SOS Ouagadougou!

Hey you guys in Ouaga, tell Rakieta I am having trouble getting through on the phone. I bought a new phone card to try first thing tomorrow (9/9/09). Hang in there. I haven't forgotten you. Grandma is keeping me very busy and she is going to die very soon, but I will get through by telephone soon I promise!

Late Sunmmer Nights!

Well Grandma is still hanging in there. We almost lost her last week, but those on the other side sent her back. She was quite indignant about it too. She is a little less CRANKY and a bit more polite so I do think she is doing her home work BUT she is on a hefty dose of Haliperidol 2x daily as she became uncontrollable during her discussions with the relatives and such and between trying to walk when she can no longer walk, slapping me twice and being just vicious with Lee, it was decided for everyone's sanity, that she would have to have her end of life experiences a little less vividly. Anyhoo, as of tonight her body is heating up again so I think we are beginning another fun ride. Oh boy!
So, all this excitement and lack of any disposable time has reminded me to be grateful for the little things. We have a care aid who we have coming in most days in addition to the barage of Hospice folks just so we can have SOME normalcy. So I was finally able to cut all my grass yesterday. That is one of the little things I am talking about. Today I was able to skim the pool guilt free and uninterupted. This evening my rotten little ponies decided to take a trot through the yard after they broke out while I was bringing them in a wagon load full of fresh grass. While I wanted to kill them, I was grateful for the opportunity to just enjoy the experience. It felt a little bit like normal around our house. Besides it was quite entertaining to the folks inside to see these black georgous creatures flying past the windows.
I now have to put my chickens to bed before dark because my prowler is back. He is too big to catch in my big cage so it is either a wily old coon or a fox. The tail didn't look like fox, but I am not ruling it out. It looked like a cat that was at least knee high and it isn't a too fat house cat as I would have caught that by now. No this is a crafty villian to be sure. We need one of MonsterQuest's crittercams.
Well, exaustion is setting in so I will close for now. Till next time.

Weekly Ride

This weekend will be a 1 year anniversary since I made the commitment to horseback ride at least once a week. And for the most part I have been able to keep my promise. I am not a great rider and probably never will be because my reflexes are so slow. My girls did not inherit all their dancing ability from me, that's for sure.
Anyway, good rider or not, trail riding is a wonderful experience and a great way to connect with nature. I am so grateful for our "furry kids" and the joy they bring to us. I also enjoy very much being able to give others the gift of "playing with horses".
I have a lot of posting to do. The problem is I have absolutely NO EXTRA TIME. However, keep checking because this too shall pass and I will get some of my disposable time back as soon as we get Grandma off to her new life with God.

Quiet Summer Nights

I have been lazy in posting lately. Actually not really. More like too exhausted by the time I sit down to even compile coherent thoughts. But it has been a great summer. Tonight I moved my big water trough just to make sure the helicopter trees weren't poisoning my goldfish. It was dusk, the humidity has disappeared, the breeze was very gentle. The ponies were nickering and the chickens were settling in for the night. I love just sitting on the bench soaking it all in. Especially if the moon is coming up real bright.
Grandpa and Grandma have settled into a quiet steady decline. Neither was too willing to put their affairs in order, so I assume their attitude, when coherent was one of rebellion against aging or just denial, and they both can keep all of us on our toes some days, but things are pretty good for them and they are living out their last days in a pretty good way. Lots of sleepy days. I just try to make sure we have a good movie for them on Saturday nights and keep the foods they are enjoying at the moment on hand since appetites are rapidly declining.
The farm stuff is really cool this summer. Mini Me, the homicidal maniac pony, just melts when the kids start grooming him. He turns to peanut butter for them. I couldn't be happier with the way the lessons are working for both the kids and our horses. Not a lot of home grown chicks this year so far. I think maybe a few of my roosters are shooting blanks. Seems like a lot of eggs that never developed. However, the weather was so screwy earlier that that could have been the culprit. I do have 2 on eggs now and I think things are a-ok for them. The chicks I bought are mostly grown now and not too many roosters. The ducks have settled into wedded bliss and are doting over a clutch of about 13. I can't wait. The garden isn't big, but is very prolific so it's all good.
I finally went through the last box of the grandparents. So no more unsorted stuff. Now to just get the stacks out of my house and off my porch. Getting my sister's wedding dress done and getting control of our clutter and stacks are my highest priorities the next couple of weeks.
Rakieta took her money over to the clinic for her new leg. They told her that when she brings her next payment in, they will begin her measurements. She is very excited. This is a big deal to be able to accomplish something like this in her country. She is very proud. Our latest crisis is that she is worried she will never sew well enough to sell her sewing. We will overcome this too. She is just a worry wort. I am planning my next trip as soon as Grandma has passed. I think Grandpa will be ok if I leave him for a week or 2 since he is now getting lost even in the house. In other words his memory is very minimal at this point. We do the best with games like "Good Night, Don't let the bed bugs bite." He can remember the games and who he plays them with. He just can't remember much else any more.
Well, it is getting late and I am getting sleepy so I think I will head off to watch tv and listen to more of the soothing quiet night sounds. Have a good one everybody!

