. This is typical cleaning in the country. The women prefer to do it this way. Feeling that something isn't properly cleaned unless they are close to the ground like this. Not for me, but whatever works for them.
By now I am exhausted, very sunburned and desperately needing something softer than the ground or a hard stool to sit on. (Give me a comfy recliner) Anyway, these ducks showed up and I was pretty tickeled to see something familiar.
Ladies beginning to organize dinner for the community
Finally things are in order and after a picture I am thinking we get to finally go home. HA!!!!!
I have been slow with all the pictures of the day trip and I apologize. My days are just so fragmented. However, the weather is finally getting more agreeable which does help so much and other than income tax returns, there isn't too much paperwork staring at me right now. For the moment Adele is stable so.....................I will hold my breath and run like the wind with the normal things the Kalinowski's call life.
Anyway, after I was already lobsterized and I was ready to go home and let my sun burn rest, we got a call to go to one of the places Marie Compaore was spending her day. Marie Compaore is who Rakieta stays with and she is a social worker. It turned out to be a temporary shelter because the rainy season which started the day after I got there had produced such heavy rains that it knocked several housing neighborhoods right down. So the people were being relocated to tent villages temporarily while their homes were rebuilt.
I will have to split this story up into a few more posts as there are a lot of photos. Just wait until you see what is next!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Cinderella

Guess what is coming to the Pix Theatre in May? Just Dance presents "Cinderella"!
We are getting ready and I am really getting enthused. We have such a great group of kids and the music is really fun. Cinderella is my favorite so watching 16 different versions is not boring for me. Rakieta also reminded me that she is the Cinderella princess. I told her I didn't forget. As you probably guessed Cinderella is her favorite too. I can really use the cheerful activity.
Grandma is better today. It is just a hard thing to have to watch. But we are all happy that this time is being spent with them with us. They can stay together, have some freedom and are relatively stress free.
The weather is finally cooperating a little and it is amazing what it does for everyone's disposition.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Ho Hum!

I am feeling a bit sorry for myself today. It was a really bad day regarding radiation/chemo. We have been battling this weird diarrhea since Sunday and just when I thought it was safe for us to go, no such luck. We spent 45 minutes in McDonald's about 5 minutes from the clinic. Adele was hugging the toilet and I was taking turns between clean up and trying to make contact and get advice from the clinic. Not fun.
But we are safely at home and cozy and comfy once again. So that is good.
I am feeling very overwhelmed by current paperwork and what I know is coming due to tax returns.
We still don't have all the stuff from the apartment sorted and cleaned out. Nor are all the costumes put away. Tomorrow that should be completed finally.

On the up side-the weather was very beautiful for the 2nd day in a row. That helps. I hope I sleep very well tonight. I think it will help my grouchy's a lot.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Visitor Counter Finally!

As smart as I am, I sure do feel like a dodo bird over my ability to add java script to my blog. I have been trying for over a year. Now in fairness to me, I have been very, very busy. But for all the stress I have put myself under over this, it sure was easy in the end.
Well live and learn.
I am taking a very wild guess at hits. I am probably underestimating, but in a month or two it won't matter anyway.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Auto Show Time

Good morning from the very snowy thumb of Michigan!
Today is Martin Luther King Day and our family has a vacation day since the college is closed and Matt has the day off. So they are all heading out to the North American Auto Show. I would like to go to, but someone needs to stay home with the grandparents and Adele has radiation so.....I am the lucky one.
I'll be sure to post a picture as soon as they get home. This year, on the lower level, they have an outdoor scene and you can drive some of these electric cars nobody wants. I would have liked to have seen that display as I think it is very beautiful.
On a positive note, Myth Busters and some other tv guys did show that non combustion engine vehicles can and do have the power of our gas powered vehicles.
We shall see what America thinks.

Mom's Side of the Family

Rasmata, Salmata (Rakieta's mom) Rakieta, Kassoum and our faithful driver
Me, looking pretty sun burned, and Rakieta's mom

After our lunch, pictures and video at Rakieta's dad's, we went to Rakieta's mom's home. Salmata, who is the senior wife and whose children are now grown, and Lassane are not always on the same page so they tend to take breaks from one another to keep peace. At the time of this picture she is staying with a cousin.


Sunday, January 11, 2009

Goody Bar

I am writing to you today from Tri C/V Performance Horses just a mile from our home. We were asked if we wanted to start a snack bar for the winter horse show series. I said "Heck Yeah"! We have several dance families really feeling the economic crunch and Rakieta is in bad need of a new leg. So..........
I cleared the cobwebs out of my old food service memories. Remember I am an up north girl and everyone from up north, I mean everyone, knows food service/restaurant work. So much of the economy is based on good food.
Anyway, one week later, voila! The Goody Bar emerges and so far it is a smashing success.
Fun too. If you like horses, the view can't be beat and we are inside so it is relatively comfortable.

Rakieta and her Dad's family

Kassoum, Rakieta, Rasmata, Gemilia and the babies.
These are Rakieta's siblings on her mom's side.
Rakieta and much of her dad's second family. Remember the men can have up to 4 wives at once
Rakieta, her father, her brother Kassoum, and her sister Gemilia
Rakieta and her father
Today's pictures are more from our day trip out to Rakieta's father's house. Rakieta's dress is typical of the country. The women like bright cottons, very fitted clothing and most of the skirts are ankle length. The girls and women are very beautiful as a rule and tend to wear clothing to accentuate their looks. The younger girls prefer western styes, but all women have at least one outfit like Rakieta's.
Rakieta's father and brother are dressed typically for the region.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Time for More Pics

Our lunch. We had french bread-a staple there, rice stuff (it's a ricy soup, usually with a tomato base) and fish. Note the incredibly simple furnishings. Chairs are a luxury and anything with a cushion is a very huge luxury.
Rakieta's father's house. As you can see throughout my blog, all Burkinabe houses are fortresses of sorts. The car does not belong to Rakieta's father. That is what we drove to see them in.
An auntie holding the twins while we were getting things ready.
We stopped to pick up Rasmata and the twins. Rakieta is resting and holding my purse.

OK, the Burkinabe's are getting restless and things have settled down enough here that I am posting a bunch of pictures today. This is a day trip Rakieta and I took out to the outskirts of Tompouey where Rakieta's family lives. I'll post a few pics daily until they are all up so please do check back.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Merry after Christmas everyone!

Well, I am finally breathing a little more normally. Grandma seems to be weathering radiation and chemo pretty well, all the holiday celebrations are over, the apartment is cleaned out, the Christmas show is over and there is a less frantic pace around here for the time being. Jeni finished my sentence very eloquently today when she stated we were without deadlines. Yes, it feels pretty darn good.
Now I finally am getting the laundry caught up. A miracle in itself. I am beginning to think about a possible next trip over to see the girls and have stopped worrying I am going to die in my sleep from a heart attack.
Adele finally seems stable for the time being. Unfortunately, I think Lee (Grandpa) is getting ready to slide on us. Been a few weird days.

I am looking at going to Burkina via Ghana. The rates are much, much better. The big question is: How safe is it to get from Ghana to Burkina? I'll be sure to post when I finally figure things out.
I am just getting caught up with our guys across the sea but as near as I can tell everyone is pretty status quo.