tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12141955054730498082024-03-21T04:19:55.498-06:00Up on the Roof"You got the stars above and the city lights below..."Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.comBlogger230125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-11711325647097315722020-07-22T12:03:00.000-05:002020-07-22T15:43:04.154-05:00A (Not So Big) Move<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A year ago, we were just getting ourselves settled into life here in Spain. I shared some about our quest to find housing before we arrived and the difficulty we encountered trying to find a place to rent. Eventually, we were able to sign the lease and get into a home. </span></div>
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Ellee watching the sunset from the side yard.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We liked the house. </span>We have enjoyed the space to spread out, host friends and family from afar as well as many dinner parties. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The location was fantastic given our strict lockdown for nearly 3 months. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">We had space to get outdoors despite the restrictions. Really the only draw back was the cost of the rent and the fact that the landlord (with whom we had no contact) and the rental agent who was our liaison were not fixing anything that went wrong. An initial selling point was the solar water heater which we thought would save us money. We didn't have any other choice, really, because we were desperate for a place to live. Nevertheless, as it turns out, the solar water heater had never even been plugged in or programed and no one ever came out to do so. Upon our arrival, our neighbor informed us that the previous tenants in our house had tried to use the fire place and the entire upstairs filled with smoke. He strongly encouraged us to not try it, and to see about getting it repaired. We never used it and it was never repaired. Despite regular requests, the air conditioning which blew out hot air was never fixed. There was an open space in the wall above our bed which was <a href="https://abbymtstclair.blogspot.com/2020/05/neighbors_17.html" target="_blank">home to a noisy birds nest</a>, along with some electrical issues and a leak in the roof… we weren’t getting anywhere. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wanted to stay for the area and the space, but it was frustrating to pay monthly and get no service in return.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At Christmastime, we met the owners of the other side of our duplex. They came to Jerez for a visit and repairs after their tenants had vacated their property. They have a son not much older than Kyle, and they stayed for a few weeks. Kyle thoroughly enjoyed having a friend </span>around<span style="font-family: inherit;">! And to add to the thrill, they spoke English…. Real English like they speak in England because they live there. I mentioned to the owner our desire to stay in the area and our hopes to talk the landlord down a bit on the rent, since we had discovered we were paying more than our neighbors. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">About eight weeks ago, as I was communicating with the owners of the other side, she mentioned their desire to re-rent their property. She offered us first priority if we wanted to swap houses when our lease ran out. Initially I thought it might just work in our favor as leverage with our current landlord. I hoped we could tell him we had an offer at much lower rent and see if he would match it and let us stay. Unlikely, but one can hope. I didn’t really want to hassle with moving. However, it quickly became apparent that the best choice was to just make the switch. We couldn’t beat the reduction in rent, along with the fact that we personally knew the landlords next door and their desire to maintain their property - all things that couldn’t be said for the people with which we were currently working. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I laid in bed thinking about all the stuff that needed moving. I have moved a lot of times, and I knew this would be easy in comparison to squeezing our lives into 50 lb suitcases. But to have to touch every item in the house again…. I wasn’t excited. And all the stairs! The houses are tall and narrow, with three stair cases each. Then it occurred to me. We could pass our things across the balconies!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If this doesn’t scream hillbillies, I don’t know what does. But it worked! We moved the basements by going out the basement door of one side and in the doors of the other. We moved the first floor by carrying all our things out the back doors, out the garden, in the garden and through the back doors on the other side. Then, we secured a ladder across the balcony of our bedroom floor and passed everything from laundry baskets full of bathroom essentials to bed frames and mattresses across. The most nerve-wracking of all was watching the guys from church pass my hammock across the roof top balcony, with one young guy scooting across along with it to guide it over the shingles. I am glad I don’t have a picture of that moment because it made me feel sick. The kid and the hammock and I all survived. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was no small effort and it took me about a week to move it all. I say “me” because Jono helped as he was able, but unfortunately he was taken out by some kind of brutal food poisoning the whole week of moving. Maybe he planned it that way, just to see how much I could really carry on my own since I’m always asking him to lift the heavy stuff. A group of guys came from the church to help move the bulky furniture. Naturally, we had to move the hottest week of the year thus far. </span></div>
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I dropped probably 5 lbs.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So we’ve come to the other side. It’s identical, only a mirror image. Still trying to get my brain to work backwards. That's the only thing I have to get working. The air works. The garden is nicer, with a big beautiful tree perfect for a tire swing. There are a few fancy upgrades in the kitchen and laundry room. There are screens in the windows so we can leave them open without getting eaten by mosquitoes. The solar water heater is functioning. The house has WiFi included. We have been reliably informed that the fireplace works. To my knowledge, there are no birds’ nests in the walls. And we are paying less. It’s a win-win-win-win-win!</span></div>
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Gotta figure out how to run the sprinkler system. You guessed it; it didn't work on the other side.</div>
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I love my coffee station! These lights are going to be so pretty in the fall/winter evenings.</div>
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Possibly my favorite part! A spice drawer!</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">~Abby</span></div>
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Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-42913641461220333632020-06-24T16:16:00.000-05:002020-06-24T16:20:29.961-05:00Rudy Off Duty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Have you ever wondered what Santa’s staff does during the year, when they aren’t on duty at the North Pole? Sure, the elves are busy building toys all year. And Santa is keeping his eye on the world’s children, checking who is being naughty and nice. But what about the four-legged creatures? What is there for them to do all year as they await another Christmas Eve whirlwind delivery?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I can’t tell you for certain about Dasher or Dancer, Prancer or Blitzen or any of the others for that matter. That is, except for Rudolph. When he finished his 2019 rounds with Santa and his co-workers, Rudy decided to pass his 2020 vacation days with Ellee right here in Southern Spain. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It all started when he got stuck in a toy bin at Lidl on Christmas Eve during a routine quality inspection. With his irresistible red nose and smiling eyes, he caught Ellee's attention immediately. She was heartbroken at the thought of leaving him behind and sobbed as I tried to distract her with something else. I had to set my mother pride aside and secretly request that he stay at our house after he had delivered all the rest of the world’s toys that night. He quietly promised, stating that he’d always wanted a holiday in a warm climate!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Christmas morning he was here resting on the couch. Exhausted from the previous night’s escapades, he slept a lot the first few days he spent with us. Ellee made him comfortable and assured him she’d be ready to play as soon as he had recovered from his overtime.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before long, we were all on our way to Austria! Of course, we all know that the magic of reindeer flying only applies on Christmas Eve. Thus, even Rudolph had to strap into a plane as we journeyed from Spain to London and then on to Austria the next day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Barely over the jet lag of Christmas 2019 himself, Rudolph struggled to stay awake on our first long day of travel. We journeyed from Spain to London by air. Once in London, we caught a train, then the underground, another train and then the shuttle to a guest house before settling in for the night. You can see him and Ellee here, curled up on the last train, ready for a good rest that chilly London night. And he thought guiding a sled around the world in a single night was hard!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Because it was a special treat for all of us to play in the snow, Rudolph humored us and tagged along on a few sleigh rides himself. I think I heard him murmuring under his breath about thinking he was getting away from the snow by parking with a little girl near the Spanish coast. How wrong he was! Rosie, having only just turned one, needed a bit of help steering her sled. Rudolph stepped right up for the job and kept her straight on course!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">He really enjoyed our cozy little apartment nestled on the side of a spectacular mountain. He passed his free time gazing at the awe-inspiring views and keeping a watchful eye on our drying laundry. He nestled in with Ellee while the kids watched Sound of Music endlessly. And he even got to join Kyle and Ellee to see the cockpit on our journey home!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(The view from our balcony)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s always a seat at the table for Rudy....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfc9BFoLkzjnf_PQfxZUvQSduojPd02mtIV7-ncpaNI0HDhDm3pC5Z68yBTNVWJysEHPmuOHf0K7hoPoVDJettsu7O6gzWZXq2dktWAZ5gaSqTuP0l1jyj9Ta_b6b8adIJedzemOeNYJ4/s640/IMG_7443.jpg" width="640" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that the sun shines endlessly and the heat drives us all to take a dip in the neighborhood pool daily, Rudolph is enjoying his ideal Spanish vacation. His days are spent sipping chilled drinks by the pool, relaxing with Ellee in the hammock on the rooftop, and dreading the day Santa calls him back to the frigid North Pole for another holiday trek. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since his birthday is today, we had cake and celebrated all the fun we’ve had together so far this year! Ellee informed me on Monday that his birthday was just around the corner. I don't know how I forgot. Yesterday I whipped up a little quilt to warm him on blistery nights in the snow. And for fun, we found him a sleigh so he doesn't lose his touch by next Christmas. Happy birthday, Rudolph! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(Thanks for his "R" shirt, Lollee!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">~Abby</span></div>
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Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-21520953609307197952020-05-17T14:57:00.000-05:002020-05-17T14:57:22.236-05:00Neighbors<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I really hate to complain, but I’m so fed up I have to tell someone. For months, we’ve lived in relative peace with our neighbors. We only share walls with one other house, so what was the likelihood that the folks on the other side will be unbearable and we would be unable to settle our differences? They have been occupying the other side of our walls the entire time we’ve lived here. Obviously, they were here first. For a long time, the noise was bearable. Sure, there was some occasional bumping and banging and a bit of arguing here or there. Nothing we couldn’t live with….</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">...Until recently. After welcoming triplets into their family, the otherwise quiet couple is now dealing with a frenzy of activity. I can, of course, sympathize with the mother and father and pity them as they are up half the night with their wailing offspring. Having one at a time was hard enough on my sanity, I can’t imagine having three. But the fussing…. The arguing over who’s turn it is to get up with the crying baby… the bumping and banging in the middle of the night. What might have at one time been common arguments over petty things, now sounds like downright domestic disputes. I’ve considered calling the cops. They bump and bang so much, I’m afraid sometimes they’ll fall in through the walls. I can’t imagine what all they are doing to cause so much ruckus. We have had some quiet hours, thankfully, but the late nights and early mornings are the worst. The babies are loud, the parents are arguing and I finally had to contact the landlord. I don’t know what he can do, really, but I have had enough. I can’t cope with being woken up repeatedly. It’s causing us all to lie awake and ponder how to politely recommend some sleep-training and tough love to the exhausted parents. I don’t know exactly how long it’s been since they welcomed their babies, but surely it’s time for some sleep. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What with the virus and the strict lock-down we’ve experienced here, I imagine they are overwhelmed with caring for their children alone. Tensions are obviously running high and I feel for them. Families aren’t allowed to mingle and I imagine no meal-train was set up for them amidst their return home after the birth. Judging by the sounds of it, they’re up managing meals all hours of the day and night. Clearly they are overwhelmed with their own situation and have little concern for our peace and rest. I would like to offer to bring them a meal, but we don’t speak a common language and I have no idea what they would enjoy. Plus, we still aren’t supposed to socialize and I wouldn’t want to put them on the spot to refuse my offer. Often when things are apparently going smoothly and all the babies are content, the parents sing at the top of their lungs and leave us with little peace. I’ve tried politely tapping on the walls, which has rendered no response.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I haven’t even heard back from the landlord; clearly he is at as much of a loss as we are. Day and night I consider that in time, these days will pass and hopefully a bit more peace will come to our neighbors. But for now, I’m quite ready to find a way to evict them and wish them well on their way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the meantime, I suppose we will continue in our cohabitation with our feathery foes and hope when their babies fly the nest in our bedroom wall, we can all get some much needed rest!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">~Abby</span></div>
Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-76914457649177619862020-03-18T05:32:00.001-06:002020-03-18T05:32:05.758-06:00Stitching the SeasonsToday I finally completed a project I've had on the back burner for over three years. When returning for our second term in Mokhotlong, I brought along fabric blocks and lots of embroidery thread to hand-stitch an embroidered calendar. Using a real calendar, my sister sketched the intricate photos for me to copy. To transfer the photos to fabric, I would tape the sketch to the window and tape the fabric block on top of it. Then using a fading pen, I would trace the picture onto the block before I started the stitching. Truthfully, I grossly underestimated the amount of time it would take to stitch 12 extensively detailed blocks. It didn't take me long to realize I might've bitten off more than I could chew.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLV5vYJWch2c-usvNwxWC1zO6BcxBhv2jzBKuDFQbpow4CXRbCgJko9T-Ugw1vUXcyQobwagPCZJIRZeC-gZj3DBsaKHW43X9jYhtJcPi9lWF6QNP3hgtUpn0sHTGebfDmxD_dZsSZ4_E/s1600/IMG_3979+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1586" data-original-width="1600" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLV5vYJWch2c-usvNwxWC1zO6BcxBhv2jzBKuDFQbpow4CXRbCgJko9T-Ugw1vUXcyQobwagPCZJIRZeC-gZj3DBsaKHW43X9jYhtJcPi9lWF6QNP3hgtUpn0sHTGebfDmxD_dZsSZ4_E/s400/IMG_3979+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I started the first blocks toward the end of 2016. Shortly thereafter began my increasing battle with headaches for the following two years. Because I felt worst when sitting still, I ditched the stitching and took up jogging instead. Finally, after my headaches were under control (thanks, keto!) and we had made our big move to Spain, I determined to finish the project I'd started! Each block was obviously very detailed and time consuming. I arrived to Spain with three completed blocks and one barely begun. Since November, I've finished the last nine! Nestled under a blanket by the window, sunning on the balcony in a chair, drinking my coffee, listening to podcasts, waiting for dinner to cook, little by little I have whittled away at each scene. </div>
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January</div>
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February</div>
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March</div>
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April</div>
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May</div>
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June</div>
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July</div>
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August</div>
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September</div>
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October</div>
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November</div>
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December</div>
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My plan is to make this into a wall-hanging with sashing between each block. It's on my project list for the next time my mom comes to visit or I get to visit her. I'm too scared to attempt it alone, for fear of ruining my hard work! But today, I'm relishing the fact that the blocks are finished and I can get busy making something else.</div>
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Do you have a favorite?</div>
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~Abby</div>
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Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-80383902680881825242020-01-29T15:33:00.001-06:002020-01-29T15:33:24.878-06:00Pollyanna<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
While on a girls' trip to visit my sister in Florida during the fall of 2018, Sadie was gifted a Pollyanna doll at an antique store. Dressed in a gingham frock, the doll immediately attracted Sadie’s attention. She quickly sat down in a little red rocking chair and tenderly began cradling Pollyanna. During the time that we were in the store, Sadie repeatedly requested that I buy her the doll, which I continually declined. We were preparing for a big move, and I wasn’t in the market to add to our load of things to pack. So Sadie sat and rocked the doll while we browsed the store.<br />
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<i>Stealin' hearts (and dolls) since 2015</i></div>
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Unbeknownst to me, the owner of this antique booth was right there watching the entire time. She was rearranging shelves and moving things around. I particularly liked her country styled area and admired many of the pretty things she had about. She began urging me to buy the doll by reducing the price she had listed, but I explained my packing predicament and tried to drop it. She went on to tell me how special the doll was to her, because her aunt had given it to her as a Christmas gift back in 1960. Pollyanna had been this lady’s childhood doll and she still had the book her aunt gifted her along with the doll. She offered to give Sadie the doll saying she just wanted her doll to be loved as well as she had loved her when she was a little girl. I again tried to explain that I just didn’t have the space to take more things and I wouldn’t be able to pack it for the move. The lady told me to sell it on eBay before moving, just so Sadie could enjoy her while she was stateside. When I realized I wasn’t getting out of that store without the doll, I accepted and Sadie left happily with a new doll and doll quilt, book, and another book and tote bag the generous lady threw in at the last minute.<br />
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<i>Sadie dressed in her favorite winter outfit, Pollyanna dressed in Sadie's favorite doll outfit.... Both with their shoes on backwards which is only fitting. SK puts her shoes on backwards about 80% of the time.....</i></div>
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Being the heartless mother that I am, I have to admit that during my final days of packing last summer, I intentionally left Pollyanna behind at my parents’ house where my mom has other repurposed antique dolls. Packing all the essentials of life for a family of 6 into suitcases leaves little room for sentiment. I heard a lot about that misstep from Sadie between when we moved and when my mom came to visit in September. Needless to say, Pollyanna was added to the list of “musts” when Lollee came to visit. Sadie was very happy to see Lollee, but possibly even more excited to see Pollyanna.<br />
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For over a year, Sadie has loved and played with Pollyanna. A few days ago, she announced that Pollyanna had a birthday coming up. So, today we partied with cookie cake and presents and celebrated Pollyanna’s "3rd" birthday. Sadie isn’t aware that Pollyanna is actually a 60 year old doll who could be her grandmother and for the sake of fewer questions, I will leave it that way for now. I reached out to the antique store to try to contact the vender who gave Sadie her childhood doll. I wanted her to know that Sadie has loved, cared for and taken Pollyanna out for walks and trips since she received her. The lady responded with a photo she had saved of Sadie Kate with Pollyanna in the store. When she also added that she thinks of us and prays for us often, knowing that we serve overseas, <span style="text-align: center;">I got tears in my eyes. What a thoughtful, generous lady! Pollyanna has a new hair-do, thanks to a three-year-old Sadie and scissors combo a few months back, but she is still as loved as any doll could be. It warms my heart to think of the generosity of that lady and her confidence in Sadie to love Pollyanna in the years to come! </span></div>
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<i>The photo I received today from the original owner.</i></div>
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~Abby</div>
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Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-47728929651575332192019-10-09T14:46:00.000-05:002019-10-09T14:46:02.309-05:00Tea, Tacos, and a Turtle<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am sitting in front of an oscillating fan, sipping chai spiced rooibos tea which is meant to make it feel more fall than the 90 degree afternoon we’re <strike>enduring</strike> enjoying. It’s October and I’m too stubborn to turn on the air; besides it doesn’t really work anyway. Rooibos tea, which is grown in South Africa, transports me right back to Lesotho days. I didn’t love it when I first tried it, but over time it grew on me; when I discovered the chai spiced version, I was sold. Since it is naturally decaffeinated, it’s a great option for a late afternoon slow-sip. Dinner is prepped and ready to go in the oven. I usually do some variation of Taco-Tuesday, but this week it got postponed to Wednesday. Keto-taco-casserole (known around here as ke-taco) it is, and it’s so good! I loosely use <a href="https://www.bunsinmyoven.com/low-carb-taco-casserole/" target="_blank">this</a> recipe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday I spent the entire afternoon in the kitchen, preparing all sorts of goodies. I have many eager helpers, which doesn’t make things go very quickly. Just when I was about ready to finish up and have a seat, Ellee reminded me I had promised we would make something from this alphabet cookbook this week. So she, Sadie and I whipped up this Turtle Bread to accompany dinner. It was quick and easy and great for little helping hands. I even managed to get out of kneading!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The finished product was well received by little turtles and Daddy turtle alike.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also decided to use some super ripe bananas to make up a sort of low-carb banana bread. Oxymoron, I know, but where the kids are concerned it's only an effort for healthier eating. So I did my usual 3 mashed bananas, 2 eggs, stick of soft butter, drizzle of vanilla. Then I added about 1/2 cup of coconut flour and a shake of baking powder and a shake of baking soda. The technical details to recipes are negotiable in my book. It had to bake a good long while to set up - probably an hour or more - but once it did, it was very tasty. The addition of a couple dark chocolate chips was not objected by any of the members of my household.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hope you are having a great week!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~Abby</span></div>
Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-47248332805952774722019-10-02T13:25:00.001-05:002019-10-02T13:28:37.756-05:00A New Roof<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px;">Somewhere in the midst of four children, a couple big moves, homeschooling, and the array of other duties which follow me wherever I go, my almost-forgotten blog was pushed aside. I have kept up (and not kept up) with this blog for nine and a half years. I often don’t even remember it exists, but when I do, I enjoy looking back through the virtual scrapbook of my unusual life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px;">I am seated on the floor of our roof top patio, listening to happy birds chirp. The breeze is refreshingly cool after months of exhausting heat. It may not feel as fall as I would like it, but the respite from unbearable heat is welcome. And the cool dips at night make my morning coffee with a sprinkle of ground pumpkin spice all that much more enjoyable. A coconut-lime keto cheesecake is cooling on the counter. Homemade keto chocolate ice cream is also freezing in the freezer. A roast is in the crock pot and I am excited to see how the sweet potatoes I finally found here turn out this evening when I bake them. We didn’t have lunch until nearly 3, which is so Spanish of us. You see, we really are adjusting. Dinner will be on the table by 8. School has been accomplished, Kyle in 3rd and Ellee in 1st, and Rosie has napped on and off all day. Teething has disrupted our days and nights for over a week now. Jonathan has been in and out - out at the store helping with refugee grocery shopping, in working on class preparations for English class tomorrow, back out here shortly to help with an immigrant food distribution and then on to his African migrant soccer team’s practice this evening. If it sounds like he should be tired, that’s because he is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px;">Moving to Spain has been quite a smooth transition, as far as transitions go. Buying a car, securing a rental home, filling it with furniture and getting it set up during our first week here wasn’t exactly the least stressful thing I’ve ever done. We checked out of a guesthouse on Saturday morning, July 13th, and went and dropped a few thousand dollars at IKEA that afternoon buying beds, couches, a table, a pot and pan, silverware, pillows and sheets and everything else you might imagine needs putting into a house if a family plans to live there starting that evening. Now the house, which at first didn’t attract my love and affection but was all that was available, feels like home. I enjoy the quiet setting, the very low traffic along our street, and access to the pool and neighborhood garden for outdoor time. Since Jonathan is away a lot with the car, I am pretty well situated here at the house with the kids <i>all-the-time</i>, so it at least feels like we’ve gotten out when we go up to the swings for a picnic. We’ve managed to work out a few kinks with the place, except the A/C that couldn’t handle the heat. Fortunately, it seem the worst is behind us now, so I’ll wait for Spring to bug the maintenance guy again about that. My favorite thing about the place is probably the stunning view. And the dishwasher.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px;">Spanish has come flooding back, although thankfully we never lost it completely. We’ve been using it for years as a secret language when we want to hide something from the kids or to speak privately in Lesotho or South Africa. Unfortunately, now we are encouraging our children to learn our secret language. Kyle works daily on DuoLingo and Ellee listens intently. Sadie is picking up bits and pieces along the way. I have made it my personal goal to be absolutely fluent someday, but that day is far in the future, I am sure. Nevertheless, being able to get around and make my point or ask my question in the language is not a luxury I enjoyed in Lesotho. And English is not widely spoken here, so it is pretty well a necessity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px;">The baby is now awake after another barely-nap, so I am off to see how my ice cream is coming along (read: have a bowl regardless of if it is frozen yet or not). Then maybe I’ll try to pointlessly sweep the house or fail miserably at attempting to read my awesome book about a missionary family in Peru during the 1960’s. Although more than likely, that will have to wait until the kids are all tucked into bed and I am left with silence until Rose wakes back up. This is a life I love and appreciate, even in the frustrating and mundane. I wouldn’t trade it for all the cleanliness, structure, or silence in the world…. But at times that does sound appealing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px;">~Abby</span></div>
Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-45992823595092605112019-03-28T16:12:00.000-06:002019-03-28T16:12:02.226-06:00Rose Michele ~ A Birth Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is something about a birth that changes a woman. Each one is so unique, so exciting, so trying, while also so empowering. At least, all four of mine have been. I had long, slow, painful labor with <a href="http://abbymtstclair.blogspot.com/2011/06/" target="_blank">Kyle</a>. I had even longer, slower, less painful at first, but equally as awful in the end, labor with <a href="http://abbymtstclair.blogspot.com/2013/06/ellee-renee.html" target="_blank">Ellee</a>. Then <a href="https://abbymtstclair.blogspot.com/2015/10/sadie-kates-birth-story.html" target="_blank">Sadie</a> happened; wild, brutal and less than 3 hours start to finish. When I discovered I was expecting Rosie, one of my first thoughts was, “I have to do that again?!”—initially in regards to the first trimester and then in regards to labor and delivery. And yet, as you approach the end of pregnancy, all you want is to get it over with. To do it today. To have actually already done it yesterday. It’s an all consuming thing those last few weeks of uncomfortable pregnancy. But it never happens as you imagined.<br /><br />Pregnancy is not kind to me. Fear of nausea was easily the main reason I wasn’t sure I’d ever be up to living through it again after Sadie. Every time I had even a slight twinge of discomfort in my stomach after going through it so awfully with Sadie, I would think to myself, “I’m not ready for that again.” But God had other plans. Thankfully, after two miserable bouts with morning sickness well into the second trimester with both of the other girls, I think I had come up with a few coping tactics by the time the dreaded nausea hit. I determined with as much determination as I could muster to not start throwing up this time. It wasn’t easy, and (TMI) I swallowed a lot of heaves, but we made it. Rosie and I. We made it through the entire pregnancy without a single visit to the toilet…. Or sink… or side yard. Thankfully, the constant feeling of wanting to puke lessened at about 14 weeks, significantly earlier than with both the other girls.<br /><br />At 20 weeks, it was discovered that I had a marginal cord insertion, where the umbilical cord had grown out of the side of the placenta, not the middle. The initial cautions were that she may not get enough nutrition through the cord and could end up being a small baby. However, after a few scans during the middle of the pregnancy, she was determined to be quite sturdy for her gestational age and no more concern was voiced about the cord issue. But because of the frequent scans, we could tell she was breech the entire time. I hoped and prayed she would flip, and week after week, she still appeared to be right side up. At 35 weeks, we scanned again to be sure. Breech and stubborn. I tried to encourage her from the outside as much as I could. I would push on my belly when she would get to moving, trying to help her in the right direction - down. I tried the same position of hands and knees stance that I had tried to get Sadie into position (she did flip). But Rose wasn’t budging. She stayed in the same position the whole last month or more. Head up in my left ribs. Rear down near my right hip. She still loves to keep her legs bent up like she was on the inside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />I had annoying and regular early labor/false contractions for the two weeks leading up to her birth. I had never had any early labor like that with any of my other pregnancies. It threw me for a loop. I didn’t know what to expect, either, because I was afraid she would fall out like Sadie had done. I was not prepared to birth a breech baby on the side of the road, despite Jonathan’s unwavering confidence that he could help me through it. Sometimes I wonder if that male confidence that they can handle anything is a bit unfounded. Anyway, as the days went by, I realized more and more that I was likely going to push her breech. It was that or have a C-section. I truly have no desire to be cut open, and was willing to do anything to avoid it. After three vaginal births, I hoped to go for a fourth. Thankfully my OB was also open to the idea — actually, she was more confident in it as an option than I was. I couldn’t help but fear for complications. And I couldn’t visualize it at all. It went against everything I knew about labor and delivery…. Head first, then the rest. The thought of doing it backwards was so unnerving. So, I decided to watch a few YouTube videos of breech births. The sight of it alarmed me at first, but seeing it done and that it worked much like head first births relieved my fears a lot. The next day, I had my mom also watch the videos with me, as she was expected to be at the birth. I like to be prepared.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Wednesday, January 9th, at 38 weeks, I was having frequent and mildly painful contractions. I didn’t know what to do, and feared they would progress quickly like my last labor, so we went over to L&D. After a lot of hours of monitoring, it was determined that I wasn’t in active labor and I was sent home. I was 0 cm dilated. Lame. I was so deflated and frustrated that after three previous labors, I still didn’t feel like I could listen to my body because this was all so different. I pouted the whole next day, irritated and grumpy. On Friday, the 11th, it was gorgeous (if cold) and I went for a long walk with my BFF, pushing Sadie Kate in the stroller. I knew from previous experience that walking doesn’t actually make babies come…. Or at least not always. But I didn’t want to sit around all day just waiting to go into labor. I had decided no matter what, until the contractions got too hard to handle, I wasn’t going back up to L&D. Breech birth on Whiskey Road, whatever. It better start hurting. I bounced on a yoga ball some. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That night, I continued to have the same pesky barely contractions. Then I had three not-so-barely contractions. I got back out of bed to tell Jonathan it might be go time. It was sometime just before midnight. Another contraction or two and I thought I was leaking fluid. Yeah… TMI again… after three births it can be hard to tell for certain what’s going on when 38 weeks pregnant. I had been told by a reliable source that if my water broke, I would know it without a doubt. But just in case, I called my mom and started trying to call my sister in law, Hannah, who was also coming for the birth. It took her an entire hour to answer the phone, but she did eventually get there. We alerted our neighbor who was going to come stay with the kids while we got ready to head out. Contractions kept coming, stronger and harder, and I was mentally preparing myself for a rapid and wild birth again like I had with Sadie. Just before we were going to leave the house, my water broke…. And kept breaking…. The entire way to the hospital. I was nervous and excited. The drive went smoothly, because the contractions all but stopped after my water broke. We listened to praise hymns and I whispered prayers of thanks to God. My prayer had been that I would know without a doubt when it was time, and now I knew. There was no going home. One way or the other, this stubborn breech baby was coming today! It was about 1 am.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We arrived at the hospital and got checked in…. Again. They still asked me all the same questions. My doctor had said to be sure they called her as soon as I got there and not to wait until I dilated. When they checked me, I was about 3cm. But the contractions were still almost non existent. As is apparently common with breech babies, when there is nothing pushing on the cervix, especially once my waters weren’t intact, there is no activity. When my doctor got there and checked, I was 4cm. We hung out for a couple hours and shot the breeze with the nurses and my doctor. Bless her heart, it was the middle of the night on the weekend. I had hoped I could get through another labor and delivery drug free, but it was decided that I would get an epidural to try to start Pitocin. It felt ridiculous to get an epidural when I wasn’t even in pain. Kyle had not handled Pitocin well during my labor with him, so I didn’t think it would work this time. Rosie was still diagonal and showed no signs of changing. I was prepped for surgery and frustrated. The nurses didn’t think there was a way on the planet I would push her out, it was obvious. But the epidural took okay and the Pitocin started. Once it was going strong, I could still feel a lot through the epidural, but it would have been absolutely unbearable without it. She started shifting more central, and I was dilating well. It didn’t take long for me to get to 10cm…. I think about an hour and a half after the Pitocin was started. She was descending and we were sitting on go. It was about 7am.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was painfully disappointed that I had to deliver in the OR because she was still breech. I wanted so badly for my sister in law to also witness the birth. Thankfully my doctor made an exception and handed my mom a set of scrubs. My mom was there for Kyle’s birth and I missed having her for Ellee's and Sadie’s. Not knowing if I’d ever have another one, or at the very least if it would ever happen again in the US, I really wanted her there to see this one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The OR was bright and there were so many people in there. Felt like they brought the janitor and the cooks in, too, just for kicks. So many people and me…. Ready to squeeze a baby out backwards. I was scared and frustrated it wasn’t going like I had hoped. But I knew I didn’t have much of a choice. I didn’t want the decision for surgery to be made, so I gave it all I had. My mom was beside me, and Jonathan behind my head. My doc was coaching me, and everyone else. Turns out not a single nurse I interacted with had ever seen a vaginal breech delivery. It was a first for all of us, besides my doctor. I pushed with all my might and Mom was saying, “It looks just like the videos.” That was a comfort to me. After about 4 minutes, she was born at 7:46AM. Utter and complete relief, unlike any other feeling in the world. She was set on my chest and I could touch her. She held my finger. I sobbed, as is my consistent reaction to birth. She was white and sticky, like Ellee had been, but I didn’t care. I stroked her and wept. She was 10 days early, weighing 7 lbs and 2 ounces and 20” long. Beautiful in every way. Just like my others, but different, too. I was so relieved to have her here. I had felt irritated with her the last few weeks, wishing she would flip and give me some peace of mind. But that all faded when I held her. She was too tiny and sweet to be grumpy with her. I wouldn’t have wished it to be that way, but I’m thankful I could do it. An overwhelming majority of babies flip head down for birth. And the few who stay breech are almost all delivered via C-section. To deliver a breech baby vaginally in the modern world is definitely a unique experience. She obviously didn’t just want to be the fourth, she wanted to be my first to back into the world!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">{Notifying the family at home that Rosie had made a safe entry into the world. Still in the OR.}</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She’s a doll and a content baby. She’s sleeping great. And she’s like honey to my soul. My heart is filled to overflowing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">{Family Photo Shoot, 1 week old}</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">{2 1/2 Months Old}</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~Abby</span></div>
Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-10352729657974544172018-04-24T10:39:00.001-05:002018-04-24T10:39:10.547-05:00Ruby Red<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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She's the dog of many nicknames. She looks especially lovely in her new red faux collar. She had a pretty blue one she managed to get off and lose so now she's in a dog-harness-for-a-much-smaller-pup-made-collar. Buying her another real collar is on my get-while-down list. I'm thinking red is her color.<br />
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I just wanted to give a little update on where we stand with the <a href="http://abbymtstclair.blogspot.com/2018/04/bring-around-ruby.html" target="_blank">Bring Ruby Home</a> fund. Thanks to everyone who has participated thus far, whether it be with art work purchases, donations or sponsoring Caleb to read, read, read! With purchases, outstanding sponsorships, and a few commissioned projects for the girls, we believe we have about half of the needed funds already! I'm so happy and <i>relieved. </i>Really love that girl!<br />
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The girls are busy with a few more painting and drawing commissions. After they complete those, they will be busy painting/drawing more things to sell and open to accepting more special orders. See my previous post for a selection of work they have completed in the past. Even Lollee is getting in on the painting, so be on the lookout for some Lollee-originals coming up soon! Caleb has logged 7 hours of his reading so far and they are tracking it on a chart. He is <b>so</b> excited!<br />
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Thanks for following along! <br />
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~Abby</div>
<br />Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-45315041925324941522018-04-09T13:10:00.000-05:002018-04-10T13:58:27.919-05:00B(ring) Around the Ruby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thanks for all the Ruby love from my last post! I told her she's not going to have to fight for her life at the cattle post. I also told her she's gonna love being an American! She was so excited! She was wiggling and wagging her tail! Or maybe that was because I was scratching behind her ears and waving a bone in front of her face.... But, Kyle did giggle joyfully when I told him Ruby is coming with.... and Caleb did look like a ghost from sheer shock and thrill when he found out, so there's that.<br />
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To begin the FUNdraising, my siblings have already been busy planning out what kinds of things they can do to make money! Naturally, the girls gravitate towards drawing and painting, as they have natural talent in that department. So Maggie is offering hand painted landscapes and hand painted decorative rocks! Holly is keen to pencil sketch your pet or house. Below are some examples of art work the girls have previously done.<br />
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Hand-painted by Maggie ~ Available for $15 </div>
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Hand Painted by Maggie ~ SOLD</div>
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Hand Painted by Maggie ~ SOLD</div>
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Hand Painted by Maggie ~ SOLD</div>
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Dual Color Sketch by Holly ~ $40/pet</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jHyC5cCHJzirlJy_RBHZjrmzwTliD1pDOVIN6L0VLSntzRWrOJT4iTWeEawl33P7yyDIfyiC58ONArn1kDh28BCKZSogdavNHUqGesAsPdHDYIHe-xPg2Td6Buh6Dct8V1e1s_LHoSc/s1600/IMG_1888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="720" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jHyC5cCHJzirlJy_RBHZjrmzwTliD1pDOVIN6L0VLSntzRWrOJT4iTWeEawl33P7yyDIfyiC58ONArn1kDh28BCKZSogdavNHUqGesAsPdHDYIHe-xPg2Td6Buh6Dct8V1e1s_LHoSc/s640/IMG_1888.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Color Sketch by Holly ~ $40</div>
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Colored Pencil Sketch by Holly ~ $40</div>
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Small Hand Painted (acyclic & sealed) Rock ~ $7</div>
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Large Hand Painted (acrylic & sealed) Rock ~ $15</div>
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Small ($7)/Medium ($10) Hand Painted Rocks </div>
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Small Hand Painted Rocks (acrylic & sealed) ~ $7</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PM9uB2dNX3fuZOhPvPFGu4eJ8ayy66KPqC_tpvoQ-q37fzfzXPMWOA0b71No5dGWeqNJkIBdGrAaePc1c98unDntOrs2WRgWn4M41VXuKv8iNUgFqa_p9PGpIu50yGbETojFTyJamBY/s1600/IMG_1894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="720" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PM9uB2dNX3fuZOhPvPFGu4eJ8ayy66KPqC_tpvoQ-q37fzfzXPMWOA0b71No5dGWeqNJkIBdGrAaePc1c98unDntOrs2WRgWn4M41VXuKv8iNUgFqa_p9PGpIu50yGbETojFTyJamBY/s640/IMG_1894.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Small Hand Painted Rocks (acrylic & sealed) ~ $7</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AyPwyPkvUbtRErzOo67xsChllx9DiYGj72p8xzIoBy5NUFmDAjWghjt4aFQYYjywmDKPSsuWRXfycVXu2XUV2B2Rvgu7X0djal4sz_StsVHtpiCu5tQ2gBvVyd_KRpigawUSdHxOuqU/s1600/IMG_1895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="720" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AyPwyPkvUbtRErzOo67xsChllx9DiYGj72p8xzIoBy5NUFmDAjWghjt4aFQYYjywmDKPSsuWRXfycVXu2XUV2B2Rvgu7X0djal4sz_StsVHtpiCu5tQ2gBvVyd_KRpigawUSdHxOuqU/s640/IMG_1895.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Pencil Home Sketch ~ $45</div>
