Just the fact that I'm excited over a new grocery COOP opening by one of our neighborhood mosques says something, don't you think? It means I don't have to take a taxi to and from the grocery ($10) to buy my 2-3 gallons of milk ($6/gal) when Robert is unavailable (often.) It also means, I have an excuse to get out, maybe meet a few more neighbors, and have easy access to the things I use most often: milk, fresh herbs, flat bread, fresh feta cheese, etc.
Robert & I walked over tonight and it was just at the conclusion of evening prayers. The men were streaming out of the mosque, slipping into their shoes, and slipping off into the night on their cellphones, sons by their side, robes flowing in the sandy air. I changed out of my shorts & covered up my t-shirt that says "US Army" before leaving the house; "standing out" is what we do best, even when modestly dressed. I am usually oblivious, but Molly gets a lot of unwanted attention when she is out and about. Note to self this week: if she must walk to the embassy, I go with her. (She got 2 offers for rides last time)
We strolled each isle to see what was stocked in this larger-than-CircleK shop. Special K cereal, Jolly Green Giant vegetables...they must know there are expats in the mix of this community! Meat & even a small selection of fresh vegetables was a welcome site. The toiletries were well priced and will make shopping for my Filipino maids easy.
We started a new class at the embassy last week; on Monday night we picked up the first 12 rugs which were completed. It was interesting to see where these women were at mentally, socially, compared to our group who we spent 2 months with. There was so much more synergy after having taught them the 7 habits & built a sense of team in the last group. They had seemed to get beyond the hoarding mentality (with the resources) and were open and participating. This new group reminds us of how far we came with the others. The number scooted up from the limit of 30, to 40 for the first night but we let it slip since many of them will leave before finishing. There was not enough table space, but we resolved that by purchasing 3 new 8 foot tables last night. We will try to pay for them out of donations rather than profits from the crafts. Sales in my immediate circles have been highly profitable; now I must find new venues.
Kids are on spring break this week, nice to sleep in a bit and have them around. We've braved the beach south of here at the Hilton and no one got sick from swimming in the Gulf! Some moms think I'm nuts, but I believe in diffusion! The sewage spills were much further north and it must be VERY diluted by the time it reached the Hilton! I have a friend who won't even eat anything grown in Kuwait for fear of what's in the soil, er sand? I've not really seen any soil here...I can't live like that!
We were fortunate to have the kids off during Easter week; Sunday was a school day for many. Robert got the day off but it was not a holiday. We tried to make it special in our home as the rest of the country was clueless what we were celebrating. Thursday evening just our family had a Christian Seder meal together and was warmed by this tradition with all it's meaning. Saturday, Emily's friend came over who has a Buddhist mom and a no-faith dad. She wanted to experience Easter with us and seeing it through her eyes made it even more special. We watched The Passion of Christ Sat. evening & Tonya & I cried through that. Sunday am the kids all did the scripture treasure hunt I'd prepared & eventually found their Easter baskets. Then we examined the 4 resurrection accounts and extracted so much meaning from the different perspectives as we charted what was the same and different. In the afternoon, we painted eggs and chatted with more friends who were arriving. By dinner there were 13 of us to enjoy ham & lamb with all the trimmings. It was nice to have Molly's help in the kitchen & with baking...I'm gonna miss that! Emily folded our dinner napkins into cute little rabbits except for Harvey's: he got a dead chicken which she learned to make from a waiter in Cairo:) Our guests included Tonya, a AF officer away from home, our Canadian friends, and 3 teachers; one was on his way back to Kabul where he teaches English. After dinner, we celebrated with a rousing "See What A Morning" while Ethan accompanied us on his sax, followed by "In Christ Alone." Singing at the table was a shock to Tonya but she survived Easter with the Spesserts and has been home reading through the New Testament from her Easter basket! It was such a joy to share this day with such delightful people.
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