Christmas Eve

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are all well and truly into the festive spirit. Yesterday at Scann I had arranged for the boys to show us what they perform at their evening talent shows that they hold three evenings a week. As none of us are about in the evening we miss out. I put up the Christmas tree with decs with help from a few of the boys and decorated the dining hall with lots of help, it still looks a bit bleak but not as bad as usual. I did warn the boys that this year if anyone removed the decorations from the tree I wouldn't put one up next year, I went in today and counted, not one of the wooden ornaments has gone but that was just day one!

The talent event was great the boys had a great time sharing their talents and the staff enjoyed watching. We were even gathered together at one stage into the centre of the dining hall and told to sit in a ring on chairs. Little did we know that we were to take part in 'musical chairs' what a laugh we had......... the boys laughed so much it was great, and I won!!!!!

The best part for me was being treated to a show by the 'c' group of acrobats. It was the smallest boys at SCANN. I sat with tears whelling as I watched the likes of Davey and James Mwangi performing acrobatic feats, some of you will remember Mwangi had been very ill last year always sickly and backwards and forwards to the hospital, even on the last day I was there he had to go for bloods and x-rays. The boys looked so proud and performed beautifully, (well maybe the timing was a bit out and the left leg instead of the right leg was used in the dancing but it was fab). Nathalie I will put some of the videos on a cd and send them to you for the girls to watch.

I left there to go home to many many basins of water as we have been without for 3 days again as there is a problem with the pump at the pumpng station. I called my contact who promised we would have water that day, unfortunately the pressure was so low that we could only get it in basins as it was not pressured enough to get the pump working!

My volunteer house guest (Thomas) is very very adaptable and understanding and quite happy with the facilities available, actually we whop and wail when we actually get a shower. Luckily he had previously spent a year in Colombia and is used to basics!

Tomorrow will be a busy day as Thomas and I are spending the day at SCANN entertaining the children, should be fun.... in addition Thomas and I have bought in some sacks of fruit from the market to add to the boys festivie lunch oranges and bananas which will be given on two different days. After all the activities of tomorrow I think I will need a stiff drink by evening. I am taking Boxing Day off to continue the sewing as I am getting behind, my stitching clothes in the evening days are well and truly over, eyes are not what they used to be!!!! (Sign of age..........um think not just bad eyes).

Thomas and I have discussed going out for Chinese tonight as Christmas Eve treat, although an early night maybe on the cards, in view of tomorrows exertions. In preparation of Catherine leaving for a week to visit her family I went home last night and after about half a box of matches managed to light an amazing jiko, Thomas decided he would cook a spag bol, not that he has cooked before in the true Kenyan way (a back breaking event bending over the small stove). The meal was good and we even managed a large home made creme caramel too for pud, Catherine was amazed we managed to do all this before she got home for dinner. Thomas and I had had a mad dash round town earlier buying things to make 'booty bags' for the boys, we spent our Christmas Eve, sitting at the cleared diningroom table, filling plastic bags with bits and bobs listening to music, chatting and feeling great well into the early hours. What a great way to spend Christmas Eve!

The animals are very well and growing bigger by the moment, Paka is aloof but still around, he loves my ankles around meal time!

It is still hot and very very dry, my shamba is now full of drooping plants in great need of rain, actually everywhere here is in need of rain to get rid of the awful dust, which believe me, gets everywhere!

My love to everyone and my thoughts are with you all over Christmas, Think my Christmas lunch will be a bun and a soda but alot of fun. The boys all send their love and keep asking when my friends are coming.......................

I hope you like my Christmas card, I didn't send any this year, how bad am I........

SO I WILL END NOW WITH MY LOVE TO YOU ALL, PEACE AND FESTIVE WISHES ALL ROUND.

SUSANNAH XXXXXX