Sunday 1 March 2009

Things just aren't going my way...

Hi Everyone,
Many many thanks for all the Get Well Soon emails, I am sure they have helped me to a 'speedy recovery'. It has been nearly two weeks of sleep, get up and eat, sleep, play with the dogs, sleep, read, sleep. You know the drill. On the days when I have felt up to going into town for shopping/ bank / internet I have ended up straight to bed when I get in and the next day pooped. One of you dear friends has advised me to be more careful where I put my hands.........thanks for that. I think my problem arises from the love of fresh fruit.... there is so much of it here I usually partake as a snack, no always with the luxury of being able to wash it. POINT TAKEN!!!!!!!!

Catherine has been looking after me very well, on days that were particularly bad waking me up to make sure I was still breathing..... she said you can only have sooooooooo much sleep. She has been plying me with uji........ um not my fav but easily digested and full of goodness (apparently). Yesterday I sent a text message to my doctor (the one who gave me his number as he wanted a date). I told him that I didn't think at this stage I should be spending so much time sleeping with exhaustion, he told me to stop the pills and arrange a date with him....... ummm ...... I take it to mean book an appointment on Monday for a checkup! Well that's what I am doing anyway!

Catherine has gone off to Nairobi to visit her family so I am 'home alone'. Well today anyway, Henry left early to spend the day at church, he usually gets back at about 7pm having left at 7am. I don't really understand how you can find enough to talk to God about - it is such a long long day. I got up with a bit more energy than usual and started cleaning. Took down all the curtains and washed them, (after a good soaking), swept the house and then mopped the floors, everything is now squeaky clean. I had to laugh when dusting the dining table and chairs, as I bumped into George who made them for me recently and told him that the chairs were still wobbly and needed his attention. He told me that he would come round some time and attend to my 'dancing chairs' as they certainly do dance but I have just accepted that that is how they will be. I just love the way people have such great terms for things, a squeaky door is a 'singing door'. This was obviously after sorting out the dogs, feeding the cat and attending to the chickens......... sounds very 'green wellie'! Actually do it in my flip flops, shorts and a t-shirt!

Henry has divided the chicken house/ penthouse into two with a compartment for the hen and her two chicks, they made far too much mess loose in the garage! The chicks are doing well and looking strong. I have had training on how and what to feed them and am told when the chicks develop 'feathers' instead of fluff they can go in with the others. They need the mothers warmth at night at the moment.

I arranged if I felt well to treat myself to a trip into town. Only a couple of hours, I agreed to meet one of the boys who had left SCANN and was now struggling as a teacher on his first months working without money until he gets paid. I bought him some groceries to keep him going as as far as SCANN is concerned he is now on his own a bit harsh, they gave him a bed, mattress, blanket, pillow, rent for the month, but not enough for food for the first month! I don't help all the older boys in this way but this guy has worked so hard to get his first teaching job, everyday he went to the college to sit and be told come back tomorrow. I think they had to give him a job because he was so damned persistent. He has come back to collect teaching material from the SCANN books and is now teaching, physics, maths and biology. He is a good guy, unlike some of the others who constantly want handouts of money to help them. He genuinely needed food stuffs. So that was my Godly thing for today, I keep being asked why I don't go to church............ I genuinely think that there are so many hypocrites here who spend the whole day at church, go home beat the wife and kids, have other women, drink etc etc. I am not saying I am better than them but I just do what I do knowing it is good.

I treated myself before I left the house with a hot shower, it was bliss after all that dust and housework. I dressed in a skirt and top and looked mighty fine, even if I have to say so myself. I chained the dogs, gave them water and locked the house and then left the property locking the gate from the outside with the padlock on the inside of the large gates, (accessed through a square large enough to get my hands through). Now the worst thing you can do is drop your keys as there is no way to get them without opening the gate..... Henry manages to drop them often and I give him a hard time about it, but luckily it is always when I am in the house when I can get them for him. TODAY I dropped the keys and no one is in. I have phoned Henry to let him know of this event and hoping he may come home early from church to let me in, but God comes first out here. So I find myself sitting in the internet, having read and filed all my emails, listening to the downpour that is taking place outside, knowing that I am locked out of the house and have no way of getting in until Henry finishes talking to God. I have no where to shelter outside the gates if I decided to go home and wait, so I think I will have to break my 'being good' rule and go have a few beers as I have now finished taking my pills. Well, what harm can it do????????

I am planning on going to SCANN tomorrow to see what has been going on in my absence, probably running along smoothly. The boys have been passing on their concerns for my health via Catherine and I love them for it. They probably think I am not coming back! We are preparing for visitors from Canada who help finance the schooling of the boys so everyone is working hard to ensure the place is spick and span. I have been looking into trying to find a more medical volunteer position that I can help with, not full time as I would struggle to leave the boys. There are so many outreach health worker schemes going on I am hoping to see if I can join one to increase my knowledge out here, everything helps. Although a paid job would help even more considering there have been no takers for my lovely B&B and my funds are beginnings to run a little on the low side!

Anyone fancy sponsoring me to be here working as a volunteer, I would love to hear from you, anyone who knows me knows how I hate 'the money thing'! Ok I have managed to send some text messages to my friends and someone is coming to join me for a beer to 'keep me company' !!!!! Oh well, better than drinking alone. Can I remind Nathalie as the rains are coming please come with suitable shoes that wont mind getting wet, also a water proof and an umbrella, unless you are planning on being like me, no jacket, no umbrella and a T-shirt that will go see through in the rain! Damn!!
Love to you all,
Susannah

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger (apparently!)
Oh, and for those of you that dont know IKEA Southampton is now OPEN!!!!!! Go visit it and say hi to anyone who knows me. xx

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