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Medium Painted Rock (acrylic & sealed) ~ $10</div>
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Painted Rock Village (Three Houses, two cars, acrylic & sealed) ~ 25</div>
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Caleb has a wood burner. He and Holly are teaming up to create things like the ornaments and plaques below. I have just taken a few photos from Google, but he can do any kind of simple design. Clemson paws, Gamecock birds, Georgia bulldogs, state outlines, etc. Let me know what you want!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxd5M32S7JqtEA5Y_S9haSZnw0FTNdYbFMM-biHsf2WeGgWZ0HDmb4nyl-OhEuJFb99aYjetvUYRlFcvyx_r_KR0GT-fCedJg6ZyDe-fxsnavcAcRNv9TcO_V9sevh3mISxNiMFikg0g8/s1600/aa187cbb6d83424f4cf03f8099dfebe3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="570" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxd5M32S7JqtEA5Y_S9haSZnw0FTNdYbFMM-biHsf2WeGgWZ0HDmb4nyl-OhEuJFb99aYjetvUYRlFcvyx_r_KR0GT-fCedJg6ZyDe-fxsnavcAcRNv9TcO_V9sevh3mISxNiMFikg0g8/s640/aa187cbb6d83424f4cf03f8099dfebe3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Large Welcome Sign ~ $15</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyffzAZof-Yf7EuyD7gtpydxbqvz1TNoM-EHHwygra4pTfSuTRnq0GIBWsyr2YH167FGNqSdlVtX9iSbG3EhtlRLNpaxmivIAupL90yj4FTNguL4auqa_hBTu8bryAIcIsXnW5cx1vvHs/s1600/images-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyffzAZof-Yf7EuyD7gtpydxbqvz1TNoM-EHHwygra4pTfSuTRnq0GIBWsyr2YH167FGNqSdlVtX9iSbG3EhtlRLNpaxmivIAupL90yj4FTNguL4auqa_hBTu8bryAIcIsXnW5cx1vvHs/s400/images-2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Medium Kitchen Decoration ~ $10 </div>
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Wooden Ornaments w/ various designs ~ $7 each</div>
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If you are interested in making a purchase, please contact me on FB or leave a comment on the blog. Any shipping required will be exact cost. Thanks for your support and for helping bring Ruby to America!</div>
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~Abby</div>
Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-10444586750799622102018-04-05T15:30:00.000-05:002018-04-05T15:30:58.675-05:00Operation Nationalize RubyMeet Ruby. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSzsL4izbIHX0ATEfXdVn3FbkKYEO7z-F1ZqbGQjFxa8-BPZ07CJivzu8NrVMho2GAywtWHSNkdw1N1Ft84QuJAh8jjD9GgKDov49uifUD1eeEmBTIYyvLfbG01PiydBHh6fMa2CnL7E/s1600/IMG_3951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSzsL4izbIHX0ATEfXdVn3FbkKYEO7z-F1ZqbGQjFxa8-BPZ07CJivzu8NrVMho2GAywtWHSNkdw1N1Ft84QuJAh8jjD9GgKDov49uifUD1eeEmBTIYyvLfbG01PiydBHh6fMa2CnL7E/s640/IMG_3951.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Watching me through the kitchen window. </div>
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Previously known as Roofie, she was the pet of our former teammates and named by their youngest child. After she came to us, a slight adjustment was made to Ruby. She didn't seem to mind, and gladly comes when she's called. She came to us by accident for a brief stay last June. Her owner, a friend and teammate of ours, found himself with a broken down car near our house and had no way of transporting her. He requested that we care for her until he could get his car fixed and remove her from our yard. When he saw how much the kids were enjoying having her around, he offered for us to keep her until we left Lesotho. We gladly agreed.<br />
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So, Ruby has been in our care for nearly the past year. And during that time, we have grown to love her. She is sweet, gentle, protective, calm, quiet, loving and devoted. Everyone who meets her comments on what a great pup she is. She has been adored by all the mission teams which come through Mokhotlong. A few times, I was afraid they might allow her to leave with them "unnoticed" when they went on their way. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7HeHy0wES7q_0cc3-4c4zwWHJ9rvBKlO9UsaUA3xyp4m27uc5EOpG5VpN6wyFU68PQjnmgXfYubXTNGDv4vMiWvBEBoJkxouDcbG_vWJ18yaiX9HRceLvgNIT626bzoim1IXRKZuioE/s1600/IMG_1797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7HeHy0wES7q_0cc3-4c4zwWHJ9rvBKlO9UsaUA3xyp4m27uc5EOpG5VpN6wyFU68PQjnmgXfYubXTNGDv4vMiWvBEBoJkxouDcbG_vWJ18yaiX9HRceLvgNIT626bzoim1IXRKZuioE/s640/IMG_1797.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Post Jog Snuggles</div>
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Nearly everyday, she and I go out for a jog around town. Last year, I ran into (no pun intended) some trouble while I was out alone in Mokhotlong. Thus keeping Ruby for the remainder of our time in Lesotho was a delightful option for us. She makes for great protection. She's gentle, but she's intimidating and having her with me makes me feel more at ease. My children love her and she follows them around to the neighbors' as they play. Whenever we go away, Sadie calls out the window to her, "Bye, Ruby! Sorry! We'll be back!" Kyle may or may not be overfeeding her, thus the daily cardio requirement. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzGum8DzrQVgutg5jsLFknblFY4qSPVU7BdINqcsJzPthgcuot3tNCQ6PpdvjmPN52VK_dzu-H7Tj1rh9ROCS2NctYz4y189Ww9W1UJsprmnqPJs9sB8vEONm8icUxtE3xs7cjocLU3Q/s1600/29744759_10156333823456255_2017998746695746387_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzGum8DzrQVgutg5jsLFknblFY4qSPVU7BdINqcsJzPthgcuot3tNCQ6PpdvjmPN52VK_dzu-H7Tj1rh9ROCS2NctYz4y189Ww9W1UJsprmnqPJs9sB8vEONm8icUxtE3xs7cjocLU3Q/s640/29744759_10156333823456255_2017998746695746387_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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You can see Ruby patrolling in the background.</div>
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Why am I saying all this? Because she's a doll. She's an absolute joy and easily the best behaved dog I've ever known. And the thought of leaving her in a few months was a lot to handle. Her owner, Caleb, is one of the AIM guys working with the shepherds and she was to be his herd dog. Herd dogs live rough lives, despite Caleb's obvious commitment to trying to be as good to her as possible. The other dogs at the cattle posts are vicious and I know she would have to adapt and conform to survive. Plus, knowing my kids are already struggling with the reality of moving, being able to take their friend Ruby along didn't seem like such a bad idea. So, after discussing with Jono, I approached her owner, our friend, to ask if he'd be comfortable with us pursuing her transatlantic relocation with us in September. He agreed. When my brother, Caleb, was here late last year, he fell in love with her. He has been wanting a dog for a very long time and I knew she'd make a great pet for him. I then talked to my dad to see if he was agreeable with the plan of bringing her to be Caleb's pet. He agreed. Now that all parties are in agreement, I have contacted a pet shipping company and will get the ball rolling to make Ruby an American!<br />
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She loves to touch. She isn't happy if we aren't touching. Who cares about tan lines?</div>
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Shipping a pet is unfortunately pretty pricey. Nevertheless, with a percentage committed by a generous donor, as well as initiative on the part of my siblings, we believe it is attainable. Be on the lookout for fundraising from Holly, Maggie and Caleb! They are overjoyed at the opportunity to have a one-of-a-kind dog and eager to make it happen! They plan to do things like paintings, pet drawings, sewing and baking to help raise the funds. I will post as soon as they determine their first endeavor. <br />
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I'm excited! Moving a big dog will undoubtedly be a hassle, but I believe it's worth it. Plus, a dog is a man's best friend, right? Or in this case, a mom and a brother. :)<br />
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~Abby</div>
Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-34316136518432259432018-01-12T09:52:00.003-06:002018-01-12T09:52:52.343-06:00Opportunity and Success<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">There is a young girl who visits me occasionally. I first met her at the river one day while I was chatting on the phone and she was doing laundry. She comes to me for English vocabulary help. She’s fluent in English, but wants to broaden her vocabulary base. She wants to be a poet or an actress. She brings me things she’s read, elaborate poetry or Bible texts, so I can help explain the difficult words to her. Finding synonyms for difficult words which aren’t also difficult is difficult. This afternoon, she walked into my kitchen. I was expecting someone else so it surprised me to see her standing there. She came to tell me she had failed 10th grade math and wouldn’t be able to continue her studies. She wanted to know if I knew anyone she could work for or what she could do. She was afraid to go home because her grandfather was coming to beat her. That is the only punishment here. It’s harsh. High school isn’t free, so if a pupil struggles, it is seen as a waste of money. I felt so deflated when she said she wouldn’t be continuing her school. There isn’t much opportunity for young people here, but without a high school education, there is even less. I took her to my neighbor who is a teacher at a different school. She suggested she discuss with her teachers and see if she could do tutoring to make up her 10th grade math and then continue on with her schooling next year.</span><br />
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It made me think. I grew up in a society where children are asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Everything is a possibility. Opportunity is available. Success is achievable. You want to be a brain surgeon? Go for it! Study hard and apply yourself. You want to be an actress? Get involved in a local playhouse and chase your dreams. You want to be an electrician? There is no shortage of opportunity or job availability! Your profession will always be useful. Learn at a college or study under a skilled electrician. That isn’t the way it is here, or in most places in the world. I grew up believing I could be whatever I wanted to be. I still believe that! Someday, when I’m old and I’ve raised my kids and have more free time, I’d like to open a small cafe. There isn’t a thing in me that makes me believe I couldn’t do it! But here, when I hear, “I want to be an actress” or “I want to be a pilot”, I think, “There is no way.” I’m not trying to be pessimistic! I want to be optimistic! I want to believe that the opportunity is there. But I know better. The funding isn't there for schooling. The jobs aren’t there to be filled. There is only an up hill climb for anyone in Lesotho who wants to be something out of the ordinary. So I encourage her, study hard. Try to go to university in South Africa. Try to build your credentials and maybe, just maybe, you’ll get a break. But in my heart, I feel the truth. It’s so unlikely, it’s nearly impossible. I pray she can finish high school and I pray, with God’s grace and lots of determination, she will have the future she dreams of having. And I pray her parents and grandparents are easy on her, because she’s obviously a brilliant student who probably just spends too much time on English and not enough time on math.</div>
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In other Mokhotlong news…..</div>
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I found sweet potatoes in South Africa a couple weeks ago. It’s a rare find. I’ve only ever found them once before. I snatched two bags and have been dreaming of what all I wanted to do with them. I found <a href="https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-sweet-potato-cake" target="_blank">this recipe</a> for chocolate sweet potato cake in one of my go-to Taste of Home cookbooks and decided to give it a try. I followed the recipe with a few simple adjustments. Firstly, 2 cups of sugar is ridiculous. I cut it in half and judging by the batter, it’s plenty sweet! Recipes almost always call for way more sugar than necessary. Then, 2 cups of pecans. Seriously? Have you priced pecans lately? No. No way. I don’t use 2 cups of pecans in a month and I’m certainly not dumping that many in a cake. I buy pecans fresh from the health food store in South Africa at the cheapest price around and they are still painfully expensive. So, I just grabbed a handful of those cherished nuts and chopped them up well before tossing them in. Then to add some more texture and yum due to the lack of pecans, I added a handful of chocolate chips. Obviously. I will split it up and take it to my neighbors for safe keeping, since I can’t be held accountable for what would happen to this chocolate sweet potato cake should it all remain in my home.</div>
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Dinner tonight is ribs, which come from my favorite butchery. I’ve become such a butchery snob. They are cheaper than the grocery stores here, and the meat is so fresh and customizable. I always get just what I want. I’m using some of the barbecue sauce my mom brought because I have enough to take a bath in, and because it’s amazing and tastes like home. Thanks, Selena! I rubbed the ribs with Fat Jake's, a spice blend a friend makes. It's so good! I’m making <a href="https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/deluxe-mashed-potatoes" target="_blank">these potatoes</a> because cream cheese improves everything and fresh carrots because we bought them along the road-side this week and they are beautiful. I know ya’ll think we are really suffering up here, eating unidentifiable food and never having a treat. Sorry not sorry for shattering the image of poor, unfortunate, sacrificing missionaries. It’s not such a bad existence, I promise. You should try it!</div>
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Off I go to wake Sadie from her nap because she’s sleeping too long and I want to sleep tonight. Hope you all have your Christmas decorations down. I believe today is the deadline. Mine are all down, it took me about 5 minutes. </div>
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Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-65581730301113967632018-01-06T13:38:00.001-06:002018-01-06T13:38:31.392-06:00Wife Life<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">I started the day earlier than I would’ve liked. It is Saturday after all. But Sadie didn’t seem to remember that as she came crawling into my bed for “milkies”. I still need to wean her. I still don’t know how. I was already in the kitchen getting ready to start breakfast by 7:45. In my opinion, that’s too early for a Saturday morning unless something very exciting is about to happen. Today nothing exciting happened.</span><div>