Computer Back Log

I have an assortment of pics to put up and it just seems like I never have enough time. However, I promise to at least do a few at a time over the next week or so. I'll try to post a little more too.
But for you chicken fans just know things are going well. No more predators and the babies are getting very big. Mrs. Duck is so happy. She is laying and actually making a nest. That is a big accomplishment for a duck, especially a mini. Now let's see if she sits.
The horses are absolutely GREAT!!!! All decisions leading up to now have been wise and the barnyard is wonderful.
Things in Africa are moving along.
Things are as positive as can be expected for the grandparents. They are happy and cozy and so while rough waters are ahead, they are content.
I have managed to watch I Dream of Jeanie season 5 and Bewitched season 7 this summer at night. I consider that my mandatory cheer each day.
The U.S. is still nuts, but it looks like the logical bread and butter Midwestern folk are getting their voices heard so maybe the corrupt radical liberals trying to destroy our country may not get their way. I love the enthusiasm and energy us little people are finally showing the nuts in Washington!

My Aching Head and Back!

I woke up with a head ache this morning. I shouldn't have. It was a low barometer kind and clouds are high and dry today. So far it is still hanging on. Distant, but there. Now after slaving over the computer most of the day, my neck is stiff too. I am not sitting around enough on the computer I guess and my neck muscles are getting weak.
A lot of African stuff today. I still am not making contact with the prosthetic clinic even with a lot of ingenuity and work. So goes another day in the life of Burkina Faso. Once we get everything straightened out, I think we will be super okie dokie. It is just like trying to push a train, getting things done over there.........especially from over here...........especially since my French is so bad and their English is worse. Oh well, with perseverance we can and will overcome.
Rakieta is still waking up with blood in her mouth. The dentist told her she had dirty teeth but no other problems so it is medical. Refer to paragraph 2. Oh well, with perseverance we can and will overcome this too.
Grandma has developed a chest rattle. The Hospice nurse thinks it is probably cancer up there from the way it sounds. That would also explain her back aches that come and go. Not good news, but also it means she will not hang in in a lethergy for a long time.

Hmmm.........me thinks me knows why I am aching so much. My body must be telling me to release some of my stress. Having Hospice has helped a lot and I have learned to not let Africa get to me. It requires me ordering myself to breathe and live and accept that so much is out of my control. I wouldn't wish the harsh lifestyle on anyone, but I truly have learned patience and have been reminded so many times to have faith from them.

My table and Chairs

Dining room table without leaves

Chair back and seat

Chair leg and table pedestal

I thought I had posted on my dining room table before but upon looking back over my posts I didn't see it so I will post again. I ended up having to special order my chairs. It took a really long time to find someone to order them for me. But I did, they were on back order and you know what? I lived through it all just fine. No weird crisis. So, I will order furniture in the future with absolutely no trepidation.
The story is that I bought a beautiful table but not the matching chairs as they were just "too much" for my farmhouse. The table needed to open to at least 90 inches and I found the perfect one and it was an awesome deal. Then after Christmas I began to look for chairs. I eventually found 2 that were perfect. Turns out they were from the same company. The problem came when I wanted to order 4 more to match. The company which has beautiful furniture will only sell through dealers, not to any individual customers. So I began my quest to track down a dealer. Not so easy in this difficult credit economy. Furniture has taken a huge hit with the recession and since there is a minimum order of 1500.00 for each dealer and no one can get or wants to run up too much credit in furniture that may not sell, I hit brick wall after brick wall. Finally I found a dealer who was not only a current customer of the company but only 40 minutes away. Woohoo!!
Chairs ordered successfully. Unfortunately 3 days later I got a call telling me they were on back order. However they arrived 2 weeks earlier than predicted and they are now safely in my dining room. It feels great. This is my first "grown up, brand new, high end" dining room set. We were always so busy raising kids and doing kid things that were not conducive to an expensive dining set. We did leave Grandpa in the old chair since he needs spill proof and the arms on his chair are better support for him.