Happy Valentine's Day

The kids ready for Valentine's Disco last Friday night.
In America we wish each other a happy Valentine's Day just because. Here in Mozambique, it is "Lover's Day" or "Dater's Day" known only to a few. So, when we get cards and buy chocolates for a spouse or child on this February holiday, they think it is kind of strange. They just don't understand that a box of chocolates just sort of says "you are special." My kids understand. They really were surprised by the real box of chocolates all wrapped up for them! They got a big box to share. Mikael brought some goodies from South Africa before Christmas that we hid away for this occasion. I got my treats as well; thank you , Honey.

Thank you to Charity Chapel in Pensacola Florida for making us all feel very special in February. Your package arrived just in time for Valentine's Day and everything is much appreciated! God bless you! Mom also sent cards and pictures of cousins and herself. We all loved them!

I wish you a happy Valentine's Day... or what's left of it in your part of the world. Our celebration was low-key: homework followed by linguini with a creamy sauce that Mikael whipped up for us. I wanted to make my Swedie's favorite black forest cake, but couldn't find what I needed. So we did a plan B: a quick version of Chocolate-Cherry pie with fake whipped cream. Everyone smiled; that's the point! We aren't very picky when it comes to dessert!

Comments

  1. noraFebruary 28, 2011

    She looks just like you Jeni! Just talking to a friend here in Tx tonight, sounds like he met your father last week. It's a small world after all...

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting ticked off

Image
My English speaking friends here all talk about ticking things off their lists. I usually check them off in America, but I find myself ticking off things from the long list today! Paperwork from immigration - check Paperwork #1 from City council - check Taxes completed and signed and photocopied - check Taxes mailed off in a registered envelope to USA - check Lodging for Lilongwe confirmed - check Lodging for Nairobi confirmed - check Lodging for Stockholm confirmed - check What remains... is... a lot! BUT, I have tomorrow... and the weekend.... and the next week! I hope I REALLY get TOTALLY ticked off NEXT week!
Read more

One more year

Image
We have been in Mozambique for a very long time. This is our oldest daughter visiting a village a half hour out of town in 2003. This was most of what she knew about the world at the time. This village was new to her, but not scary or strange. Our home was surrounded by a green, lush garden. Tea time under a guava tree was a daily ritual with Rosa and Maria. I admit, this looks a little "colonial" in some ways. But that is just life in Africa: our kids are white and everyone else is not. When you have a picnic this is what it looks like.  By 2012 my kids were happy in their school. The translation project was well under way. I was out and about visiting friends and finding places to share Nyungwe stories. There weren't many. Not many people were interested yet. We were on the verge of a new big thing, but we didn't know it.  After our "furlough" for a year in 2012-13, we returned to Mozambique. Little Zebra Books started publishi
Read more

In the evening...

Today I was reminded that at noon in the USA, it is almost nightfall in Mozambique. I spent a few minutes thinking through what nightfall in Tete is like for some of my friends. I'm feeling a little more homesick these days. Africa calls and I can't be there right now. I can remember and breath a prayer, though. Read along and maybe you will, too. The sun sets quickly in the tropics... instead of long, lingering sunsets, the orange ball nearly drops out of sight behind Kalawera mountain at the edge of Tete town. In the shadow of the mountain, the breeze picks up from down river and there is a bit of coolness... or at least a marked relief from the strength of the sun. The light dims and birds fly home. Cattle wander back to the corral moved along by young boys with long thin sticks, dusty clothes and tattered flip-flops.  Women are home and fires are lit for cooking or heating bathwater. There is smoke in the air and that smoke and dust are what make an African sunset s
Read more