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Before I could get going on breakfast, there was a knock at my door. The lady who comes occasionally to hand wash things that don’t go in my washing machine was here. For five years, I’ve had people asking me regularly for work. There are countless requests to nanny my children. There are many offers by passersby to do my laundry as I hang it out on the line. Many request to weed my garden. I’ve had people come to the door, stop me in town, ask me quietly as I pass them along the road. I’ve turned down so many people for “piece jobs”, as they are called here, and it is hard. It is hard to know whom to help and how to help. I couldn’t possibly employ all the people who come by asking for work. I usually turn them away saying I don’t have any work to be done (which is true, I do it :) ). Truly, what would I give all these people to do and what would I do if I had all my jobs covered? But sometime last year, this little lady came to my door. She had a baby on her back. She asked for R12 (less than $1) to buy paraffin, which is used here for cooking. She asked if I had any laundry that needed doing. I prefer to wash things in my machine. Maybe it’s my culture or the way I was raised, but I think they are good and clean that way and they feel softer than when they are hand washed. But some things don’t fit in my machine or don’t belong in my machine. Rugs and coats are two major ones. So for whatever reason, when this lady came by, I offered her a few things to wash. She did such a thorough job, I told her to come back any Saturday and I would find her something to wash. She doesn’t speak a word of English and my Sesotho is atrocious. I usually have to get Detay or Joy to translate for me so we can communicate. So, she comes by every so often (amazingly not every Saturday….) and I always find a rug or two for her to wash. Today she washed my two biggest rugs. I paid her generously, by Mokhotlong’s standards, but to me it’s still hard to stomach someone working for as little as they do here. </div>
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This morning I cleaned the entire house. I spend my days sweeping. Africa produces a lot of dirt. Children produce a lot of dirt. Even so, every week or sometimes less, the house needs a thorough going over, from top to bottom. I love a clean, neat, sweet-smelling house. It’s like a visual sigh of relief. I love clean, wind-dried sheets and can’t wait to go to bed tonight. I also love clean kids which means this every night.</div>
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During the girls’ afternoon rest/nap time, I went for a jog. Ruby needs the exercise and so do I. I enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. It’s a great time to just clear my head. I pass by lots of kids and they make me smile. The little girl in the picture below (can you spot her?) is so spunky. She’s so thin, she looks like she could blow away in the strong midday winds. But she’s full of herself and she swings her tiny hips and jabbers to herself as she walks past me. I see her regularly. Everyone asks for my dog. She isn’t actually mine…. She’s on long-term loan from a friend. I appreciate her for her companionship and protection. For some reason, even though Basotho are terrified of her, they all want her. Then when I say I’m not giving her up, they ask for her puppies. You should see the confusion on their faces as I tell them she won’t be having any puppies…. A very foreign concept here.</div>
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Sadie Kate and I did yoga before dinner. I am not any kind of yoga fanatic, but I started doing some short videos a couple months back. I’m still suffering mightily with my aching head and neck and thought maybe I could stretch out some tension. I am using Yoga by Adriene videos which a friend downloaded for me. The jury is still out on if it’s helping or not, but I continue trying regardless. At least I have a cute yoga buddy.</div>
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For dinner, I pulled this recipe to try out of my favorite cookbook — Taste of Home Country Cooking. I like the older ones because they use a lot of “from scratch” ingredients, which I need in Mokhotlong. There’s no canned soup, ready-made biscuits, jars of enchilada sauce, bottles of teriyaki sauce, etc etc. I had some ground pork I wanted to use and decided on this recipe. Because I didn’t have “pork sausage”, I added a bit of salt, paprika, sage and garlic to my ground pork. Everything else I kept the same. It was seriously so easy and so good! I served it over rice with stir fry on the side. When I make it again, I will reduce the sugar some because it was pretty sweet with the ketchup and brown sugar. But otherwise, it got two enthusiastic thumbs up from my clan. Give it a whirl!</div>
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The rugs are dry now and back in place. The big one spent the afternoon on top of Rocky so as to keep it good and clean while it dried. Thankfully there weren’t any bird droppings on it when we pulled it down tonight. Ellee’s rug had horrible grease stains from where she spilled a bottle of baby oil on it some time back. I’ve washed it since then, but the stains remained. This morning I treated it with Shout and Dawn dish soap (my two prized American cleaning supplies) before the lady took it to the river to wash it. I wish I had a before picture! It came out so beautifully, I can’t believe it!</div>
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Overall, a productive Saturday for Mrs. St.Clair. I’m tired, but it’s a good tired. I am hopeful that 2018 is going to be a great year! At least with a clean house and yummy leftovers, I know tomorrow is going to be a great day. Off to bed I go.</div>
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Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-10587556743103927982017-12-01T13:56:00.000-06:002017-12-01T13:56:05.033-06:00December First Musings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Fresh flowers from my yard</div>
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A lot of November was spent with people. I love people. We've been busy, in and out of Mokhotlong, and I feel like December is going to seem quiet in comparison. After the <a href="http://abbymtstclair.blogspot.com/2017/11/racing-through-mokhotlong.html" target="_blank">World Race team departed</a>, we had a tough situation arise which you can read about <a href="http://stclairsinmissions.blogspot.com/2017/11/november-2017-newsletter.html" target="_blank">here</a>. It hurts to see people you love hurting. But we also felt refreshed after our extended time with the team. It's always worth it to pour into others and God is faithful to supply what you need even when you feel as though you have nothing to offer.<br />
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My parents and brother came and went and we had a wonderful time together. Highlights were a totally unexpected snow dump, a hike up the mountain, jogging with my dad around Mokhotlong, skipping rocks on the river, tons of dish washing parties, hosting a Thanksgiving feast, horseback riding, a shopping trip with my mom and playing at the beach. It is always such a special treat to have family around.<br />
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While we were with the World Race team in Johannesburg, some of the girls asked me what I miss about home. Immediately the word "fall" came out of my mouth. I love fall. It's my favorite season. I love everything about it, but especially the smells it brings. It's tough every year to go through October and November as it warms up in the Southern Hemisphere and there are blossoms on the trees, rather than crackling colorful leaves. I miss candles. Candles aren't really a thing here. Before we moved to Africa, I used to light a candle every night after dinner. So a couple of my friends from the team went out that afternoon and bought me a Cinnamon Stick Yankee Candle while at the mall. Yankee Candles are imported here and as if they aren't expensive in the US, they are even more so here. I have seen them here at the fancy malls in the big cities, but have never splurged on one. These two ladies got me one and brought it to me after I was half asleep that night. They came in and handed me a heavy bag and it didn't register in my mind at that moment what it was. It dawned on me a little while later. I had to force myself to light it today. I just want to save it because it's so special, I don't want to waste it! This evening it is cool and rainy. The perfect time to light a candle. So I did, and I love it! Thanks, Emma and Millie, for ministering to my fall-sick heart.<br />
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Before we took my family back to the airport, we threw leftover Thanksgiving dinner in the freezer. I decided to try to jazz it up a bit this afternoon to turn it into a nice dinner. I sort of used <a href="https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/tastes-like-thanksgiving-casserole" target="_blank">this recipe</a>, although I did a ton of altering due to my limited resources. I made my own cream of chicken soup mixture and subbed carrots for celery. I also added French fried onions to the top because why not? It was seriously delicious. Highly recommend.<br />
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Decorating for Christmas takes me no more than ten minutes, as you can see by the state of our tiny tree. Don't tell my kids that it's not normal. They are super excited and are already begging to open their gifts. I like our little tree. It adds such a nice glow to the living room.<br />
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I hope all you lovely people are gearing up for a beautiful season celebrating Emmanuel, God with us. May the miracle of His birth not be lost on us!<br />
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~Abby</div>
Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-52313037226481433012017-11-05T09:46:00.000-06:002017-11-05T09:46:08.387-06:00Racing Through Mokhotlong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ellee and her new BFFs</div>
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Four weeks ago, when the World Race team arrived in Mokhotlong, we had no idea how they would nestle into our lives and hearts and leave us wishing that they didn't have to move on! It's been such a treat to have them here and enjoy living our lives together. Today they left Mokhotlong to journey on to another country where I know they will be a blessing and I pray they will also be blessed.<br />
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It is such a treat for us to have other "makhoa" (white people/foreigners) around. For me, it's sweet to have friends close in age -- despite our obvious gap in life-position, I really do belong in that generation -- to have around. Most of our friends here are a good deal older than I am. Also, it warmed my heart to see some of the girls jogging around Mokhotlong. They had to be adding to my stereotype of the "white girl runner" in town. Nearly every day I jog and nearly every day I receive the same questions about what I'm doing and where I'm going. Now at least people here can see it's not just me; we are all weird!</div>
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For my kids, it is sweet to have big kids they can look up to. They loved going up to the mission house to hang with the team during their off-times. I sometimes had to hold them back to allow the team some solitude. It's great to have people you can trust to look after your little ones. I know we'll be hearing stories from Kyle and Ellee for weeks and months to come of all the fun they had with the team.<br />
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We enjoyed lots of dinners together. As I can't easily accommodate twenty guests in my home, we made a meal schedule up and let the team choose which meal suited their cravings best. It was a great way to get to know each of them on a more personal level. Sadly I didn't get a photo of the first meal, which was Cracker Barrel chicken tenders and the fixings. But the rest we did document, including tacos, pizza, copycat Chick-Fil-A, and spaghetti. The spaghetti night was a big hit for five hungry guys and two hungry girls and they killed three pounds of pasta, as much meat sauce as I could fit in my big blue pot, and two big loaves of bread.<br />
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Pizza night</div>
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Movie Night</div>
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Jono's Table Setting Skills</div>
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Taco Night</div>
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Games after Tacos</div>
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Faux Chick-Fil-A</div>
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The Spaghetti Crew</div>
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Spaghetti Night</div>
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Rudy Night</div>
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S'mores in the Cave</div>
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So long World Racers! May your journeys be fruitful and may your lives shine brightly for Him! Thanks for brightening our lives for a time. We will miss you!<br />
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~Abby</div>
Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-71346043407134733742017-10-27T15:08:00.002-05:002017-10-27T15:08:13.722-05:00Sadie Kate Turns 2!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Stop everything. It all has to stop. I don't want to accept it. I can't handle it. It's thrilling and devastating at the same time. I am wild about my Sadie. I want to bottle her sweet little potbellied, whipsy-haired, scrunchy-nosed, tiny-toed self up and never let her out. I am excited that she's turning two! Two is fun! Three, four, five and six (and that's as far as my experience goes) are fun, too! But I hate losing the babyness in the midst of it. I love babies. I have this love/hate relationship going on with my kids and their constant growing and changing and moving on to the next stage. They are stinking persistent, I tell you. No matter what I do, I can't make them slow down.<br />
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Two major highlights stand out in my mind when I think about this year of Sadie's life. Firstly, we took a beautiful, relaxing, l-o-n-g road trip to Cape Town in May. It was really a stunningly gorgeous city and we enjoyed trying to hit the highlights in five days. I know she won't have any memory of it besides the photos she sees, but to be able to say you visited Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope is still bragging rights for life. In typical Sadie fashion, she did wonderfully on the very long car ride to and from Cape Town and it was a joy to have her with us.<br />
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Secondly, in July, Sadie Kate and I sneaked across the Atlantic to surprise our family and friends with a little visit home. I booked us tickets in June when I learned my grandfather had been diagnosed with leukemia. It was my hope to see him before he passed away, but we didn't make it in time. I rest assured that I will see him again in glory. Even so, we got to visit with my family as well as some of Jonathan's family and it was a very sweet time. Because Sadie was still under two, she was free and taking her with me wasn't really an option because she was (is) still breastfeeding. Plus, I knew I couldn't leave Jonathan for so long with all three little people. I was so unbelievably proud of Sadie during all the travel as she was an absolute angel baby on our total ~40 hours in the air round trip. I can honestly say she didn't cry a single tear. The comments from other passengers on her disposition were numerous. Even as we landed back in Johannesburg on our way home, so incredibly dizzy and exhausted, she remained happy and smiley as we shared a milkshake before boarding our last fight to Durban.<br />
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I loved taking her to my grandparents' houses, the pool, the zoo, the lake, to lunch and for walks around my parents' neighborhood. It was like having my very own doll baby to dress up and play with for three weeks. Having time to just spend with her was special and an experience I'll always cherish.<br />
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She's jabbering away constantly these days with fairly audible words and small sentences. She absolutely loves to visit our neighbors, help herd the neighbor's sheep into their pen, play in the sand and dirt, and just generally be outdoors. I wash so many Sadie clothes. She gets so dirty and has such fun doing it. She cut all her teeth without much complaint; she eats just about anything we give her. She loves coffee and we regularly make her decaf in her sippy cup. She loves pretzels and chocolate chips and eggs and pancakes and oats.<br />
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Her favorite things are her baby, her taggy blanket, and a bumblebee blanket which was a gift for Kyle before he was born. She likes to rub the ribbon tags on all three of these things. When she falls asleep, she has two hands full of tags. <br />
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She loves breastfeeding more now than ever and I'm completely unsure of how I'm going to manage to wean her. I limit her to three times per day. I need to wean her, I plan to wean her, I kind of want to wean her, it's just going to break her heart. We ditched the paci a couple months ago which was painful but manageable. But this, this is much bigger. I really have no idea how it's going to happen. Pray for me.<br />
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I'll never forget the balmy, warm night <a href="http://abbymtstclair.blogspot.com/2015/10/sadie-kates-birth-story.html" target="_blank">Sadie burst into this world</a>. It was wild and wonderful. I've cherished her so deeply after the agony we went through during her pregnancy. A wise woman (Hi, Mom!) kept telling me she thought Sadie would be sweet and easy after the difficulty I experienced with her pregnancy. And she was right. Sadie has been the sweetest and easiest yet and I'm just crazy about her!<br />
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Happy birthday, my darling girl. You are Mama's treasure. I thank God for you every day.<br />
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~Abby</div>
Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-91422186974827768082017-10-23T07:05:00.001-05:002017-10-23T07:05:29.273-05:00Cause to Celebrate!I know, I know. I've been neglecting the blog again. I had every intention of trying to keep up with it better this year. But, I've been plagued with fatigue and headaches and honestly, I feel like I'm just trying to keep my head above water a lot of the time. Two doctors appointments and lots of blood tests have rendered no concrete answers to my situation. I'll spare you the details of all my attempts at helping the problems, but I'm hopeful some super supplements recommended by my sister-in-law will be the right thing. They should arrive in three weeks when my parents and little brother come!<br />
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In the meantime, school continues with Kyle. We are enjoying first grade together and he's a sweet and clever little student. Our school routine is still pretty low key, but we're continuing through the basic necessities. He is reading wonderfully and last week he finished the 108th lesson of Reading Made Easy, completing the book! That's a pretty big accomplishment for a 6 year old, so a cookie cake was in order. Really, any reason to celebrate is a good excuse for a cookie cake. We also really enjoy our read aloud time; currently we are working through Charlotte's Web.<br />
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The tie though....</div>
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This month there is a World Race team here in Mokhotlong. While we don't have any official connection to World Race, we always enjoy having the teams through here. Visiting with other Americans isn't something we get to do often. This month the team consists of 20 ~20 year olds. My kids love walking through the neighbors' yard and up the hill to the mission house to <strike>annoy</strike> visit with the team in the afternoons. Because we just can't accommodate all 20 of them in our house for more than a movie night, we are doing a dinner rotation over the course of a couple weeks. So far we have enjoyed some <a href="http://abbymtstclair.blogspot.com/2017/02/scratch-that-cracker-barrel-in.html" target="_blank">Cracker Barrel</a> and pizza. Coming up this week is taco night, Chick-Fil-A night, and spaghetti night. Some familiar cuisine is a welcome change for them after a month in Swaziland and nearly two weeks here in Lesotho. From here they will continue on to Asia and then to South America before returning back to the US next year. I am trying to pump them full of chocolate chip cookies, brownies and cakes to last them for the months to come. It's the least I can do, really. <br />
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Will try not to be so quiet in the coming weeks and months!<br />
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~Abby</div>
Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-65316168588939156032017-06-17T13:35:00.002-05:002017-06-17T13:35:25.467-05:00One Down, Lots to Go!<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">Yesterday Kyle completed his <a href="https://abbymtstclair.blogspot.com/2016/09/kyle-starts-kindergarten-and-thoughts.html" target="_blank">kindergarten</a> year! We are so proud of all the skills he has learned this year. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, but overall we’ve had tons of fun!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJ48o3kIM427GmqZN1-aKJ79q2KexpuDsPdm199spdGBJmL2cCvqHXdBrh9_ZHlT7JUI5dUEyGqa9TG0_OYoUQi68VLcDhLHmX16HDZKGstfHRw-a-7cdzYyPVEFj6iNHZ0J_-918dX0/s1600/IMG_1772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJ48o3kIM427GmqZN1-aKJ79q2KexpuDsPdm199spdGBJmL2cCvqHXdBrh9_ZHlT7JUI5dUEyGqa9TG0_OYoUQi68VLcDhLHmX16HDZKGstfHRw-a-7cdzYyPVEFj6iNHZ0J_-918dX0/s640/IMG_1772.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last day of school</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJYsPhipSAF9D0_30xTKAXdJQ2j32OAxDbG4uETX3Fqam8JpXdZmKvAdu0Yocs6ytC2GRWPmrdZN307MokYwWzpDECIticGaN-x4io0g5LOjH5lu1TtkrdxuUZ7WLSSnpAtyKG_wsbv8/s1600/IMG_1852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJYsPhipSAF9D0_30xTKAXdJQ2j32OAxDbG4uETX3Fqam8JpXdZmKvAdu0Yocs6ytC2GRWPmrdZN307MokYwWzpDECIticGaN-x4io0g5LOjH5lu1TtkrdxuUZ7WLSSnpAtyKG_wsbv8/s640/IMG_1852.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">First day of school</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqfggKJlZVQ7FawlxXGODIWcqR6iv2YM6tQ6sK9b0JWcud8IZUAaFNPHm8G-qFJShn_jc0T-cZI7AhMwJJNjkr6aCuZQGZEaglSd-UDu8uIdNHZH0U35jsMaE0YnRolm3Y0sp4dc1yZA/s1600/fullsizeoutput_216d.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="881" data-original-width="1175" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqfggKJlZVQ7FawlxXGODIWcqR6iv2YM6tQ6sK9b0JWcud8IZUAaFNPHm8G-qFJShn_jc0T-cZI7AhMwJJNjkr6aCuZQGZEaglSd-UDu8uIdNHZH0U35jsMaE0YnRolm3Y0sp4dc1yZA/s640/fullsizeoutput_216d.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Started at the table, ended by the fire because it is <u>cold</u>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We started each school day by praying for an African Unreached People Group. AIM has created cards, much like playing cards, which represent African UPG’s and give a small description for each. Then we did a daily devotion, practiced a weekly memory verse, and read a Bible story. Throughout this school year, Kyle learned 25 Bible verses and we completed one and a half children’s Bible story books.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RjaQdakeF4KLvtwnImaIt0VABOXlp5a76thLFGLBSvdwk5Fz0uajwoEhvGdv_BhhYB0WMOAyctO_WqCgX4MoEMYmK9p2craHfuW4twPr9EEjiP-LRzwXdp-G1h2o4HhPn9LJwljJ6Fw/s1600/IMG_4748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1196" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RjaQdakeF4KLvtwnImaIt0VABOXlp5a76thLFGLBSvdwk5Fz0uajwoEhvGdv_BhhYB0WMOAyctO_WqCgX4MoEMYmK9p2craHfuW4twPr9EEjiP-LRzwXdp-G1h2o4HhPn9LJwljJ6Fw/s640/IMG_4748.JPG" width="478" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We then did math, practiced handwriting, and did reading. We finished math with about 15 lessons remaining in his book. They were all review anyway, and I am content having done 145 lessons. He completed almost the entire Reading Made Easy book which I anticipated taking us two years to complete. He really has this reading thing down. He also completed one and a half of his “early readers”. I started the year with one goal: teach the boy to read. I believe I accomplished my goal! After reading, he would copy two or three sentences from the story in Reading Made Easy. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSO504Uwf9X4jNOxuAeu5D-st5N65e-Msa0UKJjv7WjqkU8Ch0hGgRgY4XYs8M9y3Pkk8y2DeKwFwkW-s-vQWuHswq5uBLra2dmBm5SDdQK3U3UOWSfmEY9QLyvz-WS-Y8bnzK89SeOtk/s1600/IMG_4587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1196" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSO504Uwf9X4jNOxuAeu5D-st5N65e-Msa0UKJjv7WjqkU8Ch0hGgRgY4XYs8M9y3Pkk8y2DeKwFwkW-s-vQWuHswq5uBLra2dmBm5SDdQK3U3UOWSfmEY9QLyvz-WS-Y8bnzK89SeOtk/s640/IMG_4587.JPG" width="478" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes Kyle stays up too late Sunday Night Sleepovering with Dad and Monday morning is a drag.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGeLdwV1tVSl6vU6fFp33euhfpxO3x6-F16m431BhjCMiijk9bcEnGryjLZyQVvokSaYQVYwskadfefMm6JbopEv3X9x4-DFgGLql33opxGLUrvZReFh6pzWmcxyDMU_yI9ZcvQ3otu8/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2170.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGeLdwV1tVSl6vU6fFp33euhfpxO3x6-F16m431BhjCMiijk9bcEnGryjLZyQVvokSaYQVYwskadfefMm6JbopEv3X9x4-DFgGLql33opxGLUrvZReFh6pzWmcxyDMU_yI9ZcvQ3otu8/s640/fullsizeoutput_2170.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I had hoped to do a lot of reading aloud and it just didn’t happen. We did read aloud a number of children’s chapter books and we managed to read through a book and a half of the Uncle Arthur’s stories. I hope to find more really good read alouds for next school year. We started quite a few which were recommended, but the vocabulary was way more advanced than I thought he was understanding and he seemed totally uninterested. The ones we did find which were on his comprehension level, he loved. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJynde8Bm2y_TG8L76mLmFQ-fgo591P69YH_wvFeWtV55jHiSrgsMGZCDXF8Pi5qbGtQhrvhBMMA6GEEQ6N6gyDPWWj7XcjLjlRzZmj-ejWSMLTbGzEfM5U7KUrrM7uYnZpWn9X697Y4/s1600/IMG_3933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJynde8Bm2y_TG8L76mLmFQ-fgo591P69YH_wvFeWtV55jHiSrgsMGZCDXF8Pi5qbGtQhrvhBMMA6GEEQ6N6gyDPWWj7XcjLjlRzZmj-ejWSMLTbGzEfM5U7KUrrM7uYnZpWn9X697Y4/s640/IMG_3933.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Copy work from early in the year</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2P7DCBTpC5tTVFWSjihiRq3kdLnybQLmhriTmhUoIccx6vS5GF32-SkjI89K95EH9XardU28mgTdUDPgjrxh0FMZrsE5X-dSSj8Yrmw9VDvAiq1ufv4C3ZVoIaCl3vm0-55gRKk_3hqA/s1600/IMG_3934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2P7DCBTpC5tTVFWSjihiRq3kdLnybQLmhriTmhUoIccx6vS5GF32-SkjI89K95EH9XardU28mgTdUDPgjrxh0FMZrsE5X-dSSj8Yrmw9VDvAiq1ufv4C3ZVoIaCl3vm0-55gRKk_3hqA/s640/IMG_3934.JPG" width="360" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We baked plenty of cookies, colored plenty of pictures, and took plenty of walks. We played plenty of games! Over all, I am very pleased with how his first year went. I have some work to do, getting my girls to play quietly without interrupting us. But I believe we can find a decent routine after a couple months' break.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiC6bFH7oUcGY3IKnpwRAVhqdH4qJK7yUNXqmaY58gXrp8Wmw_mngPLMbMM8LsNLDZJrBvr9MoYQ7PHAfwEUDPEEcZZT08vFX_7YmKAFD5H-B_sjxxLry2pzEp5mjtwx1MLYOVVY9EyGk/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2168.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiC6bFH7oUcGY3IKnpwRAVhqdH4qJK7yUNXqmaY58gXrp8Wmw_mngPLMbMM8LsNLDZJrBvr9MoYQ7PHAfwEUDPEEcZZT08vFX_7YmKAFD5H-B_sjxxLry2pzEp5mjtwx1MLYOVVY9EyGk/s640/fullsizeoutput_2168.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So proud of my boy! In celebration of all his work, we had a little party with a few neighbor boys last night and, of course, baked a cookie cake to share!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7mMJgNOL9lhKgK7HYYY2s_pBRjd-vYLwoENj7yw8d72AsoDTR7NrL-jlmL-hmGTxV04Buk4MgiuT3MgJl5wl-fbIUkT7Yq0NK4e9q0VDxaqisVu1wAmQIjIx0SsWGA6LtjixZD9a6FQ/s1600/IMG_1778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7mMJgNOL9lhKgK7HYYY2s_pBRjd-vYLwoENj7yw8d72AsoDTR7NrL-jlmL-hmGTxV04Buk4MgiuT3MgJl5wl-fbIUkT7Yq0NK4e9q0VDxaqisVu1wAmQIjIx0SsWGA6LtjixZD9a6FQ/s640/IMG_1778.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">~Abby</span></div>
Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-54183426496542931432017-06-01T07:18:00.000-05:002017-06-01T07:18:32.039-05:00Coffee with a Friend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUMYQNb3feUmFc70Na-IQr1mspQgl-GqwsKb8gyhHn6vT3VwF_eEUaagjyXAKnWkw0Kf2VkUg-styQIwAzyCD3R_JPtBDmdvEwsxDI7UA74IdkQvY0JJHMbiS7oDVdlZCkrv8ff91qCw/s1600/fullsizeoutput_20ec.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1521" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUMYQNb3feUmFc70Na-IQr1mspQgl-GqwsKb8gyhHn6vT3VwF_eEUaagjyXAKnWkw0Kf2VkUg-styQIwAzyCD3R_JPtBDmdvEwsxDI7UA74IdkQvY0JJHMbiS7oDVdlZCkrv8ff91qCw/s640/fullsizeoutput_20ec.jpeg" width="608" /></a></div>
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Ellee turned four last week. I am totally crazy about this girl. She is so feisty. She keeps me on my toes and stretches me far and wide. But she loves generously. She doesn’t ever withhold a compliment or word of affection if it pops into her little head. She really is sugar and spice and I love her for it. I hope she always keeps her spunk.</div>
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There are a million and one things I could share about her. But I really was struck last night by how accepting and kind she is to anyone. I went to get her from a neighbors’ house and found her sitting at their kitchen table, sipping coffee and munching chewy Basotho bread. She was talking the ear off our neighbor’s shepherd. It is winter, so the shepherd is back in Mokhotlong to be out of the harsh environment of the rural mountains. During the summer, he lives alone way, way out in a small hut. However, it is safer for him to spend winter here, because he has more access to heat sources and doesn’t run the risk of freezing to death if it snows. During the winter, the shepherd goes off in the morning with the herd and doesn’t return until sundown. When he gets the sheep and goats back into their corral for the night, he goes to the house kitchen for supper, which he typically eats alone. He eats a massive portion, as he hasn’t eaten all day, and he isn’t shy about shoveling it in for that very reason. After supper, he goes down to his own small house beside the corral and sleeps, only to do it all again tomorrow. He does this routine every single day without exception. He doesn’t speak a bit of English but that didn’t deter Ellee. She was just jabbering away about how hungry he must be because he’d been gone all day. And something about the sheep and goats and I don’t know what else. I couldn’t help but smile at how opposite it looked, little Ellee with her french braided blonde hair, pink jeans and light up Minnie Mouse shoes in the chair beside a man who couldn’t be less like her. The shepherd, although friendly, is very rugged. He dresses in very traditional shepherd garb. His clothes are well worn, his beard is scruffy, his thick blanket and heavy rubber boots quickly indicate that he spends his days quite isolated while he watches the herds graze on the hillside. I would honestly expect Ellee to be a bit skittish around him. Obviously I am wrong about her. She left with me saying how he is her friend and she would finish her coffee tomorrow with him. She didn’t want him to eat alone. I don’t pretend to know or understand all the cultural morés here. But I’ve heard and seen enough over my years here to know that shepherds are not generally accepted as friends by non-shepherds. They do their jobs, but they are quite a separate part of society in most cases. Not to Ellee though. She hasn’t lived long enough to pick up on those social boundaries and I am glad. </div>
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I hope she never allows her friendliness to be contained by social groups. I hope she will always befriend the outcasts or those who are viewed as different or less important. I hope she never cares if someone is black or white, rich or poor, educated or not. I hope she always pulls up a chair and talks about life with another gentle, friendly soul. I hope she never quits enjoying coffee with a friend. I hope she never changes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIts-kffKDaPDhC_Dl7Dn7EMknCikAW6vyIsygBiJ42tPyn18yfglxtb9xv9z3ptrxWVS7UvFCum34AikLRf0PpCd-Pocv0GbYz00UvkqJO1JZh-arlXnE63fHbXAIp6tTU2caHhQznvw/s1600/IMG_1563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIts-kffKDaPDhC_Dl7Dn7EMknCikAW6vyIsygBiJ42tPyn18yfglxtb9xv9z3ptrxWVS7UvFCum34AikLRf0PpCd-Pocv0GbYz00UvkqJO1JZh-arlXnE63fHbXAIp6tTU2caHhQznvw/s640/IMG_1563.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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(Table Mountain, Cape Town RSA)</div>
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~Abby</div>
Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-48051438769346369202017-05-09T13:48:00.002-05:002017-05-09T13:48:16.044-05:00It's Beginning To Feel A Lot Like Christmas.....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUMHj_5hZkNOWYzYhJNLLAwLEbcjPWe1kkqS6u1DTu9unpsqMuzHBe408K0vlC41nXtWHiNfpf1NGNpzEhlsNVMEGLKHOUtg-StJYkrv1tyN4wMnTo7goZazWu2u7cz52XFQlSx0XW0o/s1600/IMG_4604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUMHj_5hZkNOWYzYhJNLLAwLEbcjPWe1kkqS6u1DTu9unpsqMuzHBe408K0vlC41nXtWHiNfpf1NGNpzEhlsNVMEGLKHOUtg-StJYkrv1tyN4wMnTo7goZazWu2u7cz52XFQlSx0XW0o/s640/IMG_4604.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">..... Except it's the beginning of May! Winter is moving into Mokhotlong and I feel something like a bear preparing for hibernation. It is funny how quickly one can forget how cold cold feels. Sometimes it feels cold in my bones. And we are only just beginning. I’ve brought out my scarves, puffy vests and long socks. My trusty sheep skin slippers are my long lost best friends. We’re getting reacquainted. The warm drink stash is dwindling and we need to restock. I’ve baked lots of goodies full of </span><a href="https://abbymtstclair.blogspot.com/2011/10/crinkle-cookies.html" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">ginger</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and </span><a href="http://lauralee-laura.blogspot.com/2012/08/elephant-ears.html" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">cinnamon</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> in the past few weeks. A pot of apple butter simmered on my stove for hours and I discovered </span><a href="http://threemanycooks.com/recipes/sweet-treats/apple-butter-pancakes/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">apple butter pancakes</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> this weekend. I’m never looking back</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">! Chili was on the menu for supper last night. And a running headband/ear cover is on my buy-when-down list because…. brrrrr.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s been cool at night for the past month or more. We began layering up the baby in early April. The evolution of heat sources here is comical to me. Typically when it starts cooling off back home, we just bump the thermostat up a bit and continue with life. When it starts feeling cold during the day, we switch out our closets to winter clothes and continue on with life. But here, without central heat, it is a much more detailed process which, after a few years of practice, we have down to a science. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We first begin by warming rice socks. Our bedroom is the coldest room in the house, so for weeks I’ve been bringing hot rice socks to bed at night to help warm up the sheets. The kids rooms are notably warmer, so they just bundle up and snuggle in no problem. The baby doesn’t stay under covers very well, so we dress her up like the Michelin man before bed. She is currently wearing either one heavy sleeper and a sweatshirt or a lightweight sleeper under a heavy sleeper at night. Then we slip her into a sleep sack before bed. We did mittens for a cold, wet week. For right now, she’s been sleeping mitten-free, which is obviously her preference. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A couple weeks ago, when it started getting below freezing nearly every night, we broke out the hot water bottles. These things rock! We own three but need more. For right now, the kids get them for sleeping. I boil water in the electric kettle and then pour it into the hot water bottles, leaving space to press air out before screwing on the lid. Then we tuck the bottles into their cute little covers and stick them into the kids’ beds before bedtime. They retain heat so well, the bottles are still warm in the morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This weekend, I brought out the electric bed heaters which go beneath our sheets. They aren’t expensive to run, really, but electricity isn’t cheap so we try to hold off on using them as long as we can. But enough is enough. I have one on Kyle’s bed and one on our bed. I’m too nervous to have one on the girls’ beds because I don’t really love the idea of electricity running under their sheets. So the girlies can have the extra water bottle and rice socks now that the big people are finished with them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When we return after our trip this week, we’ll start running the wall heaters, which really help to heat Kyle’s and Ellee’s rooms, and the anthracite stove. We need to get some more coal and fix our chimney before we can start the stove. Those things are on our short-term to-do list. Jonathan and our neighbor guys are burying the new pipes to the tank in our yard as I write. We also have to reinsulate some other pipes which needed replacing. I think you could call this “winterizing” the house.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have winter goals of working on my hand embroidery and reading good read-aloud books to the kids. We are looking forward to a school break after a fun first year for Kyle! And we are expecting a brutally cold, possibly snowy winter. There was heavy snow last year while we were in America. Although I would love to see some good snow, I’m hoping this year it doesn’t knock the electricity out for a month! Nevertheless, we’re armed and ready with candles and lamps, our coal stove and gas oven so we should be able to manage with or without electricity if necessary. </span><br />
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Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-35330939516318400662017-04-11T14:01:00.000-05:002017-04-11T14:01:17.390-05:00All About Sani<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well before we moved here, we heard about Sani Pass. We heard that it was dangerous and scary and that is gives young people gray hair. Google confirmed all those accusations. It truly is a treacherous journey when we drive down that direction. Because the vast majority of you won’t ever experience it yourselves, I thought I’d describe it in detail here. Just for fun. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It takes about an hour from our driveway to the top of Sani. The road between here and there was literally a piece of work the first few times we drove it. The Chinese had come in and were busy blasting, carving, chipping and chopping away at the mountains to make space for a decent road. We once were stopped for over an hour waiting to pass because they were blasting ahead. Before, the road was narrow and unpaved. Now, the road is smooth, wide and, although windy, easy to drive. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At the top of Sani is the Lesotho border post. It is very small and the folks who work there are almost always inside by a fire playing cards. It is very relaxed and they know us now. The top of Sani, at approximately 10,000 feet elevation, is chilly even in summer. In winter is it bitter cold. The fire inside burns nearly year round. We stamp all of our passports and pile back into Rocky. The law states that only 4X4 vehicles are allowed to travel the pass. Rocky qualifies. Jono switches the gear box into low range and puts on the difference lock. There are reasons for this which I don’t fully understand and/or don’t fully want to explain. But basically it makes Rocky safer to drive down the steep road ahead. A sign requests that right of way be given to ascending vehicles, as it’s harder to stop and go as you are traveling up. Many spots in the road are not wide enough for two cars to pass, so you must be aware of oncoming traffic. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We start down. Oftentimes you can see far into South Africa with an unobstructed view. Other times there is a layer of clouds hanging lower than the mountains, which makes it look like a big white blanket is spread across the lowlands. And occasionally there is fog which means you really can’t see anything. That doesn’t feel too good. But we really aren’t nervous. We turn on some Toby Keith to bump down so our singing voices sound like his. We figure if we go over, we go over. What can we do? We need groceries and want fast food. The hairpin turns begin immediately. I believe I've counted 14 major turns with a number of other twists and turns along the way. They have names like: Suicide Bend, Reverse Corner and Hemorrhoid Hill (gross). The rapid turning only lasts a few minutes; we drive slowly and carefully. The road is narrow and there is no guard rail. Not that it would help if there was one; it’s a long ways down. A few of the turns are a really close call and Rocky’s tires are closer to the edge than we’d like to admit. There are small water falls coming from all directions. Water is coming out of the rocks. In the wintertime, that water is frozen solid in places that never see the sun. It is then two foot long icicles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When the quick turns are over, we wind down and around and down and around another bumpy 20 minutes to the South African border post. The road here is essentially a ton of large rocks packed hard into the dirt. It means a lot of jerking around in the car. The kids ask why the road is so bumpy. And how much longer do we have? And say things like, “Daddy, I just hit my head.” We drive through a number of streams along the way. We go fast to try to clean off Rocky. Free car wash. The border post provides a much needed bathroom break after all that bumping. If we’re lucky, we see baboons hanging around high on the rocks above the post. If we’re unlucky, they chase us. Just kidding. Although they are quite aggressive, they do keep their distance. We stamp our passports again, this time with temporary visas for South Africa, and continue on our way. There is another 30 minutes of very bumpy, windy road ahead. The lower area of the road is extremely muddy, which is so dangerous when it is raining (or just after). Just this past week, we were slip sliding all over the place trying to drive it. It’s awful. Rocky very nearly got stuck and we were a little too close to sliding off the edge for comfort. It’s still very high, even though we are way past Sani pass. Going over would be a big problem. We really wish they would pave this part of the road, but alas, it is unlikely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sani is a huge tourist attraction in this area of South Africa. It is known as the most precipitous (highest climb in shortest distance) pass in Africa. People pay good money to take a guided tour up and down it in one day. If you want to spend the night at the top, you can pay a hefty tourist rate to stay at the Sani Mountain Lodge. Because Sani is an attraction for tourists, thrill seekers, bikers and others, it is unlikely that much will be done to change the rugged appeal to the pass. It can be annoying to pass so many touring vehicles when we are trying to get to the grocery or a doctor’s appointment. We also know it is exactly four hours from our porch to the McDonald’s parking lot, so we’re aiming for lunch time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We can typically accomplish Sani in about an hour. Then it’s another two hour drive to the nearest large city, Pietermaritzburg. That drive is absolutely stunning. It reminds us of Tennessee or Kentucky. Rolling hills and large dairy farms. Lots of ponds and lakes are sprinkled around. The road is smooth and the scenery is lovely. We’re over the worst of it and on our way to french fries. It feels good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">~Abby</span></div>
Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-38051603603714872342017-04-02T12:49:00.000-05:002017-04-02T12:55:23.148-05:00Wanderer<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px;">As a child, I used to love to visit my grandparents' house. As an adult, I still get just as excited. When I return to that log cabin set beautifully atop a mountain, memories of summer days and winter nights come flooding back. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Having spent a career in the Air Force, my Oma and Opa have collected a variety of unique items which decorate their lovely home. I enjoy looking at the paintings and carvings from foreign lands. The house itself is warm and welcoming, but most of all I love the memories I have from many visits over the years. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The smell of strong coffee fills the house in the mornings. Slowly but surely family arises and gathers for a simple breakfast. Some have slept at the Big House, others at the cottage on the backside of the property, some even camp in the side yard in a pop out camper. Mornings are spent on the front porch if it’s warm outside, or in the sunroom if it’s chilly. When breakfast is cleared and put away, a family walk is on the agenda. We spend a lot of time walking and exploring the land surrounding the house.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is a pond on the bottom of the property where we go to feed the fish. Walking down is easy, but walking back up is always a feat. When I was small, it felt like such a long ways. Now I realize it isn’t that far at all. We climb trees and inspect moss and collect flowers for a table center piece. In the heat of summer, we enjoy picking blackberries. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Games begin on the front terraces during the late morning and after lunch. Three legged races, bocce ball or softball with plastic bats and plastic balls are included in some of the fun. We spread quilts on the lawn and enjoy each other’s company in the shade. The beautiful lawn doubles as a driving range, where Opa practices his long-range shots. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We take rides in the golf cart and hunt for lost golf balls. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sometimes, if it’s too hot or too cold, we venture down into the basement for more games or a classic movie. I remember watching Lion King and Riverdance the most. Those are two of my very favorite movies even now. I almost always tear up watching Riverdance now because it takes me right back to my childhood in Oma’s basement. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Summer nights are spent playing outside games. We love to play flashlight tag. We dress in dark clothes, set boundaries around the yard, and run to hide in our best spots. My dad and my uncle often begin the hunting. Fireflies light up in the dark and crickets are making noise all around. We do our best to not giggle as they walk right past us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">During the holidays, the house bustles with people moving about preparing for a big family get-together. Some set places at the tables, while others are assembling the food on the buffet. My Oma is a great cook and an even better hostess. The air is so chilly outside, but sometimes I go out on the front porch swing while the dinner is being prepared. There is plenty of space to spread out inside, but I enjoy sitting outside and breathing in the fresh mountain air and gazing at the starry night. There seem to be so many more stars above that mountain than anywhere else. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When the night is over and we all head to our designated sleeping spots, I enjoy replaying the day’s events before falling asleep. It never gets old being there. It’s the perfect place to visit, relax, eat and have tons of fun. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Months ago, I saw an add for Wanderer Bracelets with coordinates from your favorite place. During this stage of my life, I certainly feel like a wanderer. I also feel as though I'll never feel completely at home anywhere again. I've left pieces of my heart in lots of places and I'm only just getting started. That specific place holds such cherished memories for me, I decided to order myself a Wanderer Bracelet with the coordinates from my grandparents' front porch. I love knowing a little piece of my heart is with me even here.</span><br />
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Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-72432085338812090942017-02-19T08:33:00.001-06:002017-02-19T08:52:38.074-06:00Scratch that! Cracker Barrel in MokhotlongOnce upon a time, in a faraway land, Jonathan and I worked at Cracker Barrel together. It was a sweet time, really. Looking back, I have fond memories of heading off to work together at the crack of dawn to serve grumpy old people their coffee. We used to rock out to Daughtry to wake ourselves up. It only lasted a few months before we moved to Mexico, but it was fun. Seven years, a few kids and a few countries later, that all feels like another life. But I did learn a few things working there.<br />
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I learned that people are way too particular about their food. True story - I had a table send back their eggs not once, not twice, but three times because they were not cooked, "over medium-well." I distinctly remember how close I was to reminding them that it was an <i>egg </i>and not a <i>steak. </i>Miraculously I managed to keep my cool. Another true story - I had one grumpy man refuse to look at me the rest of the time I waited his table just because I wouldn't butter his toast (it was store policy that we weren't supposed to touch the food without gloves or tongs....). Oh! And one last true story. I had one woman who would come in with her kids and leave me a great tip if I'd fish out the "soft biscuits" from the biscuit drawer for her picky son. Seriously? Biscuits are good. Soft or crispy, who cares? Lather some apple butter on it and cram it in your mouth. People. I loved waiting tables, but it could be stressful.<br />
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I also learned that daily access to unlimited biscuits and sweet tea was hard on my waistline. If you knew how much sugar they put in their sweet tea, you might consider ordering water next time you visit Cracker Barrel. And the biscuits are so good. I've yet to master them like Cracker Barrel has. I doubt I ever will.<br />
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Thankfully, I did learn how they make some of their food. I used to order the grilled chicken tenders and turn them into a sandwich. There was a very cheap way of doing that which I won't explain here. But somehow, someway, I found out that their grilled chicken tenders are just marinated in Italian Dressing. My life was changed. It's the easiest and best way to eat chicken. I make it like this often. Cut chicken breasts into tenders and put them in a bowl. Pour Italian dressing over them and let them hang out for a few hours in the fridge. Heat a pan pretty well and put them in, letting some of the dressing drip off first. The oil in the dressing works great for cooking and if you time it just right, you can get great caramelization on both sides. Don't worry if the pan starts to look like the bottom is charred, it washes off so easily and creates that nice caramelization. Cook in batches until you are piled up and ready for a homemade Cracker Barrel feast.<br />
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Recipes have their place and I spend plenty of time browsing cookbooks and recipe blogs. But oftentimes, I just have to make things up as I go. Pictured above is my trusty coleslaw I mentioned in a <a href="http://abbymtstclair.blogspot.com/2016/10/scratch-that-cooking-adventures-in.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>. I heard that Cracker Barrel's slaw is made with poppyseed dressing. Maybe that is true, but I don't have access to it here. So I stick with my simple mayo, vinegar and sugar dressing combo, plus mustard seeds. Fab!</div>
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I also made up a hash brown casserole, which is a Cracker Barrel fave for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I didn't ever order it myself, but I've tasted plenty of bites of Jono's. Most HBRs (as it's known to the service staff at CB) are made with frozen shredded hash browns. I've discovered you can just shred potatoes on a box grater and you basically have the same thing. I mixed the shredded potatoes with cheese (lots), milk, eggs, minced onion, salt and pepper. It cooked long and hot, until the potatoes were tender.</div>
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Growing up, my mom could whip up fried apples in no time. I make them like she did, using sliced fresh apples, sometimes peeled, sometimes not. I brown them briefly in a bit of butter before adding some apple juice or water to let them simmer. While they simmer, I add some brown sugar, a tiny bit of salt, and a healthy shake of cinnamon. After about ten minutes, I add a small amount of cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken the sauce. I don't make them as saucy as Cracker Barrel's, but it would be easy enough to do.<br />
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Making dinner at home is so much cheaper than eating out, especially for a big family. Since we don't have the option of eating out, I'm always making dinner at home and it is nice to enjoy comfort foods. If I can wing Cracker Barrel in my kitchen in Mokhotlong, surely you can whip some up where you are, too!<br />
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Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-67490413469263471552017-01-21T09:25:00.000-06:002017-01-21T09:25:51.006-06:00There's A First Time For Everything<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">We first met Danki in 2013 on our initial visit to Mokhotlong. We didn’t have a place to live here yet and we had only come to visit a colleague, Jayne, and survey the town. Jayne took us around Mokhotlong, showing us where we could find some groceries and to show us what a rental house might look like. Along our tour, we met an elderly lady who sat on her front porch and chatted with us for a while. Sound familiar? <a href="http://abbymtstclair.blogspot.com/2016/12/christmas-eve-in-mokhotlong.html" target="_blank">I blogged about her on Christmas Eve</a>. There were a dozen young kids around, understandably curious of the outsiders who had come to their little part of Mokhotlong. Jonathan, Kyle, tiny Ellee, Lacy, my mom and myself were there and in our pictures, Danki was there, too. We didn’t know it at the time, but it turns out that we moved in next door to that elderly lady, MaTopi, and she is now our neighbor. Because Danki rents a room from MaTopi, he is also our neighbor. He first moved to Mokhotlong in 2009. The youngest of ten children, he was born and raised in a village until age ten. At that point, he moved to Mokhotlong to continue his education in the better town schools. Eventually, he began renting a room from MaTopi and started high school nearby. He recently graduated and has since been doing odd jobs around town. He hopes to go to college and study engineering. He will have to work to pay his way through school.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Around Thanksgiving, he told us in conversation that he had never been to South Africa. He said he had a passport, but it had never been used. He wanted to see the ocean. We asked when he turned 18, since it’s much easier to take someone across the border once they are an adult. He said his 18th birthday was the first of January. So, we told him we’d take him along sometime when we were going to the coast. When we decided to fly Lacy home out of Durban, we determined it would be as good a time as any to take Danki with us as well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Typically when we go to Durban, we’re there for doctor’s appointments and necessary shopping. We usually stay with friends and oftentimes don’t even make it to the beach. For Danki, however, the beach was first priority. Thus, I found a condo right on the beach for an absolute steal and booked it for a couple nights after Lacy’s departure. Danki was counting down the days weeks ago. He told us he could barely sleep last week because he was so excited. On Sunday morning, we packed up and embarked on a trip of firsts. We knew seeing the ocean would be a first, but it hadn’t even occurred to me exactly how many firsts he would experience during a few days in South Africa.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">First ride down Sani. First border crossing. First passport stamp. First monkey sighting. First ride on a freeway. He couldn’t believe how fast the cars were going. First automatically opening doors. First time in a mall. First time ordering from a menu. First meal at a sit-down restaurant. First shower. First time seeing a small dog. First McDonalds. First traffic jam. First view of an airport. First look at the ocean. Second, third, forth, fifth shower - he’s hooked. First night in an air-conditioned room. First time seeing a poodle. He roared with laughter. All the dogs in Mokhotlong are mutt herd dogs. A groomed poodle was just a hilarious sight to him. We enjoyed his reaction. First elevator. First escalator. He went up and down a few times just because he could. First time to a movie theatre. First swim in the ocean. First swim in a pool. I couldn't believe he knew how to swim, but he did! First milkshake. First parking garage. First air hockey. First soda fountain. I should’ve counted the number of refills he got! First water fountain. First drive thru. His reaction was priceless. He couldn’t believe there was a person behind the screen taking our order and that the food was going to magically appear out of a window. Jono explained the headset concept. First bumper cars. First zebra. First ostrich. And I'm sure many more I'm forgetting!</span><br />
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While we were out, the monkeys got in and made a huge mess! The housekeeper left the window open and this....</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s so interesting how commonplace all these things are to me. In fact, for us, coming to South Africa is comforting because it feels like home. It looks more like America than anywhere else nearby, and the sights, smells and sounds are much like those from home. It’s still different, but it’s a whole lot closer to American life than we find in Mokhotlong. Danki, on the other hand, knows nothing of life outside of Lesotho. Excluding a very short school trip to the capital city, he barely knows life outside of Mokhotlong. Needless to say, he’s intrigued and maybe a bit shell shocked by life there. And it was so fun to watch him experience it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don’t know where his bright smile and kind heart will take him in life. I hope and pray he makes wise choices. He has the potential to have a bright and successful future. I suspect this won't be the only trip to South Africa he takes with us. It really couldn't have been more fun for any of us!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">~Abby</span></div>
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Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195505473049808.post-13943105224863395072017-01-09T06:16:00.001-06:002017-01-09T06:16:58.388-06:00Diaper Duty - River Edition<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Last week Mokhotlong experienced the heaviest rain we’ve seen here. It began with a torrential downpour which caused a flash flood. The flood caused much damage which included washing away the pipes that feed water to our area from the water source. Thus, the water has been off for over a week now. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Our tank is still supplying water to our house. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">We have been seriously rationing water (....back to the outhouse….) because we have no way of knowing how long it will take to repair the pipe damage. After inspection today, we see that it is still over half way full.</span><br />
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Washing laundry uses so much water. I had been letting it pile up in hopes that the water would return. Yesterday, however, we decided it was time to take matters into our own hands. Literally. The sun was shining for the first time in days. So we gathered up a week’s worth of laundry for six people, and Lacy and I walked a short distance to the river nearby our house. This river has been running pretty well for the past few months. However, after all the rain last week, it is running at probably four times its usual flow. There are always ladies and young girls doing laundry here, so we certainly weren’t alone. We brought our bucket, some soap, a scrub brush and a lot of elbow grease. We managed to wash a lot of laundry in about an hours time. When we brought it back to the house, we threw it in the washing machine for a spin cycle to save our hands from trying to wring it dry. Then it hung on the line over night and now it’s folded and ready to be put away. Does it get any more organic than that? I want to know if all the green, crunchy, eco-friendly folks are doing their laundry this way. If they aren't, I want to know why not. </div>
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This morning, we headed back over to the river to do the same thing — only today, diapers were our duty. Someday, I’m going to tell Sadie Kate that Aunt Lacy and I hand washed her diapers in the river in Mokhotlong. I’m going to tell her that she cannot misbehave because we’ve done too much for her needy little self. Joy was there helping us, as well as another girl who lives nearby. We finished the diapers and they are now in the machine for a spin cycle as well. I will probably spring for paper diapers to use until the water comes back on. I think she’s worth it. And I think our hands are worth it, too. </div>
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After washing diapers, Lacy decided to wash her hair in the waterfall. We have still been taking showers, albeit less often and more quickly. Nevertheless, running water and sunshine provides a good opportunity to get clean. I brought shampoo for that very purpose. She went first, then I followed suit. The water was so cold on our backs and we might’ve screamed the entire way through it. But we have clean hair. And fun memories. </div>
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Kyle or Gollum?</div>
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There is no way to estimate how long it will take for the water supply to be repaired. This is, after all, Africa and nothing happens quickly. Between river laundry and showers, I think we can manage to make our tank last at least another week. If it comes to it, we’ll make a plan then. For now, we are enjoying nature and the simplicity of washing in the river. Next up, muddy shoes!</div>
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~Abby</div>
Abby St Clairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12139356506681226073noreply@blogger.com2